Information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure supporting smart local energy systems: A review

Smart local energy systems (SLES) have been reported in the past decade, which are associated with diverse energy carriers, components and objectives. This paper provides a comprehensive review of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure of SLES. A systematic survey of existing research work and industrial projects was provided to highlight, categorise and analyse the ICT infrastructure, which lays the foundation for the successful functioning of SLES. First of all, various SLES measurements are described and categorised based on the energy carriers and technologies. Then, communications infrastructure for SLES is described with communications technologies summarised. Moreover, the ICT infrastructures for SLES are categorised and summarised based on their objectives and technologies. Finally, the challenges and recommendations are presented. The findings from this paper are intended to serve as a convenient reference for developing future SLES.