Demystifying smart grids - Different concepts and the connection with smart metering

The topic of Smart Grids is widely debated. It seems, however, that in the international arena a broad range of quite different concepts are referred to with this notion. Further, there is much confusion about the relation between Smart Grids and smart metering. This paper aims at structuring the discussion on Smart Grids by distinguishing three fundamentally different Smart Grid concepts and introducing corresponding terminology. These concepts serve different goals, affect different actors in different ways and require different technological solutions. Finally, smart metering is embedded into the developed framework