For most people, there is no connection between power networks and communications networks, except that the first are needed by the second to operate. With the advent of new two-way meters on the one hand, and of more distributed and more dynamic power sources on the other, the reality is that the power distribution will only deliver if communications networks are there and operate flawlessly.

The core of this neat and very important volume is at the interplay between power networks and communications networks, emphasizing in particular enhancements in wireless communications networks to enable their controlling role for power supply, distribution, pricing, and reconfiguration. According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) P2030 standard (2011), the smart grid is “an automated, widely distributed energy delivery network characterized by a two-way flow of electricity and information, capable of monitoring and responding to changes in everything from power plants to customer preferences to individual appliances.” This book is mostly about wireless communications for the smart grid, providing the proper mix of overview, requirements, some solutions, and simulations.

After an introductory chapter 1, chapter 2 analyzes the geographical and power functional communications network categories from an architectural point of view, with performance requirements (data rates, latency, quality of service). It summarizes IEEE and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, although unfortunately skips over specific standards from elsewhere (the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the GSM Association (GSMA), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and dedicated projects or fora).

Relevant wireless communications technologies are discussed in chapter 3. However, there is too little on the cellular 4G/long-term evolution (LTE) functionalities and characteristics, and no account for the future role of legacy copper networks in smart grids.

Interesting adaptations of geographical routing to location-based hop-by-hop forwarding are proposed in chapter 4 for neighbor area networks (NANs) in smart grids. For the same field of use, adaptations are offered, that is, the RPL protocol, to self-organizing routing, with objective functions representing the costs to reach a root node. Proactive parent switching for RPL is proposed to address network element failures, for example, power meters or wireless links. These algorithms are simulated for performance evaluation in chapter 5, assuming a simple wireless channel model, for 100 byte application packet payloads, for various levels of shadowing in the wireless channel, and for two scenarios (one with node failures).

Open issues and areas of concern are touched upon in a survey style in chapter 6, from cyber security to machine-to-machine communications and smart cities with new electrical transport modalities. It is obvious that some discussions could have been longer, for example, the implications for energy savings, but it is clear that focus in this case pays off in relevance.

There is an extensive list of acronyms but no index, which is fortunately offset by a detailed table of contents.

The authors have tackled this stimulating field in a concrete and constructive way, making the book useful to researchers, practitioners, and teachers. It fills a gap in the literature at a time when industry needs engineers and specialists precisely in this area.