ABSTRACT
The smart grid vision is envisioned as dynamic, intelligent, autonomous and decentralized energy network, where electricity is produced in distributed ways, where customers are not only energy users but also producers (prosumers), where bi-directional interactions between producers, consumers and other entities are possible. Collaboration and near-real-time interactions are envisioned between all smart grid stakeholders, which are relying on timely provided monitoring, sensing, control and communication. To realize this new electricity infrastructure, several business services are needed to empower all stakeholders, enabling expected interactions and services. Smart grid deployment and development have given rise to strong and complex interdisciplinary research. However, smart grid is designed to employ most advanced communication and networking technologies to make the grid smarter. Smart grid design, development and implementation require solving complex problems of sensing, monitoring, communications and control, and thus the problem of choosing any of the related technology cannot be addressed without taking into consideration the requirements related to sensors, two-way communication, monitoring, smart sensing and intelligent control. However, these requirements are still somewhat undefined or not very clear defined so that it is not possible yet to give full guidelines on how to choose one communication, sensing or monitoring technology over the other to get the best results.
