Swift population growth and rising demand for energy in the 21st century have resulted in considerable efforts to make the electrical grid more intelligent and responsive to accommodate consumers’ needs better while enhancing the reliability and efficiency of modern power systems. Internet of Things (IoT) has appeared as one of the enabling technologies for smart energy grids by delivering abundant cutting-edge solutions in various domains, including critical infrastructures. As IoT-enabled devices continue to flourish, one of the major challenges is security issues, since IoT devices are connected through the Internet, thus making the smart grids vulnerable to a diverse range of cyberattacks. Given the possible cascading consequences of shutting down a power system, a cyberattack on a smart grid would have disastrous implications for the stability of all grid-connected infrastructures. Most of the gadgets in our homes, workplaces, hospitals, and on trains require electricity to run. Therefore, the entire grid is subject to cyberattacks when a single device is hacked. Such attacks on power supplies may bring entire cities to a standstill, resulting in massive economic losses. As a result, security is an important element to address before the large-scale deployment of IoT-based devices in energy systems. In this report, first, we review the architecture and infrastructure of IoT-enabled smart grids; then, we focus on major challenges and security issues regarding their implementation. Lastly, as the main outcome of this study, we highlight the advanced solutions and technologies that can help IoT-enabled smart grids be more resilient and secure in overcoming existing cyber and physical attacks. In this regard, in the future, the broad implementation of cutting-edge secure and data transmission systems based on blockchain techniques is necessary to safeguard the entire electrical grid against cyber-physical adversaries.

Smart grid integrates computer, communication, and sensing technologies into existing power grid networks to achieve significant informatization-related advantages. It will provide communication between neighbors, localized management, bidirectional power transfer, and effective demand response. Smart grids (SG) replace conventional grids by integrating various operational measures, including smart automation appliances, smart meters, and renewable energy sources. Regarding energy management and resolving energy issues, SG is one of the most cutting-edge and potentially game-changing innovations. Even still, its complexity suggests that decentralization may provide significant gains. Because of its increasing digitization and interconnectedness, it is also vulnerable to cyber threats. Blockchain, in this sense, is a potential SG paradigm solution that provides several great benefits. Even though blockchains have been widely discussed to decentralize and strengthen smart grid cybersecurity, they have not yet been researched in depth from an application and architectural standpoint. Blockchain-enabled SG applications are the subject of an in-depth research investigation. Electric vehicles (EVs), home automation, energy management systems, etc., are only a few of the many examples that have prompted the proposal of blockchain designs for their respective use cases. Information communication network security is of paramount importance. However, this evolving system raises cybersecurity issues. This paper aims to guide researchers in the right manner so they may build blockchain-based, secure, distributed SG applications in the future. This article also summarizes cybersecurity threats pertaining to smart grids. It starts with a description of a blockchain followed by the blockchain infrastructure, challenges, and solutions for different smart grid applications. A look back at the tried-and-true methods of securing a power grid is offered, and then it discusses the newer and more complex cybersecurity threats to the smart grid. In addition, models of common cyberattacks are presented, and the methods of defense against them are examined.

Along with the sustained growth of photovoltaic (PV) penetration, the PV generation is expected to be more active in DC microgrids rather than maximum power generation. The droop control methods are generally adopted to achieve power regulation at steady-state and passive power-sharing at transient state. However, the traditional V –I droop based control methods can not realize voltage dispatch orders and require mode switching to prevent overload problem which increases control complexity and deteriorate the performance. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel dispatchable droop control method. The proposed method utilizes a two-layer hierarchical control structure. The primary layer is V – dp/dv droop control to achieve passive power-sharing at a smaller time scale. The secondary layer realizes power or voltage regulation based on the dispatch orders at a larger time scale. Moreover, with the dp/dv as the control variable, the proposed method realizes seamless mode switching and has the ability to roughly indicate the power margin of PVs, which is critical for dispatching PVs. Several case scenarios are conducted in hardware-in-loop tests to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy on DC microgrids.