Broadcast-based H2G Communication Solutions

Broadcasting price signals to smart grid devices

Power utilities can significantly reduce operating costs and increase grid reliability if appropriate control/pricing signals are sent to smart consumer devices to assist the balancing of power supply and demand. By sending location-specific prices to devices, it is possible to leverage and optimize the inherent energy storage and/or consumption capability in residential load-consuming appliances in real time. Since the time of Thomas Edison in the early days of electricity, radio broadcast communication tools have been used by utilities to limit loads at times of system peak demand.

This paper proposes leveraging the existing FM radio infrastructure to broadcast localized real-time pricing/status of the smart grid to all devices in the receiving area. Feedback or confirmation of load-shed characteristics can be obtained by data mining at the feeder or sub-station level. These data are inherently aggregated, so end-user privacy is maintained. The payoff of this approach is potentially acquiring a greater volume of time loads more quickly and cost-effectively, without introducing new local radio frequency emissions.

What’s in the report

• Factors to consider in smart grid communications solutions
• Benefits of a broadcast approach
• Classic control theory and system stability
• Technical requirements of various broadcast solutions and advantages of FM broadcasting