GIS-Based Optical Backbone Network Design for Smart Grids.

Distribution system operators (DSOs) are currently deploying telecommunications infrastructures so as to enable the efficient operation of smart grids. A basic part of a DSO's telecommunications network covers the interconnection of electrical substations with the central management system. This work describes a geographic information system (GIS)-based tool for the design of a backbone optical network, deployed specifically to support the DSO's telecommunication requirements. The QGIS open-source software was chosen as a highly suitable platform for the development of all necessary geospatial tools, along with the use of efficient heuristic algorithms, for selecting cost-efficient routes that allow all electrical substations to be reachable from the central management system. This topological design of the DSO's telecommunications network is essential for the deployment of intelligent power distribution networks with increased functionalities currently being implemented by the DSOs.