Form Follows Function: Designing Smart Grid Communication Systems Using a Framework Approach

In the traditional electricity grid, there are four major components: power generation, power transmission, power distribution, and grid operation. Power generation usually consists of numerous types of generation plants, such as fossil-fuel power plants and nuclear power plants. The generated electricity is fed into the transmission network, which primarily consists of high-voltage (HV) or extra-high-voltage (EHV) transmission lines and transmission substations and delivers power over long distances. When the electricity arrives at locations in close proximity to utility customers, it is handed over to the distribution subsystem and then dispatched to the customers. Power operation monitors and controls the flow of electricity and all grid components and is essential to the proper functioning and efficiency of the grid.