Characterization of a Reconstructed Low Voltage Grid as Propagation Medium for Narrowband Power Line Communications

This paper empirically characterizes the attenuation and Non-Intentional Emissions (NIEs) of a reconstructed Low Voltage (LV) grid in the frequency band assigned to Narrowband Power Line Communications (NB-PLC). The study evaluates four situations, in which different modern power sources, such as Photovoltaic (PV) panels or Electric Vehicles (EVs), are connected. The results show that high attenuation is measured over the whole frequency band (20-500 kHz) in all situations, with mean values in each PRIME v1.4 frequency channel ranging from 39 dB to 84 dB. In addition, high-amplitude conducted emissions are recorded, especially when a three-phase EV is connected. Since in general the highest emissions are given in channel 1 (42-89 kHz), the results presented in this paper demonstrate that channels 3-8 (151-471 kHz) are more suitable for NB-PLC in terms of the channel characteristics.