Modeling the neighborhood area networks of the smart grid

ICT and M2M communications will definitely play a key role on making the Smart Grid dream comes true. However, there are many available communications technologies that can be applied to this area, so an effective method to evaluate and compare them is required. Simulations represent a powerful, flexible, and cost-effective solution to achieve this goal, but the relevance of their results tightly depends on how well the model behind the simulations fits real world scenarios. This paper presents a model to evaluate the typical M2M communications architecture for the Neighborhood Area Networks of the Smart Grid. This model considers bidirectional real-time communications in realistic scenarios, which have been developed based on data collected from the EU FP7 project ENERsip. In order to maximize the impact of the model, medium to long-term scenarios are also considered.