A comprehensive assessment of cloud computing for smart grid applications: A multi-perspectives framework

The IT system is one of the key infrastructures in order to add intelligent feature to power grids. Many papers anticipated a rocky road for IT system integration into power system and suggested the cloud computing adoption as a smart grid IT infrastructure to smooth the integration. Though cloud computing could overcome some of these integration challenges, it would bring some of its own. This study intends to give more insight to decision makers or utility companies to make a better decision whether to adopt cloud computing with regards to their needs or not. In the problem statement section is explained why the current approach to define advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing from selective point of views is not enough and might not be accurate, and a comprehensive assessment is required. The proposed multi-perspective framework takes all the criteria that would affect the assessment of cloud computing and put them into organizational, technical, economical, social and political categories. This framework would guide players in smart grid to better define benefits and challenges of cloud computing according to their needs.