Cosimulation for Smart Grid Communications

Migration from today's power systems to future smart grids is a necessity as the energy demand continues to grow and an increasing amounts of renewable energies need to be accommodated in the grid. One of the key enablers of the smart grid is the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into the grids in order to monitor and control power generation, distribution, and demand. Considering the close interdependence of future smart grids and communication networks, there is a need for numerical simulation to thoroughly understand the impact of the communication networks on the performance of power system dynamics, and vice versa. This paper provides an overview of available simulation techniques for smart grid communications with a focus on cosimulation frameworks and their enabling technologies. A decision tree comparing relative advantages of available cosimulation platforms and providing guidelines on how to select from them for a given application is presented. A case study analyzing agent-based shipboard smart grid protections with VPNET is presented.