Wireless Sensor Networks for Smart Grid Applications: A Case Study on Link Reliability and Node Lifetime Evaluations in Power Distribution Systems

Abstract

Recent advances in embedded systems and wireless sensor networks (WSNs) made it possible to realize low-cost monitoring and automation systems for smart grids. This paper presents opportunities and design challenges of WSNs for smart grid applications. WSN-based smart grid applications have been introduced, and some WSN standards and communication protocols have been discussed for smart grid applications. Importantly, node lifetime and link reliability in wireless sensor networking for smart grid applications have been evaluated through case studies based on field tests in electric power system environments.