# Smart Grid Architecture for Rural Distribution Networks: Application to a Spanish Pilot Network
## 6 Conclusions  
The presented architecture tackles the modernization of traditional rural networks into new Smart Grid ones, addressing innovation actions on both the power plane and the management plane of the system. In the management plane, one principal feature of the architecture is that it permits decentralizing the operation of the network either while grid connected or isolated. In addition, the proposed architecture can be easily replicated along large areas since it is integrated through communications. As long as the capabilities of such telecom networks are powerful enough, the management system can integrate large controllable equipment in the network, such as distributed storage and power electronics, making the system greatly scalable. Furthermore, this decentralization increases the reliability and self-healing aspects of the system since the intelligence is allocated into diverse agents through the network that can act even autonomously in case of any fault. Such advantages are beyond typical working practices for grid operators in weak rural systems. In the power plane, the innovative IDPRs result as a key technology for the realization of the proposed architecture. IDPRs are modular by design, and this facilitates their scalability to large networks as required. IDPRs can provide different services such as harmonic and reactive currents' compensation (see the low level of current harmonic distortion, 6.5%, achieved in field tests with IDPR), current balancing, energy back-up and network restoration, among others. These services greatly contribute to ensuring a power quality and security of supply to customers; to enhance the integration \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**SS** & **An Hour** & **Two Hours** & **Three Hours** & **Four Hours** \\ \hline SS 010 (S1) & 9.91 kWh & 19.39 kWh & 36.21 kWh & 65.81 kWh \\ SS 730 & 3.35 kWh & 6.26 kWh & 12.05 kWh & 22.19 kWh \\ SS 734 & 1.19 kWh & 2.21 kWh & 4.37 kWh & 7.85 kWh \\ SS 928 (S3) & 1.77 kWh & 3.26 kWh & 6.28 kWh & 11.61 kWh \\ S1 + S2 & 11.99 kWh & 23.10 kWh & 43.47 kWh & 79.30 kWh \\ S2 + S3 & 4.74 kWh & 8.73 kWh & 16.84 kWh & 31.08 kWh \\ S1 + S2 + S3 (all SS) & 13.75 kWh & 26.36 kWh & 49.76 kWh & 90.91 kWh \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 10: Energy consumption (in 95% of cases) for each SS and according to the sector configurations. Figure 20: Probabilistic analysis of energy demand profiles in the PN. of renewables; and to expand the useful life of grid infrastructures. For instance, as derived from the results of the study case, by balancing currents and compensating reactive power flows through the three-phase distribution system of the PN, the IDPR can reduce inaccurate planning for the provision of supply to consumers. In addition, it can alleviate the inconveniences for the DSO due to unplanned DG deployment and the uncertainty in the consumers' habits. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union seventh framework programme FP7-ICT-2013-11 under grant agreement 619610 (Smart Rural Grid). [PERSON] and [PERSON] conceived the scope of the paper; [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON] conceived and performed the proposed architecture and simulation analyses, [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON] analyzed the results; [PERSON] and [PERSON] wrote the paper; and [PERSON] performed revisions before submission. The authors declare no conflict of interest. The following abbreviations are used in this manuscript: