Tutorial II: The green Internet of Things

Every day, we hear about the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it is in the process of revolutionizing machine-to-machine (M2M) interaction, allowing a myriad of connected devices to interact and co-operate in order to make our lives richer. In this tutorial, we will explain and illustrate, through theoretical examples, simulations and real-world proof-of-concept experiments, why a true Smart Grid would require an IoT-like, distributed "nervous system" comprised of sensors, relays and actuators to function properly and break the scalability barrier. In particular, we will demonstrate how such a system could play a key part in making renewable sources easier to integrate in the overall energy mix by balancing supply and demand in a much finer and responsive way than is possible today, thereby reducing the average carbon footprint of power generation and making a direct contribution to a more sustainable society.