On Performance and Robustness of Internet-Based Smart Grid Communication: A Case Study for Germany

Abstract

Emerging Smart Grid solutions require an out-of-band communication channel to enable services such as advanced metering, demand side management, and virtual power plants. The Internet is able to host these highly distributed communication demands, leading the Smart Grid to become an Internet-dependent critical national infrastructure. In this work, we introduce a nation-centric perspective and methodology to shed light on performance and robustness of Internet-based Smart Grid communication. By presenting a case study for Germany, our contributions are: (a) we apply new methods to identify all stakeholders of the energy sector within a national Internet topology, (b) we analyze vulnerabilities of the corresponding communication (sub-)system as part of the current Internet, and (c) we extend our analysis to include Internet access, networks of consumer households, where most Smart Grid applications will be implemented. Our findings indicate that the energy-related Internet subsystems are up to 2-times more robust to network failures than the national average. Further, Internet connectivity of consumers households achieves availability of >\,99\,% and is therefore suitable for most Smart Grid applications.