Satellite Imagery-Assisted Link-Budget Analysis Algorithm for Smart Grid Wireless Backhaul Network Planning

Electricity companies are accelerating the process of implementing smart grids. Two main components of the smart grid architecture are the communication networks for Distribution Automation (DA) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), responsible for communicating with the smart meters installed at the user's premises. This work focuses on planning the wireless backhaul network that supports communication networks for DA and AMI. Backhaul networking involves deploying wireless communication devices to establish wireless links for interconnecting routers, gateways, and automation equipment. Planning these wireless links can be quite challenging due to the geographical diversity of deployment environments, inaccuracies in propagation models in heterogeneous areas (rural, suburban, and urban), and the necessity for detailed databases of soil relief and coverage, which are generally paid and high cost. This paper introduces a satellite imagery-assisted algorithm designed to facilitate efficient link budget analysis for wireless links in smart grid backhaul network planning. The satellite-assisted method classifies the terrain and makes it possible to aggregate loss information from various types of obstructions, such as trees, buildings, and the elevation of the terrain itself. The method uses information from open terrain databases for predictions. The algorithm's performance was validated using real link measurements from a smart grid wireless backhaul network.