Towards Enhanced Resiliency and Interoperability of LoWPAN-Based Smart Grid Applications

Abstract

Effective electrification is a cornerstone of modern living and its significance is expected to intensify with the ongoing urbanization and densification of residential areas. In particular, the electrification of the residential sector has emerged as a critical challenge, as recent North American construction trends show a steady shift toward high density, multi-unit developments and a decline in single family housing permits. This transition amplifies the demand for scalable, reliable and cost efficient grid infrastructure capable of supporting dense clusters of electrical loads and distributed energy resources. Achieving such transformation requires robust communication infrastructures, which form the backbone of essential services including power grid load balancing, smart meter data collection, solar energy management and Electric Vehicle (EV) charging. Ensuring the affordability, reliability and performance of these interconnected subsystems is therefore fundamental to realizing the full potential of multi-residential electrification.

Although traditional communication technologies such as Wi-Fi are mature and widely available, their deployment across relatively large or enterprise scale networks including multi-residential buildings, often proves cost prohibitive. Furthermore, Distributed Energy Resource (DER)s, smart meters and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE)s do not necessarily demand the high bandwidth provided by such technologies and can instead benefit from alternative paradigms that offer adequate performance at a lower cost. Narrowband communication technologies emerge as a promising alternative, presenting inherent challenges due to their lossy nature, which necessitates the implementation of efficient error correction mechanisms to maintain reliable operation. In a continuously data driven world, selecting and tuning the appropriate error correction strategy is paramount. Given the resource constrained nature of embedded hardware, these mechanisms must also remain cost effective and computationally efficient to ensure practical deployment.

When properly configured, deployed and supported by robust error correction mechanisms, narrowband communication demonstrates substantial potential to enhance the scalability, reliability and overall practicality of electrification initiatives in multi-residential buildings. This thesis presents a holistic study on the scope of narrowband network resiliency and interoperability, addressing critical gaps in existing Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Network (LoWPAN) implementations regarding robust connectivity and data imputation. By treating network architecture and communication aware data continuity as coupled requirements rather than independent topics, the work advances the current body of knowledge and ensures practical viability. Consequently, it offers an end-to-end evaluation framework tailored for the complex realities of multi-residential smart grid operations.