Smart grid futures: Perspectives on the integration of energy and ICT services

The entire electricity infrastructure and associated socio-technical system including transmission and distribution networks, the system operator, suppliers, generators, consumers and market mechanisms will need to evolve to realize the full potential of smart-grids. At the heart of this evolution is the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) and energy infrastructures for increasingly decentralized development, monitoring and management of a resilient grid. This paper identifies the challenges of integration and four key areas of future research and development at the intersection of energy and ICT: standards-based interoperability, reliability and security, decentralized and self-organizing grid architecture, and innovative business models to unlock the potential of the energy value chain. The ideas postulated here are envisaged to act as a starting-point for future R&D direction