Smart grid is an intelligent power network that combines various technologies in power, communication, and control, which can monitor and optimize the operations of all functional units from electricity eneration to end-customers. It is featured by its two-way flows of electricity and information , Smart Grid Neighborhood Area Networks: A Survey based on which an optimized energy delivery network can be constructed. By introducing distributed control and pervasive communications into the grid, real-time information can be delivered and exchanged amongst all domains . Customers can optimize their electricity usage for minimizing utility costs, and the control Smart Grid Neighborhood Area Networks: A Survey centers can make real-time power pricing and many other decisions according to energy demands . Thus, a balance of power generation and demands in the entire grid can be achieved to significantly improve power quality and efficiency. Needless to say, many intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), such as intelligent sensors and smart meters , can be used to support various network functions throughout power generation, storage, transmission, and distribution domains. Smart grid NAN is deployed within the Smart Grid Neighborhood Area Networks: A Survey distribution domain of the grid, i.e., it forms the communication facility of a power distribution system. The distribution domain dispatches power to households in the customer domain through the electrical and communication architectures between the transmission and customer domains. Smart grid NANs offer distribution domain with the capability of monitoring and controlling electricity delivery to each household according to user demands and energy availability. Smart Grid Neighborhood Area Networks: A Survey NANs directly connect all the end users in regional areas, forming the most important segment in power grid that can determine the efficiency of the whole grid. As one of the core technologies, an efficient, reliable, and secure communication network plays an important role in realization of all the goals of smart grid NANs . Communication network is required to connect IEDs and other power devices in large distributed areas, and it forms a framework for real-time bidirectional information transmission and exchange in smart grid NANs. Smart Grid Neighborhood Area Networks: A Survey The communication networks in the current power grids were built regionally for control and monitoring, and it can not meet the requirements of the next generation power grids. In order to upgrade the communication networks in the current power grid, many researchers started to find out the ways to apply advanced communication and networking technologies to power systems. These technologies include the up-to-date wired and wireless communication Smart Grid Neighborhood Area Networks: A Survey network technologies, such as broadband power line communications (BPLC), wireless sensor networks (WSNs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), and wireless mesh networks (WMNs). Different communication and networking
technologies are complementary in nature, and communication scenarios and characteristics of NANs in a power grid should be investigated.