Deploying third party services at smart grids end users using broadband links

Smart grids end users, such as houses and factories, already have a broadband link for common web access. We start with the hypothesis that these links can be used to exchange data between the meter/controller, at the user, and a service, at the web, using application protocols (e.g., SPDY and HTTPS). This hypothesis is verified studying the connectivity capabilities/constraints that a third party service may experience in broadband links. A quantitative evaluation was performed, in an emulated IPv6 network, to delimit the throughput, latency and reliability available to smart grids services. The results showed that SPDY and HTTPS can meet typical QoS requirements using a proper architecture (e.g., centralized or distributed), and can drive the development of new web-based energy services. Here, we discuss practical connectivity aspects to deploy such services.