Investigation for a Secure and Cost-efficient Connection of Substations to the Public Network

Inhalt:
In this paper it is investigated whether it is possible to enable secure and restricted remote access to substations of energy supply companies designed after IEC 61850 for maintenance purposes over the public communication network. For this purpose, Smart Meter Gateways (SMGW) are taken into account. These trusted devices are already today widely distributed, well known and used for metering in private households. Therefore, the technical aspects of the norms IEC 61850 (automation of substations) and TR 03109 (technical guideline for SMGW) will be examined on their compatibility. This paper demonstrates that it is possible to use a SMGW to connect a substation securely with the public communication network in theory. Currently there are still restrictions and limitations that can’t be clarified beyond any doubt on a merely theoretical consideration and need to be analyzed by practical investigations.