Smart meter: Applications, security issues and challenges

The smart meter is an important intelligent device on the Smart Grid that has the capability to report information related to power consumption, billing and other significant readings.The protection of smart meter communications against attacks is essential to ensure reliable operations of the Smart Grid.In this paper, we give an overview of smart meter applications, and we discuss the security issues and attacks that can be performed on the smart meter and that may have severe impacts on the global Smart Grid network

Securing the IOT Based Smart Meter Monitoring Using AES Algorithm

Smart meter is the upgradation of the existing meter in terms of cost, communication infrastructure, internet of things and reliable technologies. In the ambitious flagship programme of digital India-project an initiative of India, the potential fields of the missions are identified in the area are smart energy, smart meters, smart homes, and smart cities. More than 100 smart cities are planned for information and communication technology-driven solutions with big data analytics in India. The exponential growth in smart meter has given certain security risks, cyber threats and protection of stored data as Nation security. Smart meters, comprising of several communication, monitoring intelligent, metering and electrical equipment used in power meter, have a greater exposure to meter security and cyber-attacks which potentially disrupt distribution in a city. The paper proposed the energy meter with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm enable with NodeMCU hardware. The data generated by the energy meter is stored in the cloud using AES algorithm to secure this data from intruders. This system ensures the AES can be employed in smart meter security and communication infrastructure

Performance Analysis of Discrete Wavelet Multitone Transceiver for Narrowband PLC in Smart Grid

Smart Grid is an abstract idea, which involves the utilization of powerlines for sensing, measurement, control and communication for efficient utilization and distribution of energy, as well as automation of meter reading, load management and capillary control of Green Energy resources connected to the grid. Powerline Communication (PLC) has assumed a new role in the Smart Grid scenario, adopting the narrowband PLC (NB-PLC) for a low cost and low data rate communication for applications such as, automatic meter reading, dynamic management of load, etc. In this paper, we have proposed and simulated a discrete wavelet multitone (DWMT) transceiver in the presence of impulse noise for the NB-PLC channel applications in Smart Grid. The simulation results show that a DWMT transceiver outperforms a DFT-DMT with reference to the bit error rate (BER) performance

Unlocking the potential of the smart metering technology: How can regulation level the playing-field for new services in smart grids?

By integrating a communications system with the existing power grid, smart grids provide end-to-end connectivity. This enables all entities and components integrated in the electricity supply system to exchange information without knowing the network's structure. New services and applications such as demand response or virtual power plants that will aid to improve and optimize the use of electricity depend on the availability of a smart grid communication network. End-to-end communication networks require that the missing communications gap between consumers' premises and the remaining energy network is bridged by deploying an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Given the current liberalized electricity markets' structure incumbent distribution system operators (DSOs) will control the AMI and the meter data. This gives rise to concerns about anti-competitiveness. We argue that leveraging the AMI in a social welfare maximizing way requires non-discriminatory access for all entitled parties to the (1) AMI and the (2) meter data through (3) interoperable standards. We discuss possible regulatory remedies to ensure a level playing-field for innovative services in smart grids and consider implications for research and regulation. --Regulation,Smart Grid,Smart Meter,Antitrust

Data Mining to Uncover Heterogeneous Water Use Behaviors From Smart Meter Data

Knowledge on the determinants and patterns of water demand for different consumers supports the design of customized demand management strategies. Smart meters coupled with big data analytics tools create a unique opportunity to support such strategies. Yet, at present, the information content of smart meter data is not fully mined and usually needs to be complemented with water fixture inventory and survey data to achieve detailed customer segmentation based on end use water usage. In this paper, we developed a data‐driven approach that extracts information on heterogeneous water end use routines, main end use components, and temporal characteristics, only via data mining existing smart meter readings at the scale of individual households. We tested our approach on data from 327 households in Australia, each monitored with smart meters logging water use readings every 5 s. As part of the approach, we first disaggregated the household‐level water use time series into different end uses via Autoflow. We then adapted a customer segmentation based on eigenbehavior analysis to discriminate among heterogeneous water end use routines and identify clusters of consumers presenting similar routines. Results revealed three main water end use profile clusters, each characterized by a primary end use: shower, clothes washing, and irrigation. Time‐of‐use and intensity‐of‐use differences exist within each class, as well as different characteristics of regularity and periodicity over time. Our customer segmentation analysis approach provides utilities with a concise snapshot of recurrent water use routines from smart meter data and can be used to support customized demand management strategies.TU Berlin, Open-Access-Mittel - 201

Framing Smart Meter Feedback in Relation to Practice Theory

Smart metering is advancing rapidly and consumption feedback from smart meters is expected to help residents to reduce their energy and water consumption. In recent years, more critical views have been expressed based on theories of social practice, arguing that smart meter feedback ignores the role of various mundane practices where energy and water are consumed and instead targets individuals as active decision-makers. We present a review of qualitative studies on smart meter feedback and results of a survey to European smart metering projects. We argue that theories of social practice can be used to reframe the challenges and potentials of smart meter feedback that have been identified in the literature and our survey. This presents challenges of smart meter feedback as resulting from normalised resource intensive practices rather than from uninterested and comfort-loving individuals. Potentials of improving the effectiveness of smart meter feedback relate to supporting communities and peer-learning and combining smart meter feedback with micro-generation of renewable energy. This has implications for how domestic energy and water consumption is targeted by policy.Peer reviewe

Smart Meter Privacy: A Utility-Privacy Framework

End-user privacy in smart meter measurements is a well-known challenge in the smart grid. The solutions offered thus far have been tied to specific technologies such as batteries or assumptions on data usage. Existing solutions have also not quantified the loss of benefit (utility) that results from any such privacy-preserving approach. Using tools from information theory, a new framework is presented that abstracts both the privacy and the utility requirements of smart meter data. This leads to a novel privacy-utility tradeoff problem with minimal assumptions that is tractable. Specifically for a stationary Gaussian Markov model of the electricity load, it is shown that the optimal utility-and-privacy preserving solution requires filtering out frequency components that are low in power, and this approach appears to encompass most of the proposed privacy approaches.Comment: Accepted for publication and presentation at the IEEE SmartGridComm. 201