Emulation of smart metering in smart grids

Abstract

Modern smart grids utilize advanced communications, automated control and many other sophisticated technologies and also promote a two-way communication technology that integrates the influence of both utility providers and end-users, by mean of an Automatic Metering Infrastructure (AMI). The conventional energy meter is somehow not suitable for long operating purposes as it spends much human and material resource. Smart meter, part of the AMI is a device that performs advanced functions including electrical energy consumption recording of residential/industrial users, billing, real time monitoring and load balancing.In this work, an illustration of smart home prototype is implemented and simulated; appliances are powered by the grid during daytime and a Photovoltaic panel stored power during the night or in case of an electricity outage. The consumed power from both sources is sensed and further processed for cumulative energy, cost calculations and bill establishment using LABVIEW software. Data are communicated via a USB Data acquisition Card (DAQ-USB 6008). At the end, a simulation framework using LABVIEW software models four houses each equipped with various appliances, the simulator predicts different power consumption profiles for seek of peak-demand reduction through a load control process. A manual and an automatic load control is tested on the designed house as an application on smart metering load control.