# Toward Secure Smart Grid Systems: Risks, Threats, Challenges, and Future Directions
## 3 Limitations and Challenges
### Smart Grid Limitations
#### 3.1.2 Non-Security-Related Limitations  
The high initial deployment costs and the difficulty of integrating new technologies into the current infrastructure, which might cause compatibility concerns, are two non-security-related constraints of smart grids [73]. Furthermore, complex data management and analytics skills are required to handle the massive volume of data generated by smart grids, which presents significant processing and storage challenges. Other solutions can be included too [67].  
* Financial issues may prove to be a constant limitation, especially since the cost of implementing a smart grid system and maintaining its infrastructure can be high. Without proper funding and sponsorship, some facilities, utilities, plans, and projects may be delayed or canceled due to a lack of investment.
* Maintenance issues are another limitation since smart grid systems require regular maintenance and scheduled inspections to maintain their operational effectiveness. However, this proves to be a problem, especially in modernizing them due to aging equipment that causes constant equipment failure.
* A communication bottleneck may occur as smart grid systems heavily rely on communication networks to constantly transmit data and control electricity flow in real time. This already creates a burden that may affect network performance and cause a communication bottleneck. Also, any disruptions will surely cause a significant problem and result in the disruption and interruption of smart grid services.
* Integration issues due to the complex structure and heterogeneous nature of smart grid systems and IoT devices, which require different deployment and integration approaches, prove to be a significant limitation.
* Affected Manpower is another potential problem: with the rise of machinery and the reduction in human labor, stakeholders may be reluctant to adopt smart grid technologies due to concerns about job losses and salaries.
* Energy storage may prove to be a problem due to the cost and technical limitations that surround the energy storage capacities to manage intermittent renewable energy sources, especially in terms of safety, security, and performance. For example, Photovoltaic (PV) systems and EVs, while providing significant benefits in terms of sustainability and distributed energy production, are strongly reliant on efficient energy storage systems and seamless integration with grid infrastructure. The bi-directional energy flow resulting from PV energy injection and EV charging/discharging cycles can overburden local distribution networks. This results in voltage instability and produces asynchronous energy supply-demand dynamics if appropriate integration solutions are not employed. Furthermore, if legacy infrastructure is ill equipped to provide the necessary security services, these technologies create new attack surfaces and communication vulnerabilities when combined with IoT for real-time monitoring and control. Therefore, PV and EV technologies present important operational and cybersecurity concerns that need to be taken into consideration during system planning, design, and deployment, even though they are not in and of themselves restrictions.
* Cultural barriers may push some communities away from adopting smart grid technologies due to safety, security, and privacy concerns, especially without reassurance and education.  
After presenting these limitations, the challenges are presented next.