Development and Current State of Smart Grids: A Review

Abstract

Smart grids are an important component of the modernization of the power industry worldwide. Many researchers have contributed to their development. At this point, reflection on whether smart grids are being used as was expected and where further investigation is necessary to make them more applicable to the future power industry is warranted. The aim of this paper is to introduce the state of research and path of development of smart grids worldwide. In this investigation, the primary objectives of smart grids, from their inception to the present with changes along the way, are also presented. In addition, difficulties and barriers in their development and implementation and whether these issues are being solved are discussed. Finally, the future and accompanying challenges of smart grids are presented. It should be noted that the current state and development of smart grids is a very deep topic, and it is not possible to mention all the relevant points in a single article. The present review paper attempts to address a limited portion of these to provide an essential understanding of smart grids. Regarding the communication base of a smart grid, only smart meters, some developed communication techniques and smart grid models are presented.