ICWCA 2012 - Special Track 1: Application of Communications in Smart Grid

Special Track 1: Application of Communications in Smart Grid
Co-chairs: Assoc. Professor Tiong Sieh Kiong, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia

Developing the Smart Grid has become an urgent global priority, promising economic, environmental, and societal benefits. Modernization of the electrical power grid involves widespread sensing to gather real-time information. Ubiquitous communications links are then needed to relay the data to be processed in the computing centres and to convey the control signals back to the grid components. Information and communications technologies are at the core of the Smart Grid vision as they will empower today’s electrical grid with the capability of supporting two-way energy and information flow, isolating and restoring power outages more quickly, facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid and empowering the consumer with tools for optimizing their energy consumption.

While the innovative smart grid infrastructure is envisioned to increase the efficiency and reliability of grid operations, the increased complexity of the new system has to be addressed. The complexity of the communication, computing, and control of smart grid devices brings a host of research issues associated with performance, security, and interoperability. This special track focuses on the holistic issues in smart grid communications and aims at bringing together researchers from Academia, Industry, and National Labs to exchange novel ideas, explore enabling technologies, discuss innovative designs, and share field trial experiences and lessons learnt. This special track will focus on the application of communications in Smart Grid and welcomes papers on, but not limited to, the following aspects:

* Integration of innovative services that require a

secure cyber infrastructure
* End use devices (relays, advanced meters etc.)
* Sensor network deployments, protocol and

architectures for Smart Grid services
* Models and network protocols for real time

information gathering, adaptive signal processing

and compression of power-grid sensors data
* Communications architecture and infrastructure for

Smart Grid
* Smart Grid Networking
* Smart Grid Interconnections and Communications
* Integration of Sensing, Communication, and Control
* Adaptive Communication-Based Protection
* Smart Grid Cyber & Physical Security
* Smart Grid Demand Response
* Smart Grid Information Technologies
* Physical and MAC layer protocols
* Measurement data from test beds and field trials
* Cross-layer optimization
* Smart Grid and Area Networks