Integrated simulation of power and communication networks for smart grid applications

Innovative architectures, control mechanisms and network technologies are being proposed to realize the future smart grid. To assess their impact and effectiveness, simulation is key. Simulation in both areas of communication networks as well as power systems has been widely adopted. However, the coupling of those two worlds calls for tools able to address both. In this paper, we propose an innovative integrated framework that models and simulates both the communication network and power networks. We discuss the design and operation of the simulation environment, and illustrate this by means of a case study that employs it.