Internet of Things Connectivity-based Smart Grids in Morocco: Proof of Concept and Guide to Massive Deployments

摘要

The Smart Grid (SG) is a promising solution solving the energy crisis issues and the mismatch between energy offer and demand. This can be achieved through the integration of reliable, cost-effective and secure data communication networks to manage the complex power systems efficiently. This paper presents an advanced study of the SG platform and its implementation in the Moroccan environment, based on Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. In our study, we have employed LoRa (Long Range) communications, as an emerging technology exploiting the unlicensed frequency bands to provide a long-range coverage to devices connected to the grid. We first described our developed solution, which consists of a robust platform that gives customers and utilities an updated view and control of various grid events (energy and water consumption, temperature and humidity levels,…). Extensive indoor and outdoor experiments have been conducted to assess the performance of our proposed SG solution. The obtained measurements confirmed the effectiveness and the scalability of our designed framework, which is expected to be a fundamental part of a near-future large-scale smart metering deployment in Morocco.