A Review on Privacy Protection Techniques in Smart Grid Applications

Abstract: The extensive use of electricity and the increasing number of consumers challenge matching power consumption with the power generated. Having a traditional way of power generation and distribution, power is also widely fetched through renewable energy sources. So, to have improved efficiency and reliable means of the power source, to be able to integrate multiple sources of power generation like PV Cells, Solar Power, and Wind Power into the existing standards of the power source, precise calculations of the power consumption in the multisource environment, provision to scale up the smart and electric vehicle and most importantly, to reduce the carbon emissions, several attempts have been made to convert the traditional grids into smart grids. A tiny step in the smart grid's development is the smart metering infrastructure, in which smart meters are deployed through the consumer end. Through smart meters, it is possible to establish the link, either through wireless media or wired connections, between the consumer and the grid. Once the smart meters are deployed through the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), the meters remain active round the clock, giving a window to hackers. Through this window, utility bill manipulations, payment transaction information, and other significant data can be accessed by unethical approaches and threaten the consumer's privacy. This review-research paper discusses various methods presented by distinct authors to address the issues related to customer privacy protection in the smart grid.