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Smart grids play an important role in the development and modernization of the electric power system. Smart grids deal with the integration of information technology and the electric grid. In this context, a communication system is needed to achieve the main goals of smart grids. Interoperability between the systems has become an important issue. To achieve this, the IEC 61850 standard models the electric power system by means of a hierarchical data model based on semantics definitions. Existing and future applications for the electric power system heavily depend on the performance of the communication system. Several factors can affect the performance of the IEC 61850 communications. Previous studies have already analyzed the influence of network related aspects. In this research, some factors related to data and data modeling of IEC 61850 have been identified that influence the performance of the IEC 61850 devices, through the processing time. The study presented in this paper analyzes them and proposes practical recommendations to optimize the performance of the system. The results obtained reveal the importance of a proper use of data sets because their influence over the communications performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is, at present, considerable interest in the storage and dispatchability of photovoltaic (PV) energy, together with the need to manage power flows in real-time. This paper presents a new system, PV-on time, which has been developed to supervise the operating mode of a Grid-Connected Utility-Scale PV Power Plant in order to ensure the reliability and continuity of its supply. This system presents an architecture of acquisition devices, including wireless sensors distributed around the plant, which measure the required information. It is also equipped with a high-precision protocol for synchronizing all data acquisition equipment, something that is necessary for correctly establishing relationships among events in the plant. Moreover, a system for monitoring and supervising all of the distributed devices, as well as for the real-time treatment of all the registered information, is presented. Performances were analyzed in a 400 kW transformation center belonging to a 6.1 MW Utility-Scale PV Power Plant. In addition to monitoring the performance of all of the PV plant's components and detecting any failures or deviations in production, this system enables users to control the power quality of the signal injected and the influence of the installation on the distribution grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]