Physics-Aware Planning of Broadband Powerline Communication in Low Voltage Distribution Grids

The increasing integration of decentral energy consumers and generators requires an appropriate information and communication infrastructure. One key technology to establish secure and low-cost communication links in distribution grids is Broadband Powerline Communication. Although Powerline Communication appears to be an attractive technology for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure, the planning of networks regarding Quality-of-Service is still challenging. In this work, we present a novel planning framework, which incorporates a detailed Physical Layer calculation. Compared to established tools, our framework enables inherently valid end-to-end data rate estimation and produces precise planning results for accurate input data. To evaluate the sensitivities towards the needed physical parametrization, we present a reference implementation accompanied by a case study. Additionally, we introduce a new planning procedure based on Tabu Search and compare it to an established approach based on a Genetic Algorithm.