Characterizing Low-Data-Rate Power Line Communication Channels

Electric power lines could, in principle, provide a ubiquitous wired communication network linking electrical loads, power meters, and other devices. This communication infrastructure could unlock new sensing and control capabilities, improving the efficiency and reliability of power system operations. In practice, however, power line communication (PLC) is complicated by both known and variable difficulties related to background noise, signal attenuation, and unknown line impedances. This article develops instrumentation that characterizes and verifies line characteristics for PLC applications, especially for demand response and control applications. This instrumentation provides a window to key variables that affect communication on a local power distribution network. With these measurements, limits on PLC communication can be verified before an installation, and a PLC system may also be adaptively tuned to measurements of the current local environment. Field experiments in a challenging microgrid and a 24-floor apartment building demonstrate an appropriately tailored PLC system communicating reliably in locations where conventional PLC fails.