1. Communication Technologies for Smart
Metering
A smart grid delivers electricity from
suppliers to consumers using two-way digital
technology to control appliances at consumers'
homes to save energy, reduce cost and increase
reliability and transparency. Such a
modernized electricity network is being
promoted by many governments as a way of
addressing energy independence, global
warming and emergency resilience issues.
Smart meters are the initial step and is a part of
a smart grid.
A smart grid includes an intelligent monitoring
system that keeps track of all electricity
flowing in the system. It also incorporates the
use of superconductive transmission lines for
less power loss, as well as the capability of
integrating alternative sources of electricity
such as solar and wind. When power is least
expensive a smart grid could turn on selected
home appliances such as washing machines or
factory processes that can run at arbitrary
hours. At peak times it could turn off selected
appliances to reduce demand.
The amount of data required to perform
monitoring and switching your appliances off
automatically is very small compared with that
already reaching even remote homes to
support voice, security, and Internet and TV
services. Many smart grid bandwidth upgrades
are paid for by over-provisioning to support
also consumer services, and subsidizing the
communications with energy-related services
or subsidizing the energy-related services,
such as higher rates during peak hours, with
communications. This is particularly true
where governments run both sets of services as
a public monopoly, e.g. in India.
What Smart Grid Is?
The function of an Electrical grid is not a
single entity but an aggregate of multiple
networks and multiple power generation
companies with multiple operators employing
varying levels of communication and
coordination, most of which is manually
controlled. Smart grids increase the
connectivity, automation and coordination
between these suppliers, consumers and
networks that perform either long
distance transmission or
local distribution tasks.
 Transmissions networks move electricity in
bulk over medium to long distances, are
actively managed, and generally operate
from 345kV to 800kV
over AC and DC lines.
 Local networks traditionally moved power
in one direction, "distributing" the bulk
power to consumers and businesses via
lines operating at 132kV and lower.
Modernization is necessary for energy
consumption efficiency, real time management
of power flows and to provide the bi-
directional metering needed to compensate
local producers of power. Although
transmission networks are already controlled
in real time, many in the US and European
countries are antiquated by world standards,
and unable to handle modern challenges such
as those posed by the intermittent nature of
alternative electricity generation,
or continental scale bulk energy transmission.
Figure: Smart grid pyramid(source: BC Hydro)

2. The Smart grid Pyramid shows a typical utility
pyramid in which asset management is at the
base and on top of it utilities build a
foundation for the smart grid through careful
overhaul of their IT, communication, and
circuit infrastructure, being Smart Metering as
fundamental application of the smart grid.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure is the Key
Given the fact that close to 90% of all the
power outages have their roots in the
distribution network, the move towards the
smart grid has to start at the bottom of the
chain, in the distribution system.
The rapid increase in the cost of fossil fuels,
coupled with rising demand for electricity, has
accelerated the need to deploy technologies
that can utilities with demand –side
management and revenue protection.
Off late Utilities across the world gradually
moving towards Advanced Metering
Infrastructure (AMI).AMI provided utilities
with a two-way communication system to the
meter (Smart Meter), as well as the ability to
modify customers’ service-level parameters.
Through AMI, utilities can meet their basic
targets for load management and revenue
protection.
In order to implement the AMI system there’s
a strong need to leverage on communication
infrastructure at all the levels of distribution
value chain. The AMI system should
incorporate the following components:
 Smart meters and sensors capable of
measuring a multiple of consumption
parameters (e.g. active power, reactive
power, voltage, current, demand, and
so on) with acceptable precision and
accuracy. Smart meters should be
tamper-resistant and capable of remote
connect and disconnect for load and
service control.
 Smart Terminations, loads, and
appliances capable of communicating
their status and accepting commands
to adjust and control their performance
and service level based on user and/ or
utility requirements.
Figure: Achieving Consumer Participation
is the key in demand curtailment
 A communication infrastructure that
enable systems components to
exchange information and commands
securely and reliably.
 An intelligent core composed of
integrated networking, computing, and
communications infrastructure
elements, that appears to users in the
form of energy management
applications that allow command and
control on all nodes of the network.
Figure: Emerging Communication Technologies
for Implementation of AMI
HAN is used to identify the network of
communicating loads, sensors , and appliances
beyond the smart meter and within customer’s
premises.

3. LAN or Neighbourhood Area Network (NAN)
is used to identify the network of integrated
smart meters, field components, and gateways
that form the logical network between
distribution substation and customer’s
premises)
WAN is used to identify the network of
upstream utility assets.
ZigBee with Smart Energy Profile seems to be
clear front runner in Home Area Network
(HAN) side.
Figure: ZigBee in Smart Home and HAN
Source:wsj.com
Some of the Key Facts supporting ZigBee
Protocol for getting a most desirable place
among its rivals are:
 A high level communication protocol
using small, low- power digital radios
based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard for
wireless networks
 Up to several hundred (client) nodes per
network
 16 channels in the global 2.4 GHz band
 Full Mesh Networking Support
 128bit AES security
 Network and link keys can restrict access
 Easy deployment
 Reliable -self forming & self healing
 Low cost
Figure: Mixed Star & Mesh Topology in ZigBee
PRO Network
The above figure explains about the certain
characteristics of ZigBee PRO Networks,
which as a follows:
 The Co-ordinator establishes a PAN ID
and the nodes within range join in.
 As routers join ZigBee Network they form
Mesh network with each other, whereas
end devices do not have routing
capabilities remain in sleep mode most of
the time; the resulting network is very
robust.
 If a routing node is damaged or lost from
the network, remaining nodes will from
alternative path back to the co-ordinator
In order to achieve device level
interoperability across different manufacturers,
Common language for data exchange and set
for processing action.ZigBee has come out
with various profiles ,one of the very relevant
profile could be Smart Energy Profile in this
case.

4. Figure: ZigBee Smart energy profile
Growing Demand for ZigBee Smart
Energy
ZigBee Smart Energy is bridging the gap
between the power grid today & the Smart
Grid of tomorrow
 ZigBee Smart Energy is the standard of
choice for Energy Management and Smart
Metering in the Smart Home
 Using ZigBee Smart Energy today in the
HAN can improve in building energy
efficiency, comfort and convenience all at
the same time even without a Smart Grid
or Smart Meter
 Households with digital tools controlling
temperature and price preferences saved
on average 10% on utility bills
 40+ Million ZigBee enabled electric
meters being deployed by over 11
utility companies in the USA
 2.5 million ZigBee electric meters
being deployed in the State of Victoria,
Australia, British Gas selected ZigBee
Smart Energy for its multi-million
meter roll-out in the UK.
 ZigBee Smart Energy is also an
essential element in disaster recovery
and in managing micro/distributed
generation, energy storage and electric
vehicles
In Summary with above characteristics
ZigBee PRO could be the best choice for
HAN as well as NAN networks with self
healing , self forming network capability.
On top of everything it has a tag of low
cost technology in its segment.
Gothenburg “The ZigBee City”
 255,000 Meters (electrical) out of
260,000 installed
 Approximately 8000 Concentrators
, 9 jumps identified, can do 18, have
set limit to 10
 Infrastructure built to handle 1,1
million meters
 3000 GPRS meters
 Remote disconnect in use
 Planning to add district heating, gas
and water
Company Background
Powrtec Energy Private Limited is promoted
by The Siddho Mal group based in New
Delhi and Bangalore. The Group has a
Business Background of over 50 years in India
and Overseas.
Powrtec Energy is an associate company of
POWRtec Corporation USA that is based in
Silicon Valley, California.
POWRtec USA has been a pioneer of Smart
Metering Technology and has implemented
over 200,000 Smart meters with DONG
Energy of Denmark.
The Group also has well Established
Marketing Arm in Scandinavia/Europe
Submitted By:
Deepak Chaturvedi-AGM
Sanjay J-Sr. Project Manager