# 5G Communications as “Enabler” for Smart Power Grids: The Case of the Smart5Grid Project

Daniele Porcu, Ioannis P. Chochliouros, Sonia Castro, Giampaolo Fiorentino, Rui Costa, Dimitrios Nodaros, Vaios Koumaras, Fabrizio Brasca, Nicola Di Pietro, George Papaioannou, et al.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

## To cite this version:

Daniele Porcu, Ioannis P. Chochliouros, Sonia Castro, Giampaolo Fiorentino, Rui Costa, et al., 5G Communications as “Enabler” for Smart Power Grids: The Case of the Smart5Grid Project. 17th IFIP International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Applications and Innovations (AIAI), Jun 2021, Hersonissos, Crete, Greece. pp.7-20, 10.1007/978-3-030-79157-5_1. hal-03789033

HAL Id: hal-03789033

https://inria.hal.science/hal-03789033

Submitted on 27 Sep 2022

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

ifip

International Federation for Information Processing

This document is the original author manuscript of a paper submitted to an IFIP
conference proceedings or other IFIP publication by Springer Nature. As such, there
may be some differences in the official published version of the paper. Such
differences, if any, are usually due to reformatting during preparation for publication or
minor corrections made by the author(s) during final proofreading of the publication
manuscript.
5G Communications as “Enabler” for Smart Power
Grids: The Case of the Smart5Grid Project

Daniele Porcu¹, Ioannis P. Chochliouros²* [0000-0002-4208-1676],

Sonia Castro³, Giampaolo Fiorentino⁴, Rui Costa⁵, Dimitrios Nodaros⁶,
Vaios Koumaras⁷, Fabrizio Brasca⁸, Nicola di Pietro⁹, George Papaioannou¹⁰,

Irina Ciornei¹¹, Antonios Sarigiannidis¹², Nikolay Palov¹³, Teodor Bobochikov¹⁴,

Charilaos Zarakovitis¹⁵ and Anastasia S. Spiliopoulou²

¹ ENEL Global Infrastructure and Networks S.r.l., Italy

2* Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE) S.A.,
99 Kifissias Avenue, 15124 Maroussi-Athens, Greece

³ ATOS IT Solutions and Services Iberia SL, Spain

⁴ Engineering - Ingegneria Informatica SpA, Italy

⁵ Ubiwhere Lda, Portugal, ⁶ Eight Bells Ltd., Cyprus

⁷ Infolysis P.C., Greece, ⁸ Wind Tre SpA, Italy, ⁹ Athonet S.r.l., Italy,

¹⁰ Independent Power Transmission Operator S.A., Greece,

¹¹ University of Cyprus, Cyprus, ¹² Sidroco Holdings Ltd., Cyprus,

¹³ Software Company Ltd., Bulgaria, ¹⁴ Entra Energy, Bulgaria, ¹⁵ Axon Logic Ltd., Greece,
ichochliouros@oteresearch.gr

**Abstract.** The fast 5G deployment at global level influences a variety of vertical sectors and offers many opportunities for growth and innovation, drastically affecting modern economies. Among the major sectors where significant benefits are expected is the case of smart grid, where the management of energy demand is expected to become more efficient, leading to less investments. 5G inclusion and adaptation in smart grid will allow easier balance of energy load and reduction of electricity peaks, together with savings of energy cost. In the present work we introduce the innovative scope proposed by the Smart5Grid research project, aiming to complement contemporary energy distribution grids with access to 5G network resources through an open experimentation 5G platform and innovative Network Applications (NetApps). Smart5Grid administers four meaningful use cases for the energy vertical ecosystem, in order to demonstrate efficiency, resilience and elasticity provided by the 5G networks. In particular, each one among these use cases is presented and assessed as of its expected benefits and proposed novelties, based on the corresponding demonstration actions.

**Keywords:** 5G, energy management, energy vertical ecosystem, grid fault detection, inter-area oscillations, latency, Network Applications (NetApps), power network remote inspection and maintenance, smart-grid.
# 1 Introduction

Today, the immense multiplicity of interconnected networks of power plants, energy transmission towers, substations, poles and wires that make up the power grid, can be considered as “the largest machine” in the world. This is not a surprise, considering that electricity is the most versatile controlled form of energy. What is more, to transfer electrical power efficiently nowadays, “smart grids” [1-2] combine traditional grids with communication and information control technologies, targeting to achieve efficiency, cleanliness and security, in a way that will “reshape” the modern landscape in energy transportation [3-5].

The Fifth Generation (5G) networks [6-8] will be an important ingredient for the development of smart grid technologies, especially allowing the grid to adapt better to the dynamics of renewable energy and distributed generation. As renewable resources – such as solar and wind power – are gaining pace with dynamic trends to become prevalent in a few years from now [9-10], the power grid will require integrated and more enhanced monitoring and control, as well as integration with substation automation in order to control differing power flows and to plan for stand-by capacity that supplements energy generation. Smart grid capabilities promise to control easier bi-directional power flows and to monitor, control and support distributed energy resources. This, in fact, implicates for more challenges as well as for more opportunities in the related market domain.

Furthermore, the 5G mobile networks will help to integrate previously unconnected devices to smart grids for accurate monitoring and improved forecasting of their energy needs [11-12]. Consequently, the managing of energy demand will become more efficient and will implicate for less investments, as the smart grid will allow for easier balance of the energy loads, for reduction of electricity peaks and, ultimately, for reduction of energy costs [13]. In this modern scope, large cities will be able to plan their energy infrastructure based on collected data, spending less resources and reducing the “downtime”. Likewise, from the perspective of power supply, 5G is expected to enable better efficiency, observability and controllability of the power system, especially at the distribution side [14]. Energy suppliers will be able to collect and store power grid related data at much faster rates, ensuring secure and stable power supply, while risk mitigation and fault management will become simpler and more straightforward.

Up-to-now, the power distribution grids have only seen very little application of mobile-network technology and, consequently, the coverage of the current communication networks remains practically low [15]. Most of the applied efforts practically focus on the three following pillars to achieve efficient communication at the power distribution level, that is: (i) Power Line Communications (PLC) that use the distribution lines and cables as a transmission channel; (ii) Wireless or Radio Communications (WRC) that use the radio technologies for transferring the information between two or more points, and; (iii) Fibre Optical Communications (FOC) that use pulses of light through an optical fibre for transmitting information. Utility companies may use communication networks based on a combination of two or more of these technologies for grid access, backhaul and backbone communications, based on specific applications. On the other hand, network operators have not participated actively and widely in providing communication services for the
transmission and distribution grid operation, due to the variety of network technologies being used by the power grid operators [16]. Another important reason is that traditional 3G/4G public network is a large all-in-one channel / single shared network, where operators cannot provide different network slices to preferred customers. Lastly, using FOC to build communication networks on the distribution level has difficulties in the deployment due to the massive-connections and the wide areas where coverage is required [17]. Such concerns have resulted to a sort of "inactive" involvement of telecom operators in the highly demanding energy vertical.

Clearly, the “smart grid transformation” must rely on existing electrical infrastructures of the generation, transmission, distribution and consumption levels of a power grid and, as such, to connect energy metering and measuring devices through a communication network that enables real-time information flow and control among power devices. Because it consists of a unified network that fulfils all the key communication requirements of smart distribution grids (including flexibility, reliability, coverage throughput, latency and massive device support), 5G is the first communication technology expected to address the plethora of current and future challenges of the energy sector [18-20].

Our work is organised as follows: Section 1 serves as an introduction, identifying the important role that 5G is to perform in order to support the operation of power transmission and distribution grids. Section 2 briefly focuses on the specific context proposed by the ongoing Smart5Grid project which is among the few research initiatives for applying 5G in the energy vertical sector. Section 3 introduces four distinct use cases that are to be deployed during the project's life-time. Each one is presented and assessed, as of its intended beneficial use and in parallel with the corresponding demonstration scenario. Section 4 provides some concluding overview and remarks.

## 2 Smart5Grid: An Innovative Context for the Energy Ecosystem

Following to the above challenges and taking into account the enormous potential introduced by the intended 5G applicability in the market sector, the ongoing Smart5Grid project [21] aims to complement contemporary energy distribution grids with access to 5G network resources through an open experimentation 5G platform and innovative Network Applications (NetApps). Towards achieving this target, Smart5Grid administers four meaningful use cases for the energy vertical ecosystem, in order to demonstrate efficiency, resilience and elasticity provided by the 5G networks. On top, Smart5Grid provides an open environment to third parties for experimentation, which will be able to support development, testing and validation of 5G Network Applications specialised for the Energy Vertical [22].

The smart grid paradigm poses new challenges to communication networks requiring a flexible and orchestrated network, slicing and millisecond-level latency [23]. In order for today's power distribution grids to be transformed into "evolved" smart grids to enable efficient, fast and secure operation, power distribution companies need new tools allowing them to monitor/operate the distribution network and to maintain/increase reliability and Quality of Service (QoS). To efficiently deal
with these issues, Smart5Grid's effort identifies the following high-level requirements for the communication network that will allow building innovative and high performance smart grids: (i) Very high device density for connecting thousands of energy metering and power electronic devices, in one location; (ii) very high bandwidth to allow massive data flows from multiple devices simultaneously, allowing remote maintenance and substation monitoring, and; (iii) ultra-low latency for fault detection, network isolation and operation of recovery devices within one power cycle (i.e. 20ms for the 50Hz frequency used in electric current).

Through the effective adoption of 5G networks and the expected assistance of the respective NetApps that will be developed and validated on real power grid facilities, Smart5Grid facilitates the current energy sector stakeholders (i.e. Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and Transmission System Operators (TSOs)) as well as future smart grid shareholders (i.e.: Smart Grid Operators, Independent System Operators, Energy Aggregators, Regional Distribution Organisations and Energy Service Providers (ESPs), etc.) to: (i) Easily and effectively create and offer advanced energy services; (ii) interact in a dynamic and efficient way, with their surrounding environment (by assessing and considering multiple options), and; (iii) automate and optimise the planning and operation of their power and energy services, thus enhancing their market activity. In this way, Smart5Grid envisages towards providing a more secure, reliable, efficient and real-time communication framework for the modern smart grids. In particular, Smart5Grid leverages on resilience and elasticity (i.e. network slicing [24]) provided by the 5G technology in order to contribute to an open and flexible platform for secure testing, validation and operation of NetApps, specifically targeting to the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) production and distribution of vertical ecosystem(s). The emerging 5G mobile cellular network, along with the celebrated new features introduced with it, (i.e., Ultra-reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) and enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)) and the concept of MEC (Multi-Access Edge Computing) which extends the capabilities of cloud computing by bringing it to the edge of the network [25-26], provides a competent environment for smart grids.

Notably, the Smart5Grid architectural framework aims to enable efficient and cost-effective distributed State Estimation (SE) algorithms based on more sophisticated optimisation techniques [27]. This will allow smart grid voltage and phase measurements to occur at a much greater frequency than it has been possible by using the legacy measurement infrastructure. SE is a key functionality of electric power grid's energy management systems and it aims to provide an estimate of the system state variables (i.e. voltage magnitude and angles) at all the buses of the electrical network from a set of remotely acquired measurements. Indeed, for URLLC, the generic radio interface latency target is about 0.5ms, while reliability targets Packet Loss Rate of $10^{-5}$ for 32-byte packets and 1ms latency [28]. The open testing platform built in the context of Smart5Grid will allow the implementation and experimentation with appropriate VNFs (Virtual Network Functions) [29] and NetApps, not only to Smart5Grid partners but also to third parties (i.e. entities outside the contractual Smart5Grid consortium). This will support and “give rise” to an experimental execution environment that increases reliability, availability and maintainability in smart grid energy networks, through application of specialised 5G solutions.
## 3 Smart5Grid Use Cases

The Smart5Grid project is focusing towards developing network applications specifically tailored to the requirements of existing real operational issues faced by the modern smart energy grids and, thereby, it will heavily contribute to the energy vertical ecosystem. NetApps will be consisted of appropriately chained VNFs that will be developed on the Smart5Grid platform and then tested and validated on real power grid infrastructures, under true operational conditions. Following to these actions, the successful and wide adoption of the Smart5Grid NetApps will allow the smooth penetration of (mobile) network operators, telecoms and ICT industries and SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) into the energy sector for the provisioning of novel network services; in addition, it will offer automation and real-time inspection and control to the existing energy stakeholders. The real-life validation of the Smart5Grid NetApps has been planned to take place in four countries (Italy, Spain, Greece and Bulgaria). The intended, for demonstration, scenario and setup for each use case is described below.

### 3.1 Use Case 1: Automatic Power Distribution Grid Fault Detection

A fault in a distribution grid is an abnormal condition that can be caused by equipment (i.e. transformers and rotating machines) failure, human errors and/or various environmental conditions. Such an error consists of a stressful situation for the DSOs, since it can have a great impact on the supplied power quality; thus it can create equipment damages and, also, it may reduce the electrical system reliability and stability resulting to power interruptions. To maintain a reliable and high-quality power supply to consumers without any interruptions, smart grids and distribution networks require real-time self-healing (i.e. the identification and isolation of faults in the backbone network and automatic recovery in less than 1 sec [30]). As manual outage handling in a control centre fails to achieve such short restoration time (manual switching takes on average 120 minutes [31]), automated fault detection solutions are widely used to restore the power supply within a few hundred milliseconds [32]). To do so, modern communication systems primarily use the international IEC 61850 standard [33] to support self-healing distributed functions, as it provides the required flexibility and interactivity for the implementation of such applications, while peer-to-peer communication via IEC 61850 Generic Object-Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) messages provides analogue and binary data at low latency among the system components [34]. Typically, the controllers conduct self-healing of the distribution line in approximately 500msec by isolating the fault, but the tremendous social and economic consequences of a potential fault have pushed the DSOs to constantly search for mobile communication network configurations that allow even shorter restoration times, with the ultimate challenge, the peer-to-peer, Layer-2, multicast IEC 61850 GOOSE communication to become less than 5msec (i.e., less by two orders of magnitude) [15].

**Smart5Grid added value:** The inherent characteristics of the proposed MEC platform will contribute to the millisecond level precise discrimination of a line fault which is helpful to the immediate isolation and the rapid self-healing of the regional
power supply. A dedicated monitoring feature will facilitate the communication troubleshooting at MEC level, discriminating if the eventual issue or quality degradation is either in RAN (radio access network) or IP network, increasing the system reliability. Coupling of the URLLC and mMTC 5G network services will allow the effective operation of grid control and protection devices, enabling the ultra-fast fault detection and isolation while, at the same time, the platform will support the big in number (thousands) of grid control and protection devices.

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 1. Smart-grid automatic power distribution grid fault detection.</figcaption></figure>

**Scenario to be demonstrated:** Smart5Grid will demonstrate the capabilities of the developed NetApps to extract valuable information for the DSO by constantly monitoring the communication between the protection and fault detection devices on real power distribution infrastructures over a public 5G network, as illustrated in Fig.1. As soon as a failure is detected and isolated in milliseconds using the Smart5Grid communication platform between the peripheral nodes, the central system and the communication among the Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), the rest of the network shall continue its normal function whereas the goal of the demonstrated scenario will be the capability to minimise the SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and CAIDI (Customer Average Interruption Duration Index), which are important indices for benchmarking by DSOs internationally [35].

## 3.2 Use Case 2: Remote Inspection of Automatically Delimited Working Areas at Distribution Level

Currently, DSOs are incurring high operational expenditures for inspecting and maintaining their infrastructures, as the inspection and the maintenance of the energy distribution grid assets is a very demanding and essential task [36]. Up-to-now, such actions are undertaken by human maintenance crews through visual examination. As
a result, dedicated personnel are often exposed to dangerous working conditions, such as high heights for tower/pylon climbing inspections, difficult ground patrols and often exposures to electrical risks (e.g. electric arcs that can cause an electrocution) during substations' visits [37-38]. For personnel safety precautions, planned power disruptions are scheduled during the inspection and maintenance procedures and so the capacity and availability of the distribution network is reduced periodically. Additionally, when maintenance works are performed in the vicinity of critical equipment of the distribution grid (e.g., transformers, circuit breakers, switchgears, etc.) the working areas are restricted and only authorised personnel can access them. As evident, it is critical for DSOs to obtain efficient and short-duration inspection and maintenance procedures from central offices to support the risk prevention and help field operators. This is done through the provision of advanced information/data, with remote inspection and maintenance procedures, without compromising quality.

**Smart5Grid added value:** The capabilities of the proposed Smart5Grid 5G platform will offer a solution for the improvement of working conditions for the power grid maintenance crews and inspection personnel, through remote inspection and control of the automatically delimited working areas. The 5G eMBB features will permit high-bandwidth communication between the power grid monitoring equipment (i.e. existing permanent and manual sensors and high-resolution cameras of various types) and the cloud-based inspection platform, in order to be processed with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) based algorithms and inference models; the latter will help to achieve automated evaluation of equipment condition and also automated delimitation of working areas at the period of their remote inspection. The Smart5Grid project aims to enable remote inspections in high risk areas and real time execution, by serving a variety of distribution network applications and by providing accurate results and information on the operational condition of the power grid assets through augmented reality. For maintenance works real-time control will be enabled, to assist the working procedures remotely and automatically without exposing the supervisor personnel to dangerous conditions.

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 2.** 5G communication infrastructure in the substation (left) and 3D model of primary substation with open air busbars.</figcaption></figure>

**Scenario to be demonstrated:** Smart5Grid will demonstrate the capabilities of the developed 5G platform and of the NetApp for the remote inspection of automatically
delimited working areas at distribution level through the deployment of a private 5G
network (see Fig.2). The developed NetApp will: (i) Generate a detailed 3D
volumetric model of the configuration of the power grid assets where the work will be
carried out; (ii) automatically delimitate the working areas and the authorised
personnel; (iii) permit the real-time communication of big data generated from the
existing permanent and manual sensors and cameras within the working area; (iv)
allow the real-time remote control of the work and capture the movements of the
different operators (authorised and non-authorised), and; (v) provide instant warning
signals and alerts. It is expected that the developed 5G private network shall support
peak data rate of 10 Gbps.

3.3 Use Case 3: Millisecond Level Precise Distribution Generation Control

Due to the climate change, the finite reservoirs of fossil fuels and the constantly
reducing cost of RESs technologies, it is expected that by 2050 most of the worldwide
electricity will be produced by renewable sources ([10, 39]). This unprecedented high
percentage creates new challenges for the power grid stability, as most of the RESs
produce extremely volatile energy and have extreme power variations in short
amounts of time. Additionally, the most widely used RESs (i.e., solar and wind
energy) cannot reliably inject mechanical inertia into the local power grid, which
creates reliability issues for keeping the frequency at the desirable level constant [40-
41]. As the RES deployment is essential, DSOs/TSOs need to deploy new techniques
for keeping the power grid performance on high levels. Control of voltage and
frequency in distribution and transmission grids are the key challenges of the future
100% renewable smart grids [10]. These new procedures are still under development,
and they require many economic, legal, and technological changes (apart from the
modifications in the electric grid). A major enabler is the inter-connected
communication systems and computing infrastructure, which interconnects control
centres, substation automation units, energy storage systems and power plants of all
sizes in a flexible, secure and consistent manner.

Today, the vast majority of the communication technologies used for the
communication between the RES assets and the power grid are still wire-bound,
including a variety of dedicated Industrial Ethernet and power line solutions, as there
was no need for wireless connectivity in the past, due to the relatively static and long-
lasting installation of the power grid equipment [42-43]. With the advent of future
Smart Grids and 5G, however, this will change fundamentally, since wireless
connectivity can increase the degree of flexibility, mobility, versatility, and
ergonomics required for the energy networks of the future. It is evident that the
modern smart grid era will depend on devices that can monitor the various assets and
manage big data, through ultrafast communications and cloud-based apps for efficient
processing and decision-making [44-45].

**Smart5Grid added value:** Smart5Grid will enable the connection of thousands of Medium Voltage (MV) and High Voltage (HV) level decentralised RESs units and their inverters, to a platform with installed 5G communication protocols, which will allow their aggregation and control by the DSOs/TSOs in millisecond rates. Through
the developed platform, the electricity producers owning renewable generation assets can use fast real-time cloud-based tools to formulate optimal energy scheduling according to the power system needs. Additionally, they will be able to monitor and rebalance the network by managing the distributed flexibilities provided by their decentralised energy resources (i.e., Wind Plants, Hydro Plants, Storage and Dispatchable Loads), according to the incentives provided by the grid services markets and business models (e.g., aggregators, suppliers, storage owners). All exchanged messages will be secured (especially in terms of data integrity and authenticity) so that the probability of two consecutive packet errors to be negligible.

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 3. Smart5Grid low latency distribution generation control of energy units.</figcaption></figure>

**Scenario to be demonstrated:** Various power electronic devices of grid-connected, decentralised renewable power plants will be used to demonstrate the capabilities of the developed monitoring platform on real operational conditions. The application will facilitate energy generation/consumption forecast for balancing purposes, enable energy cost optimising and visualisation of end-user behaviour, to optimally manage the energy profile, operational availability and flexibility services, through respective markets (intraday and balancing markets) in millisecond-level information exchange. The platform (cf. Fig.3) will be designed for Hydro, Solar and Wind Power Plants, providing all the real-time operational information of the RES plants to the system operators and plant owners, allowing flexible plant management for procuring accurate and secure frequency and voltage control services by the DSOs/TSOs as well as visibility to plant owners for optimal plant management. Requirements on the communication service availability and reliability will be achieved by appropriate resilience and redundancy measures of the available generated power and accurate weather forecasts.

## 3.4 Use Case 4: Real-time wide Area Millisecond Level Precise Distribution Generation Control

Inter-area frequency oscillations represent one of the major challenges that face modern power systems, since their appearance is increasing due to the vast changes (i.e. increased penetration of renewable sources, growing energy demand, etc.) and
constant expansion [46]. The appearance of inter-area oscillations creates many issues such as power quality degradation, limitation of transmission system capacity and, on several occasions, it can even lead to system instability. The detection and observation of inter-area oscillations is possible only with the use of synchronized measurements provided by the Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) [47]. Exploiting PMU inputs for a robust, decentralised and real-time operational solution calls for novel communication infrastructure that will support the Wide Area Measurement Systems (WAMSs) of each smart grid, with aim to detect and counteract power grid disturbances in real time, while providing the observability needed.

Currently, the time-stamped phasor from each PMU is sent either through public Internet or serial cable to the Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC). The PDC receives data from all the PMU locations and, after sorting them accordingly, it transfers them to the WAMS [48]. For the WAMS to be able to obtain timely synchronized measurements from PMUs installed in all over the power system, the communication networks play an essential and crucial role. However, communication networks impose latency and errors, and these are the main obstacles towards the implementation of real-time applications. These are found to be the most known factors responsible for the degradation of the Wide Area Control damping capability which can even lead the system to instability, since the wide area controller is a near real-time application (operation rate of ~40msec [49]).

Communication delays take place during data exchange between devices (e.g. PMUs and PDC) in a shared medium and they are mainly introduced by the long distance transportation of feedback signals, the medium type, the data buffering and the time required to send each bit. This kind of delay has the most variability mainly due to the conditions of the communication network (e.g. traffic, medium length, routers, switches, etc.). According to the IEEE Synchrophasor Standard C37.118.2-2011, typical delays from a PMU to the PDC are between 20-50msec and each level above adds additional delays in the range of 30-80msec [50], as illustrated in Fig.4. Therefore, for a two-level communication infrastructure, the overall delays are in the range of 50-130msec.

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 4. Measurement infrastructure delays included for the data transfer between the PMUs, the local PDCs (Level 1) the regional PDC/WAMC (Level 2) and feedback delays from the WAMC to the local controllers.</figcaption></figure>

**Smart5Grid added value:** With the proposed network configuration and applications for the real-time communication of the time-stamped phasor from each
PMU station to the developed virtual PDC (vPDC), Smart5Grid is expected to significantly minimise the communication and transfer delays of the current WAMSs. It is also expected that Smart5Grid communication platform will minimise the transfer delays of the PMU measurements and the feedback control signals, while it will also minimise the data dropouts – such events are experienced using the contemporary communication infrastructure that often compromise the WAMS operation. Message loss and corruption and interference with other, lower priority traffic will be avoided as much as possible. In this sense, Smart5Grid is envisioned to improve WAMS’ reliability and performance, thus contributing to the effective maintenance of the transmission and distribution power grid stability and reliability.

**Scenario to be demonstrated:** Smart5Grid aims to demonstrate the 5G virtual PDC capabilities for serving the Wide Area Monitoring of end-to-end electricity networks, that is: from Distributed Energy Resources at Medium Voltage level operated by DSOs to High Voltage level operated by TSOs, as well as inter-TSO cross border Regional Security Coordination, aggregating the data from the PMU devices installed, enabling precise state measurements and processing to be made across grid segments. To do so, the four main functionalities of the developed Smart5Grid virtual 5G PDC NetApp will enable: (i) The comparison of different measured variables from various monitoring PMU devices for both real-time and historical data; (ii) the real-time monitoring of triggered events detected by PMU devices, as well as snapshots of the events in various levels of detail; (iii) the real-time displacement of the rate of change of frequency across the entire monitored network, and; (iv) configuration of the voltage magnitude and angle difference state measurements across the distribution and transmission grid segments in real-time. The developed 5G virtual PDC will be also applicable for TSO-DSO PMU configurations to maintain the stability of the overall power grid at national level.

# 4 Concluding Remarks

In the scope of the present work we have discussed the important role of modern 5G communications as a real “enabler” of the power grid domain, thus promoting significant opportunities for growth in the energy vertical sector. In particular, the deployment of 5G infrastructures and of all potential related facilities allows for the support of smart grid technologies within a fully converged environment, enhancing adaptation to the dynamics of renewable energy and distributed generation. 5G also contributes to the efficient integration of numerous devices to smart grids, allows handling of immense data sets and permits for exact monitoring and management of energy needs of various underlying systems, offering significant benefits in a variety of activities and services.

Smart5Grid is among the on-going research initiatives supporting transformation of the power distribution grids towards smarter entities via the beneficial incorporation of innovative 5G features. The project aims to identify high-level requirements for the communication network, allowing the structuring of innovative and high performance smart grids. Via the adoption of 5G network infrastructure and the effective inclusion of suitable Network Applications consisted of chained VNFs,
an innovative platform shall be deployed. This will allow offering of multiple benefits to the corresponding market actors, coming from both energy and ICT sectors.

Smart5Grid has identified several operational use cases that will take place in 4 European countries. Each one has been assessed as of its specific framework of reference and about the expected positive impact. In particular, we have discussed options for the added value that shall be provided by the Smart5Grid intended approach and details about the scheduled demonstrations have also been presented. All use cases are about real scenarios of use and “face” direct challenges identified by the energy vertical sector, thus their further treatment is expected to be both innovative and purely beneficial.

**Acknowledgments.** This work has been performed in the scope of the *Smart5Grid* European Research Project and has been supported by the Commission of the European Communities /5G-PPP/H2020, Grant Agreement No.101016912.

## References

1. Ekanayake, J., Liyanage, K., Wu, J., Yokoyama, A., and Jenkins, N.: Smart Grid: Technology and Applications. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. (2012)

2. Bakken, D.: Smart Grids: Cloud, Communications, Open Source, and Automation. CRC Press (2014)

3. Mourshed, M., Robert, S., Ranalli, A., Messervey, T., Reforgiato, D., Contreau, R., Becue, A., Quinn, K., Rezgui, Y., and Lennard, Z.: Smart grid futures: Perspectives on the integration of energy and ICT services. Energy Procedia 75, 1132–1137 (2015)

4. Panajotovic, B., Jankovic, M., and Odadzic, B.: ICT and smart grid. In: Proceedings of the TELSIKS 2011, pp.118-121. IEEE (2011)

5. Kuroda, K., Ichimura, T., Matsufuji, Y., and Yokoyama, R.: Key ICT solutions for realizing smart grid. In: Proceedings of the SGE 2012, pp.1-8. IEEE (2012)

6. Rost, P., Banchs, A., Berberana, I., Reitbach, M., Doll, M., et al.: Mobile network architecture evolution toward 5G. IEEE Communications Magazine 54(5), 84–91 (2016)

7. Andrews, J.G., Buzzi, S., Choi, W., Hanly, S.V., et al.: What will 5G be. IEEE JSAC, Special Issue on 5G Wireless Communications Systems 32(6), 1065–1082 (2014)

8. Chochliouros, I.P., Kostopoulos, A., Spiliopoulou, A.S., Dardamanis, A., Neokosmidis, I., Rokkas, T., and Goratti, L.: Business and market perspectives in 5G Networks. In: Proceedings of the Joint 13th CTTE and 10th CMI Conference 2017, pp.1-6. IEEE (2017)

9. International Energy Agency (IEA): Empowering Variable Renewables: Options for Flexible Electricity Systems. IEA, Paris (2008)

10. International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): Global energy transformation: a roadmap to 2050. Irena, Abu Dhabi (2019)

11. Matinkhah, S.M., and Shafik, W.: Smart Grid empowered by 5G Technology. In: Proceedings of the 2019 SGC, pp.1-6. IEEE (2019)

12. Kumari, A., Tanwar, S., Tyagi, S., Kumar, N., Obaidat, M.S., and Rodrigues, J.J.P.C.: Fog Computing for Smart Grid Systems in the 5G Environment: Challenges and Solutions. IEEE Wireless Communications 26(3), 47–53 (2019)

13. Cosovic, M., Tsitsimelis, A., Vukobratovic, D., Matamoros, J., and Anton-Haro, C.: 5G Mobile Cellular Networks: Enabling Distributed State Estimation for Smart Grids. IEEE Communications Magazine 55(10), 62–69 (2017)

14. Li, W., Wu, Z., and Zhang, P.: Research on 5G Network Slicing for Digital Power Grid. In: proceedings of the ICEICT 2020, pp.679-682. IEEE (2020)
15. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP): TS 22.261 V17.1.0: "Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Service requirements for the 5G system; Stage 1 (Release 17)" (2019, December)

16. IHS Markit: 5G Network Slicing Enabling Smart Grid: Commercial Feasibility Analysis. Industry Report. (2019), https://www-file.huawei.com/-/media/corporate/pdf/news/5g-network-slicing-enabling-smart-grid-commercial-feasibility-analysis-en.pdf?la=en

17. Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA): Smart Grid Powered by 5G SA-based Network Slicing. (2020), https://www.gsma.com/futurenetworks/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2_Powered-by-SA_Smart-Grid-5G-Network-Slicing_China-Telecom_GSMA_v2.0.pdf

18. 5G-Infrastructure-Association (5G-IA): 5G and Energy. Version 1.0. (5G-PPP White Paper on Energy Vertical sector). (2015, September) https://5g-ppp.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/5G-PPP-White_Paper-on-Energy-Vertical-Sector.pdf

19. Leligou, H.C., Zahariadis, T., Sarakis, L., Tsampasis, E., Voulkidis, A., and Velivassaki, T.E.: Smart Grid: a demanding use case for 5G technologies. In: Proceedings of PerCom 2018, pp.215-220. IEEE (2018)

20. Tabassum, H., Salehi, M., and Hossain, E.: Mobility-Aware Analysis of 5G and B5G Cellular Networks: A Tutorial. (2018), https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.02719

21. Smart5Grid Project (Grant Agreement No.101016912), https://smart5grid.eu/

22. NRG5 Project: Deliverable 1.2: "NRG-5 Reference Architecture and Functional Decomposition", (2018, March), http://www.nrg5.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Deliverable-D1.2-compressed.pdf

23. Jha, A.V., Ghazali, A.N., Appasani, B., and Mohanta, D.K.: Risk Identification and risk Assessment of Communication Networks in Smart Grid Cyber-Physical Systems. In: Awad, A.I., Furnell, S., Paprzycki, M., Sharma S.K. (eds) Security in Cyber-Physical Systems. Studies in Systems, Decision and Control **339**, pp.217-253. Springer (2021)

24. Chochliouros, I.P., Spiliopoulou, A.S., Lazaridis, P., Dardamanis, A., Zaharis, Z., and Kostopoulos, A.: Dynamic Network Slicing: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Proceedings of AIAI-2020, IFIP AICT 585, pp.47-60. Springer, Cham (2020)

25. Chochliouros, I.P., Spiliopoulou, A.S., Kostopoulos, A., et al.: Putting intelligence in the network edge through NFV and cloud computing: The SESAME approach. In: Proceedings of EANN-2017, CCIS 744, pp.704-715. Springer, Cham (2017)

26. Global System for Mobile Communications Alliance (GSMA): An Introduction to 5G Network Slicing. GSMA (2017, November). https://www.gsma.com/futurenetworks/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/GSMA-An-Introduction-to-Network-Slicing.pdf

27. Guo, Y., Wu, W., Zhang, B., and Sun, S.: A distributed state for power systems incorporating linear and non-linear models. International journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems **64**, 608--616 (2015)

28. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP): 3GPP TR 22.804 V16.3.0: "Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Study on Communication for Automation in Vertical domains (CAV) (Release 16) (2020, July)" https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/22_series/22.804/

29. European Telecommunications Standards Institute: ETSI GS NFV 002 V1.2.1 (2014-12): "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Architectural Framework", ETSI. https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_gs/NFV/001_099/002/01.02.01_60/gs_nfv002v010201p.pdf

30. Madrigal, M., Uluski, R., and Mensan Gaba, K.: Practical Guidance for Defining a Smart Grid Modernization Strategy. Washington, DC, World Bank (2017)

31. Brown, R.E.: Electric Power Distribution Reliability - Second Edition. CRC Press (2016)

32. Le, D.P., Bui, D.M., Ngo, C.C., and Le, A.M.T.: FLISR Approach for Smart Distribution Networks Using E-Terra Software - A Case Study. Energies **11**(12), 3333 (2018)
33. International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC): IEC 61850 Standard: Communication networks and systems for power utility automation. IEC, https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/6028

34. Kriger, C., Behardien, S., and Retonda, J.: A Detailed Analysis of the GOOSE Message Structure in an IEC 61850 Standard-Based Substation Automation System. International Journal of Computers Communications and Control **8**(5), 708--721 (2013)

35. Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER): CEER Benchmarking Report 6.1 on the Continuity of Electricity and Gas Supply. (2018), https://www.ceer.eu/documents/104400/-/963153e6-2f42-78eb-22a4-06f1552dd34c

36. Prettico, G., Flammini, M.G., Andreadou, N., Vitiello, S., Fulli, G., and Masera, M.: Distribution System Operators observatory 2018: Overview of the electricity distribution system in Europe. Europan Commission, Joint Research Centre (2019)

37. Workers' Compensation Board: Working Safely Around Electricity. (2014), https://www.casa-acsa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014-11_W Working_Safely_Around_Electricity.pdf.

38. Energy Safe Victoria: Electricity hazards safety guide - Creating a safer state with electricity and gas: For emergency services workers. (2018), https://esv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ElectricityHazardsSafetyGuide_LoRes.pdf

39. European Parliament: European policies on climate and energy towards 2020, 2030 and 2050. (2019), https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/631047/IPOL_BRI(2019)631047_EN.pdf

40. Nguyen, N., and Mitra, J.: An Analysis of the Effects and Dependency of Wind Power Penetration on System Frequency Regulation. IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy **7**(1), 354--363 (2015)

41. Delille, G., François, B., and Malarange, G.: Dynamic Frequency Control Support by Energy Storage to Reduce the Impact of Wind and Solar Generation on Isolated Power System's Inertia. IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy **3**(4), 931--939 (2012)

42. Kellner, T.: The Network Effect: The Internet Of Electricity Is Coming and This Little Device Is Making It Happen. Digital Grid. (2019), https://www.ge.com/news/reports/the-network-effect-the-internet-of-electricity-is-coming-and-this-little-device-is-making-it-happen

43. European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA): Communication network interdependencies in smart grids. (2016)

44. Akhavan-Hejazi, H., and Mohsenian-Rad, H.: Power systems big data analytics: An assessment of paradigm shift barriers and prospects. Energy Reports **4**, 91--100 (2018)

45. Ho, T.M., Tran, T.D., Nguyen, T.T., Kazmi, S.M.A., Le, L.B., Hong, C.S., and Hanzo, L.: Next-generation Wireless Solutions for the Smart Factory, Smart Vehicles, the Smart Grid and Smart Cities. (2019), https://arxiv.org/pdf/1907.10102.pdf

46. International Energy Agency (IEA): Status of Power System Transformation 2019. Technology Report. (2019, May)

47. Phadke, A.G., and Bi, T.: Phasor measurement units, WAMS, and their applications in protection and control of power systems. Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy **6**(4), 619--629 (2018)

48. Appasani, B., and Mohanta, D.K.: A review on synchrophasor communication system: communication technologies, standards and applications. Protection and Control of Modern Power Systems **3**, 37 (2018)

49. Zacharia, L., Asprou, M., and Kyriakides, E.: Design of a data delay compensation technique based on a linear predictor for wide-area measurements. In: Proceedings of the 2016 IEEE PES General Meeting (PESGM), pp.1-5. IEEE (2016)

50. Zacharia, L., Asprou, M., and Kyriakides, E.: Measurement Errors and Delays on Wide Area Control Based on IEEE Std C37.118.1-2011: Impact and Compensation. IEEE Systems Journal **14**(1), 422--432 (2020)