The project is split into 12 tasks:
- Confirm Trial site location.
- Define Scope of trial at PNDC.
- Report on Detail of hardware and software solution.
- Report on detail of 4G/IOT solution.
- Produce Draft costing proposal.
- Analyse similarities between communications for Secondary Automation and for full smart grid enablement.
- Finalise Test and Development Licence for communication frequency.
- Investigate cybersecurity compliance.
- Investigate Protocol conversion for legacy compatibility
- Analyse existing and new telemetry systems.
- Engage with GE's Poweron Fusion team regarding their vision of smart grids, and their communication requirements.
- Produce a costed proposal for implementation.
Benefits
The delivery of the above objectives, within budget and within agreed timelines, as is reasonable depending on the knowledge at this stage of the development phase.
The project will be managed within SPEN applying due diligence and best practices where appropriate.
The staged outcomes will include reports and specifications available for other licencees.
A clear follow up strategy should be defined as part of the delivery
Learnings
Outcomes
The following project activities were undertaken:
- Analysis and review of both readily available and future looking telecommunication solutions:
- Private network: VHF and UHF Point to Multipoint Digital Radio (P2MP-DR) and Private LTE (frequency to be selected; 450 MHz band is being proposed by EUTC).
- Public network: 2G/3G/4G based.
- Comparative analysis of telecommunication solutions.
- Proposal developed for Laboratory tests (e.g. PNDC). 3 MHz wideband low-power LTE communications between a central Control station and a small number of fixed outstations within a 300m radius.
- Test sites Selection: Identified potential Trial site locations that best suits the objective of the project and that is representative enough to make the most of the different technologies. Desktop planning would be done beforehand.
- In-depth study of the different solutions
- RTU requirements analysis (interfaces, throughput, traffic). Referenced to existing RTUs within Iberdrola.
- Architecture & Radio network planning.
- Spectrum feasibility study and further license management.
- Draft cost analysis.
- Analysis of backwards compatibility with current technologies
- Analysis of technology scalability for Smart Grid expansion.
- Cybersecurity Analysis
Lessons Learnt
This learning from this project has informed the scope for the Phase 3 project - NIA_SPEN_0029, Secondary Telecommunications Phase 3 – Trial of Hybrid Telecoms.
Different options, both presently available and future-looking, have been considered:
- Private network:
- VHF/UHF P2MP-DR.
- Private LTE: e.g. based on 450-470 MHz Band (3GPP B31).
- Public (commercial) networks: cellular 2G/3G/4G.
- A Hybrid solution based on public and private network
Technologies should be considered complementary to one another; some of them can be more suitable than others in certain scenarios. In order to choose the best technology, analysis must be done in terms of:
- Global Automation service requirements: Critical and Less Critical Data.
- Throughput.
- Application Level Performance: Latency and Packet loss rate.
- Scalability needs.
- MNO’s public cellular footprint information that should be confirmed with on-site survey (Directive antennas to be installed if necessary).
- Radio planning for deploying a radio based- private infrastructure: P2MP-DR and LTE:
- Identifying repeater site candidates (either owned or third-party’s).
- Spectrum License management.
In order to go through the above mentioned analysis it is necessary to perform both laboratory and on-field tests:
- Laboratory tests in order to:
- Explore the limits of the technology.
- Confirm network design criteria.
- Perform technical and economic analysis.
- On-field tests in order to:
- Check automation service performance.
- Confirm that expectations can be met.
