Smart Grid - Technologies for its realisation

There is a growing interest towards the development of the Smart Grid. Even though the Smart Grid offers many advantages for the connection of renewable energy sources while providing the efficient operation of the power grid, there are many gray areas which delay its realization. It is recognized that the early realization of the Smart Grid requires standards and regulations that ensures interoperability, security and privacy of information, protocols that ensures communications across heterogeneous networks. Further, achieving smart grid goals of improving energy efficiency, reliable energy delivery, living-standard with novel applications and market services will require significant innovation well beyond engineering of existing technologies. This paper identifies enabling technology areas for Smart Grid and presents key engineering and research challenges in the communications technology area.