Towards an internet of energy

The current model of centralized electricity generation, transmission and distribution is under pressure to change for a variety of reasons; environmental concerns are driving a shift away from large coal-fired generation systems to increasing adoption of renewable energy sources, which tend to be distributed and not always available on demand, and hence requiring distributed storage support. Moreover, to support electric vehicles, energy needs to be provided as a service to consumers independent of location, rather than a product delivered and billed to a fixed location. In this work, we compare and contrast modern internet and energy networks and services, identifying key functionalities and the main technical challenges to be faced in transforming the electricity distribution system to a flexible yet reliable and robust platform for the exchange of electrical energy.