Experimental Investigations of Electrical Influences on Power Line Communication Performance in Distribution Grid Applications

Powerline communication (PLC) offers the chance for distribution grid operators to use the existing energy cable grid simultaneously as an infrastructure for communication purpose. In this paper practical examinations under realistic conditions are performed in the distribution grid laboratory of the Center for Grid Integration and Storage Technologies of RWTH Aachen University. Measurements with different photovoltaic (PV) inverters demonstrate the robustness of state of the art G3-PLC modems against additional attenuation and emission of noise of PV inverters in operation. Furthermore the adaptive reconnection ability of these modems is pointed out for smart grid application.