Application: Smart Grid connectivity for Demand Response and Virtual Power Plants
Former power grids were built in the last century under the assumptions that energy flows in one direction — from the power plant to the consumer, that fuel-based power generation is constant, and that the grid is centralistic, i.e. power generation takes place at few power plants.
Smart Grids are quite the opposite. They are based on many Distributed Energy Resources (DER) like solar or wind plants and energy flows in both directions. Most importantly, renewable energy sources influenced by weather conditions are highly volatile and unpredictable. Communications solutions supporting standards like IEC-61850, IEC-60870, and others will allow energy producers to create the demand response power grid of the future.