In modern distribution grids voltage problems are likely to be more common and more significant, due to the high penetration of Distributed Generation (DG) that can vary their in-feed in short times. Coordinating these DGs, either in a centralized or distributed fashion, to maintain voltage at prescribed limits may be one effective solution. However, this coordination system requires a reliable communication infrastructure to operate.
This paper presents the role of a Quality of Service (QoS) enabled Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in supporting the exchange of measurement and control signals between control center and local controllers in a coordinated voltage control scheme. A lab setup, with a simulated real distribution grid and an LTE communication infrastructure that prioritizes the energy traffic, tests the feasibility of this communication solution.