MgSMA: An enhanced SMA for microgrid energy management

Microgrids; the current generation of the distributed electric power systems are studied intensively in several layers as a hopeful solution for satisfy the universal energy lack. One important feature of the microgrids is the integration of reliable and secure data communication platforms to manage, supervise and control the complex areas of the power systems. These communication networks are responsible for routing power system related messages to adopt critical decisions. Several researchers have taken the challenge to lead the microgrid networks reach a level of maturity as that of traditional networks, working on architectures and protocols. We provide in this paper a specification of an applicative protocol (MgSma) based on the open SMA protocol developed by the solar technology corporation and which designated originally to interconnect Sma logger device to a DERs inverter on a master-slave architecture. The MgSma protocol is based on interrogation commands depending on the nature of the slave device; producer, consumer or hybrid unit. This enhanced protocol is designed to support not only SMA inverters but a several kind of slaves integrating principally a network interface and the Mgsma feature.