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56 IEEE power & energy magazine 1540-7977/12/$31.00©2012 IEEE july/august 2012

By A.R. Khattak, S.A. Mahmud, and G.M. Khan

The Power
to Deliver

L
LOOKING AT THE COMMUNICATION INDUSTRY, ONE OBSERVES
how drastically the communication horizon has changed. From letters to
e-mails and SMS, from phone calls to video chat and live conferencing, from
phone booths to smart phones: since the digitization of communication, a new
era of consumer choice has been inaugurated. The potential exists for similar
transformation and opportunity in the provision of electricity, embodied in a
concept known as the “smart grid.”
The meaning of smart grid is usually multifaceted to variable audiences.
The gamut of workshops, online resources, and awareness campaigns that
involve the deployment of smart grids and its associated benefits makes it dif-
ficult for end users and other stake holders to identify exactly what it is or
understand the potential advantages and concerns.
For most, a smart grid represents:
✔ a technology vision to optimize electricity delivery operations in the
transmission and distribution systems
Trends in ✔ an opportunity to expand the use of information technology, including
two‐way communication between the utility and the customer
Smart Grid ✔ greater ability to increase efficiency and reliability, and assist in facili-
tating the integration and utilization of alternate/ renewable sources of
Solutions energy into the broader grid network.
In short, the smart grid is the electric delivery network from electrical gen-
eration to the end user that makes use of the latest advances in wireless com-
munication and intelligent information management systems to ameliorate the
electric system robustness, reliability, efficiency, and security.
Like the telecommunications and the genesis of the Internet, technology
holds the key to the smart grid and its realization. The expression “Using
megabytes of data to move megawatts of energy,” from a document pre-
pared for the U.S. Department of Energy, coins the essence of the smart grid
perfectly. Figure 1 identifies the principal components of a smart grid, and

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPE.2012.2196336

Date of publication: 18 June 2012

july/august 2012 IEEE power & energy magazine 57

 identified in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) policy statement along with an addition of four
System
Situation other major areas. These and many other factors, such as
Assessment providing consumers with greater information and choices,
and
Demand Operations reducing the environmental impact, ensuring security and
Participation Transmission
and Tariff Automation reliability of supply, integrated energy management, impact
Options of increase in demand due to electric vehicles, etc., form the
base of research for smart grid technologies throughout the
world. A few of the most important aspects based on their
Smart Smart Grid Distribution impact on the overall perception of the smart grid concept
Appliances Components Automation
are discussed below.

Demand Response
Distributed and Consumer Energy Efficiency
Electric Generation
Storage Through Demand response is a means by which demand will be
Renewable
Electric Sources dynamically and continuously balanced with supply-side
Vehicles resources to produce a cost-effective electricity system. An
efficient market is meant to be two-sided. It should have
both supply sides and demand sides that respond to trans-
figure 1. Components of a smart grid. parent pricing schemes. The electric industry was designed
and was mostly operated under the notion that load was
immutable. However, with the proliferation of technology
Table 1 compares the envisioned smart grid with the grid as into almost every sphere of existence, customers’ demands
it typically exists today. Figure 2 illustrates some important for energy have morphed. In today’s world, the consumer
advantages of smart grids. demand is considered to be largely elastic. One of the aims
of the smart grid is to empower the customers with a bet-
Technological Trends ter perception of their load consumption in order to enable
in Smart Grid Approaches them to respond to tariffs based on individual preferences.
Markets that can convey real time price information to cus-
Research Trends tomers and give priority to rules that encourage and fully
In the United States, under the Energy Independence and value market participation by customers can be a major
Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the National Institute of Stan- factor in maximizing customer participation. A major part
dards and Technology (NIST) was given the responsibility of the research related to smart grids is being done in this
to coordinate and manage the development of a framework particular aspect.
that encompassed model standards and protocols for infor-
mation management in order to achieve interoperability Wide-Area Situational Awareness
of smart grid devices and systems. NIST primarily chose A core attribute of the smart grid is that it makes use of
to focus on the standards required to address the priorities communications (wired and wireless) and information

table 1. Main characteristics of traditional grids and smart grids.

Characteristics In Today’s Grid In the Smart Grid

Customer participation Participation is very limited; customers
have limited information and no
opportunity to contribute to the system.
Generation Generation is largely centralized.
Market flexibility There are limited opportunities for
customers to benefit.
Supply and maintenance Outages occur regularly and usually
require manual supervision for repair work.
Asset optimization and Integration of operational data with asset
efficiency management is limited.
Consumers are informed and active. They are a part
of the system and can contribute to it.
The system can make use of power from distributed
generation as well as alternate sources such as wind
and solar energy.
The market is very flexible: customers can subscribe
to different tariff packages as they see fit.
Supply can accommodate variable loads and has
self-healing capabilities.
There is greatly expanded acquisition of grid
parameters; impacts of control actions on consumers
are minimized.

58 IEEE power & energy magazine july/august 2012

 One of the overall goals of the smart grid
is the development of a more automated and flexible
distribution system.

technology in the delivery, consumption, and generation ability, self-healing capabilities, and traffic handling can be
of electrical energy. A communication channel between achieved adhering to very high standards. The issue with wire-
suppliers and customers idealizes the true market spirit, less communication is the broadband requirement, since a
empowering customers to not only be smarter customers smart grid will require massive bandwidth. Also, the imple-
but also enabling them to contribute in load management. mentation of such a large network, with thousands of data
With a constant two-way communication channel between points, would cost millions. This is where PLC is considered
the suppliers and the consumers, monitoring of power a better solution. Since power lines are already established
being supplied can be done in real time, making the whole and broadband services are available via power lines, PLC
system much more efficient. is an option a lot of researchers vie for.
Communication in the smart grid is not only limited to
suppliers and customers, however. What makes the smart Electric Storage
grid so efficient is the very extensive monitoring system Storage technologies such as advanced batteries, pumped
whereby each and every aspect of the grid is constantly hydro, and others require electricity to be stored and dis-
monitored. Sensors serve the purpose of being the “eyes” of patched during times of peak demand or to provide steady
the system. These sensors are specially designed to deliver power from intermittent renewable technologies such as
high speeds and are used to monitor power quality; in some solar and wind. Energy that is generated during off-peak
cases, phasor measurement units (PMUs) also respond hours can be stored in these storage units and can be utilized
automatically to changes in volt-
age. Wide-area measurement
systems (WAMs) are a network
of PMUs that process informa-
tion in real time, thus facilitating
transmission system operations
on a regional and national scale.
Research work is being done
to find a communication mode
Energy Drawn Uninterr
Uninterrupted,
uptted, from Renewable Resources
that serves not only supplier/cus-
tomer needs but at the same time
facilitates WAMs. The following
aspects are kept under consider-
ation when opting for a commu-
nications mode:
✔ reliability
✔ latency Micro generation reduces Smart meters allow energy
✔ throughput performance demand on the grid. Not monitoring in real time and
✔ self-healing/self-evolving only can this be used to active communication with
capabilities power up large buildings the provider. Smart
✔ real-time data traffic handling. but in turn feedback appliances allow for greater
power into the grid. efficiency.
Various modes of communica-
tion are under consideration, mainly
utilizing wireless and power line
Energy produced during peak
communication (PLC). Wireless
hours can be stored and used
communication offers the advan-
at a later time.
tages of being very flexible and
interoperable. With methods like
multichannel and multichannel-
aided wireless mesh routing, reli- figure 2. Key advantages of smart grids.

july/august 2012 IEEE power & energy magazine 59

 What makes the smart grid so efficient is the very extensive
monitoring system whereby each and every aspect of the grid
is constantly monitored.
as per requirement. The interconnected structure of the
smart grid will ensure that no energy is wasted and surplus
energy can be used properly maybe in the future should the
need arise. A lot of work is being done in order to tackle the
technical challenges with regard to battery performance due
to charge and discharge cycles.
Electric Vehicles
The smart grid’s biggest potential in delivering carbon sav-
ings lies in providing cost-effective and increasingly clean
energy for electric vehicles, including plug-in electric vehi-
cles (PEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
Although the vehicles will be producing the savings rather
than the smart grid, only smart grid technologies will
allow us to tap their fundamental potential. Research
work is being carried out in aspects like advanced meter-
ing infrastructure (AMI) that can enable the end users to
purchase energy at off-peak hours and sell unused, stored
energy back to the utility providers during peak hours at
better tariffs.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure
Electric bills are undecipherable to a lot of customers and
usually are delivered monthly, long after the electricity has
actually been consumed. Such a billing system is still in
use, even though we live in a time when existing and emerg-
ing technologies make it possible for consumers to see the
day-to-day cost of electricity. AMI is a means to facilitate
two-way communication, interval metering, and time-based
billing that enables dynamic pricing to be an option for all
customers. In a dynamic pricing model, the price per unit
of energy varies throughout the day, sometimes even on an
hourly basis thus giving the end customer more flexibility in
managing their utility bill. The main categories of dynamic
pricing are:
✔ Real-time pricing: The rates are proportional to
hourly fluctuations in wholesale markets that en-
ables the customers to proactively plan their elec-
tricity use to take advantage of periods with lower
prices.
✔ Peak-time rebates: Customers can get sizable rebates
by cautiously managing their load in peak periods
even though the traditional blended rate applies.
✔ Critical-peak pricing: In the peak periods, prices
can increase by a substantial amount, limited to a cer-
tain (usually small) number of hours per year. Cus-
tomers can benefit from this scheme if they agree to
60 IEEE power & energy magazine
reduce usage in such hours and hence pay compara-
tively lower rates.
Distribution Grid Management
With continued increase in the use of renewable sources
and the decrease in use of fossil fuel for electricity genera-
tion, distributed generation is now considered the way of
the future. Distributed generation (DG) systems are atypical
compared to the large, centralized generators that provide
most of the grid’s power. Rather, these systems are known
for their smaller-scale local power generation and distribu-
tion systems and generally have low installation and main-
tenance costs. Using renewable sources like solar and wind,
distributed generators produce power for on-site or adja-
cent consumption and sometimes can sell surplus capacity
back into the grid under an established tariff. Managing DG
remotely and as efficiently as possible is a major area of
research. Ways of making the process more efficient and
reliable are being worked on every level.
Industrial Solutions
The smart grid represents the creation of a near-term mar-
ketplace in the tens of billions of dollars in the United
States. According to the Electric Power Research Institute
(EPRI) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
(PNNL), the total market size is approximately US$200
billion, spread over ten to 15 years. A lot of well estab-
lished companies have opened up research divisions and
started investment in order to take part in one of the largest
markets of the future. In addition, a myriad of companies
have also been opened. The key areas of focus in the indus-
try are described below.
Smart Meters
Smart meters are a key product in the smart grid system.
These meters record consumption of electric energy using
intervals of an hour or less and communicate information
at least daily back to the utility for monitoring and billing
purposes. They are capable of two-way communication with
the central system.
Smart meters let the power utility company introduce dif-
ferent tariffs for consumption based on time of day and sea-
son and enable the customer to choose from different service
and pricing packages as per their convenience. It is expected
that billing customers shall encourage them to address their
consumption habits in order to become more efficient and
responsive to the market.
july/august 2012
 Smart meters have been implemented in many countries,
including the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy,
Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands,
Spain, and France. The protocols being used for smart meter-
ing include ANSI C12.18 (used in North America) and IEC
61107 (used within the European Union).
Smart Appliances
Smart appliances are appliances that although perform the
same everyday tasks that normal appliances accomplish
(refrigeration, dish washers, microwave ovens, and so on).
But these appliances are also capable of remote operation
from a central control unit or a smart phone. Imagine having
a refrigerator that will be able to tell you if you are running
out of groceries or text you if you’ve left the door open! How
about a washing machine that will steam-wash and dry your
clothes overnight? Smart appliances are available that aim at
revolutionizing the way we live.
The advantages of having smart appliances are not lim-
ited to making life easier. One can also program these appli-
ances so that their times of operation can be scheduled. With
time-of-use pricing provided in a smart grid environment,
a person could, for example, program a dishwasher to do
its power-hungry job in the middle of the night in order to
take advantage of lower tariffs. Advantages of network con-
nectivity include automatic alerts being sent to the owners
in case an appliance malfunctions, and remotely servicing/
configuration of machines by relevant customer service per-
sonnel. A large number of companies have started offering a
series of smart appliances, including General Electric, LG,
and Samsung.
Smart Grid Home Controllers
Wireless home controllers are basically a means of bridg-
ing wireless technology of home area networks (HANs) to
advanced meters. These devices are now available in the
market. Generally utilizing any wireless standard includ-
ing ZigBee Smart Energy (SE), these devices are capable
of establishing a direct dialogue between suppliers and cus-
tomers for sharing of information. Consumers are provided
with real-time information about their energy usage and
are able to communicate at any moment with suppliers for
queries and tariff modification, etc. Adaptability is a key
feature among these devices, i.e., these devices are capable
of easily adjusting into any type of network and in a cost-
effective way.
The advantages of these devices are great, not only from
the consumer’s point of view but also from the supplier’s
point of view, as they are able to provide more assistance to
the consumer. Consumers are provided with better service
levels and are assisted in a more systematic way.
A major advantage of using these controllers is that
one can constantly monitor not only the amount of
power used but also a degree of one’s carbon footprint.
By keeping track of that, consumers are able to achieve
july/august 2012
the goals of being environmentally friendly as well as
energy efficient.
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)
and PHEVs
A BEV is a vehicle in which electricity stored in the
rechargeable battery packs provides the impetus to drive
the wheels. These vehicles can usually be recharged from
any external source of electricity, such as wall sockets, etc.
A PHEV utilizes the characteristics of both a conventional
hybrid electric vehicle, having an electric motor and an
internal combustion engine. It has a rechargeable battery
that can be restored to full charge by connecting a plug to
an external electric power source. Though it may seem that
these vehicles are not part of the smart grid family but still
they are envisaged to play a major role in the smart grid
scenario in a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) concept. The idea is that
since most vehicles are parked for most part of the day, their
batteries could be used to let electricity flow from the cars
to power lines and back. This is a proposed system in which
BEVs and PHEVs will communicate with the power grid,
either delivering electricity into the grid or to charge them-
selves from the grid itself.
Products for Alternative Energy
Keeping in view the fact that fuel prices are not likely to
reduce, the smart grid aims at adopting renewable sources
for energy production. Electricity generated from renewable
energy sources in the United States contributed approxi-
mately 7%, from which the major source was hydroelectric
energy (http://www.manhattan-institute.org). According to
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
renewable energy shall account for a share of 15% by 2050
in the overall energy mix (http://srren.ipcc-wg3.de). As these
sources are relatively unreliable (not every day is sunny or
windy), advances in wind and solar forecasting technology
promise to make renewable energy reliability a reality. Some
of these advances include the following:
✔ Solar power: The sun stands as the largest and the
most abundant source of energy. Though solar panels
have been in use for harnessing the sun’s energy for a
while now and their use for commercial and indepen-
dent generation has been limited, recently, however,
this trend has begun to reverse itself. The main reason
being a notable increase in the awareness campaigns
carried out to educate the masses to use their energy
responsibly, efficiently, and cleanly.
✔ Wind power: Wind energy using wind turbines is con-
verted to electricity, though for the most part these tur-
bines have been installed in coastal areas where the cli-
mate allows for strong winds to drive these turbines. The
use of these turbines in plain areas, especially in urban
settlements, has been limited. However, wind turbines
that work on normal winds have been introduced and
are now being employed for independent generation.
IEEE power & energy magazine 61
 ✔ Electricity storage: One thing is for certain: if re- being developed, and there is still a lot of work that needs to
newable energy is the energy of the future, energy be done in the future.
storage is going to play a very vital and crucial role. Smart meters are key sensing components of the smart
A large number of improved and efficient, grid-scale grid. Smart meters are being designed to adapt to the current
energy storage technologies are available in today’s grid system, as this is a better market strategy. The future
market. These include pumped hydro, lithium-ion, will see the evolution of the electric grid. Smart meters can
ultracapacitors, and lead acid flow batteries. All of help avoid a lot of hassle when compared to manual meter
the available technologies have limitations whether reading as they are mostly equipped with network con-
pertaining to cost or to performance, but new and nectivity modules (usually cellular connectivity) to acquire
more advanced products are being introduced in the real-time consumption of energy and sense power quality at
market day by day. the point of utilization. Therefore, they act as an interface
between the electric utility providers and the end consumers.
Current and Future This allows for advanced functionality and applications such
Research Directions as accurate load characterization.
Though we stand at a point where a lot has been accom- Sensors on the consumers end should be able to com-
plished, substaintial efforts are still required. With more municate with a HAN for provision of real-time updates
innovative ideas come more complex problems. Let us dis- on energy usage and power quality. Presently, the available
cuss a few of these issues and factors related to the smart home appliances usually do not provide the customers with
grid that still need addressing. information regarding their energy usage. The addition of
sensing equipment to these appliances can help in getting a
Sensing and Measurement constant monitoring of power consumption.
Sensing equipment in the complete smart grid architecture is
indeed a very important feature, as they act as the eyes of the Distribution System Sensing
grid. It is a means of constant monitoring of each and every To optimally manage the distributed resources, high speed
aspect of the grid. Currently, several key technologies are and low-cost sensing of current magnitude, voltage mag-
nitude, active and reactive
power flow direction, and
phase angles are provided
Data Communication Via to the utility in the dis-
Power Lines
Meter Reading + Data Aggregator/ tribution system. PMUs
Current Transformer
Unique Meter ID Concentrator already allow for accu-
Zigbee + Comparator PLC Transformer
Transferred Module
Communication Module Modules rate measurement of phase
angles and can be used
to prevent critical-level
faults. A deployment on a
wider scale in distribution
systems, however, is too
Zigbee Zigbee costly based on the current
IEEE 802.15.4 IEEE 802.15.4 products that are intended
WiMAX, LTE etc
GPRS, EDGE,

for transmission. Less ex-

pensive alternatives are
needed. Statistics gathered
Poles
Smart Meter can be used to determine
system loopholes, vulner-
abilities, and any possible
loose ends.

Communications
Integration
Meter Readings, Energy Utilization, and Coverage
Comparison Data + Possible In an integrated communica-
Regional Data
Detection of Meter Bypassing
Center tion framework, the physical
layer (equipment, carrier)
as well as the higher lay-
figure 3. A sample communication scenario for smart grids. ers (higher layer protocols)

62 IEEE power & energy magazine july/august 2012

 Sensing equipment is a very important element
in the overall smart grid architecture,
as it acts as the eyes of the grid.

are included. A substantial challenge for the communication Information Security

infrastructure for smart grids that spans from inside the home The smart grid relies majorly on digital information for all
(HAN) through the distribution and transmission networks is control purposes. That is why cybersecurity is imperative to
to deal with the data surge that can arise as the number of widespread acceptance and adoption of smart grids. Methods
smart meters grows in number. Sufficient bandwidth needs to like encryption, authentication, etc., for security are avail-
be available at the physical layer to cater to different applica- able for information protection, but these measures are gen-
tions as well as the data surge. Investigation into the differ- erally limited only to critical components like smart meters,
ent reliability and latency requirements of smart grid compo- etc. Physical security presents additional challenges since the
nents needs to be done, keeping in view aspects like network smart grid equipment owned by the customers as well as the
security, etc. utilities can be exposed to security threats that can affect the
An example architecture can be seen in Figure 3, in performance and efficiency of the grid. Such threats become
which ZigBee (based on IEEE Standard 802.15.4) sensor severe as the control systems involved in the grid become more
modules are used to relay the data from smart meters to a distributed. Therefore, technologies that can take measures to
current transformer/comparator module. The current trans- detect and mitigate threats, or at least limit their effect to some
former/comparator module has two functions. First, it mea- tolerable extent, are needed. These technologies can play a
sures and compares readings at two points to check for any key role in the development of an attack-resistant, reliable,
instances of meter bypassing. Second, it relays the data of and robust smart grid. In the future, smart grids are expected
smart meters to the nearby data
aggregator/concentrator module
using PLC. The data aggregator/
concentrator module then sends
the data via a suitable wireless
backhaul link to a nearby regional Priority Data Aggregator/
Incoming Packet Scheduler Concentrator
data center for evaluation. Data Queue Transformer
Module
from each smart meter can be
recognized by means of an asso-
ciated unique meter ID. Figure  4 Output/Sorted Data to
illustrates a data aggregator/con- Be Processed Further at
centrator module. Such a module Data Sources/ the Regional Data
Input to the Data Center
could face a data surge, originat-
Aggregator
ing from a large number of smart
WiMAX, LTE, Etc

Module
GPRS, EDGE,

meters that are required to send

data frequently to a regional data
center. The priority criteria shown
in Figure 4 may have to become
mandatory in such cases.
The available technologies may
seem well equipped for the job, but
product availability in some cases
is limited. Since each technology
offers its own pros and cons, using
any single one of them may not be
as feasible. Work needs to be done
in order to create a coordinated
combination to optimize both
security and other features.
Possible Priority Criteria
Priority 1: Anomaly Detection
Priority 2: Manual Meter Reading Request
Priority 3: Automated Meter Reading Data
Priority 4: Energy Usage Statistics
Meter Readings, Energy Utilization,
Comparison Data + Possible
Regional Data Detection of Meter Bypassing
Center
figure 4. Scheduling carried out by the data aggregator/concentrator module.

july/august 2012 IEEE power & energy magazine 63

 Managing distributed generation remotely
and as efficiently as possible is a major focus
of research.
to be self healing so that the grid can detect sensitive informa-
tion being compromised, support forensic analysis, determine
and sort the offensive threats, and use relevant information
that is uncompromised to control its decisions. The integration
of such cybersecurity measures becomes imperative when
designing the communication systems for the smart grid.
Distributed Grid Automation
The development of a more automated and flexible distribu-
tion system that is capable of anticipating and responding to
malicious attacks and at the same time continually optimiz-
ing its performance is one of the overall goals of the smart
grid. The overall advantages encompass not only innovative
customer service and participation but also enhanced reli-
ability and better throughput on existing lines because of a
more effective power flow control.
Even though the distribution automation is in its infancy,
the evolution of the distribution grid from one with little
automation and radial power flow to a more automated,
flexible, and self-healing grid along with many distributed
resources shall have to address new challenges, including
control complexity and protection.
Smart Grid Standards
Since smart grids are turning into a worldwide phenomenon,
major scientific organizations have started defining standards
and parameters in order to provide guidelines and aid in wide-
scale implementation and research. The Smart Grid Interop-
erability Panel (SGIP) made six entries in their Catalog of
Standards, now available as a guide for anyone involved with
smart grid technology. These entries present in the catalog
address a variety of topics, including Internet Protocol, energy
consumption information, communications between plug-in
vehicles and the grid, smart meter requirements, and guide-
lines for assessing standards for wireless communications.
The IEEE has introduced a project by the name of IEEE
P2030 that is basically developing a “Draft Guide for Smart
Grid Interoperability of Energy Technology and Information
Technology Operation with the Electric Power System (EPS),
and End-Use Applications and Loads.” The IEEE has more
than 100 documents (some still under development) relevant
to the smart grid, including 20 standards mentioned in the
NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interopera-
bility Standards, Release 1.0. This report describes a detailed
reference model for the smart grid. It also identifies nearly 80
existing standards that can be used now to support smart grid
development.
64 IEEE power & energy magazine
Various communication standards and protocols are being
taken into consideration. The ANSI C12.18 is an American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard protocol for
two-way communications with an electricity meter mostly
used in North American markets. The IEC 61107, on the
other hand, is a communication protocol for smart meters
published by the IEC that is widely used for utility meters
in the European Union. The IEC 62056 is a more modern
European meter protocol. A growing perception that envis-
ages the adoption of TCP/IP protocol as a common commu-
nication platform for advanced/smart metering applications
is emerging. The IP layer can therefore be used as a common
management platform so that the utilities can deploy multiple
heterogeneous communication systems.
For Further Reading
C. W. Gellings, The Smart Grid: Enabling Energy Effi-
ciency and Demand Response. Lilburn, GA: The Fairmont
Press, 2009.
T. Flick and J. Morehouse, Securing the Smart Grid: Next
Generation Power Grid Security. Burlington, MA: Elsevier,
2011.
J. G. Slootweg, E. Veldman, and J. Morren, “Sensing and
control challenges for smart grids,” in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf.
Networking, Sensing and Control (ICNSC), Delft, April
2011, pp. 1–7.
R. Abe, H. Taoka, and D. McQuilkin, “Digital grid:
Communicative electrical grids of the future,” IEEE Trans.
Smart Grid, vol. 2, pp. 399–410, June 2011.
SMART GRID system report. US Department of Energy.
[Online]. Available: http://www.smartgrid.gov/sites/default/
files/resources/systems_report.pdf
SMART GRID utilities and its meaning to people. [On-
line]. Available: http://www.smartgrid.gov/sites/default/files/
pdfs/sg_utilities.pdf
SMART GRID research and development: Multi year
program plan (2010–2014). [Online]. Available: http://www2.
econ.iastate.edu/tesfatsi/DOESmartGridRAndD2010-2014.
SG_MYPP.pdf
Biographies
A.R. Khattak is with the University of Engineering and
Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan.
S.A. Mahmud is with the University of Engineering and
Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan.
G.M. Khan is with the University of Engineering and Tech-
nology, Peshawar, Pakistan. p&e
july/august 2012