Networks in a network, communications in electrical distribution

“Network”, in this industry, has traditionally referred to the electrical power distribution network. Today, the term could easily apply to communication networks, which are becoming almost standard in the electrical power infrastructure. The role of communication networks has evolved from rudimentary data collection to, in some cases, becoming the centerpiece of complex wide area distributed data acquisition and control systems. The evolution of communication network technology is a key factor in this role transformation. A brief review of these changes will be presented. The increase in capability has led to a corresponding increase in functionality. As a result, networks are becoming as critical to electrical distribution as the copper cables themselves. To exploit the functionality that can be delivered by communications, the network must be designed to reliably deliver the functionality, performance, and security required to accomplish those objectives. An overview of the design considerations for the communication network will be discussed. As the current technological trend continues so will the future functionality - in particular where remote access and the cloud are concerned. Communication network design to perform this current functionality as well as support these future capabilities is the topic of this paper.