Broadband Over Power Line Communication Prototype Development for Next Generation Smart Meters: Validation in Access Electric Power Distribution Networks

Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technologies are a successful solution for setting up communication networks in domestic environments. Several standards such as ITU-T G.hn and IEEE 1901 have evolved over the years, and commercial solutions based on them are currently available. However, most existing BPL technologies have not been designed to perform in Low Voltage (LV) access power distribution networks, so there is a need to adapt to the specificities of the communications channel found there. To accommodate the attainable performances of BPL technologies to the access segment of the grid, a communications prototype has been developed that injects custom BPL waveforms with different physical layer configurations and then measures performance. This prototype is an instrumental part of a process to define the most suitable physical layer parameters of Smart Grid BPL devices (namely, next generation BPL smart meters). In the absence of such a prototype, it is not feasible to obtain a proper characterization of the LV grid, as devices capable of producing OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) modulations (typical of BPL technologies) with a varied set of adjustable features, and prepared to connect to the LV access grid, are not available in the market. The prototype is being used to carry out a measurement campaign in Iberdrola’s LV grid in Spain. This paper shows how the prototype has been field validated and derives initial conclusions to drive the future of BPL in LV access grids for Smart Metering and other Smart Grids applications.