Introduction
Smart power distribution demands more from wireless transmission than consumer applications: predictable latency, high reliability, long lifecycle, and resistance to harsh electrical environments. This article enumerates the key requirements and explains their engineering rationale.
Range
A typical building has distribution rooms spread across 50–150 m. Wireless must cover at least one electrical room with a single gateway, ideally more. Target range: 100 m non-line-of-sight, 200 m line-of-sight.
Latency
For energy monitoring, end-to-end latency from meter to dashboard of 5 seconds is acceptable. For power quality monitoring, 1 second is desirable. Wireless technologies must be evaluated against both.
Reliability
Packet success rate target: 99.5% minimum for billing-grade metering, 99.9% for power-quality applications. This is achievable with Industrial Bluetooth Mesh in well-designed deployments.
Security
Smart power distribution data is sensitive (tenant sub-billing, operational telemetry). Wireless must provide link-layer encryption (AES-128), authentication, and protection against replay and impersonation attacks.
Coexistence
Indoor wireless must coexist with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth audio, ZigBee, Thread, and proprietary systems. The chosen technology must demonstrate acceptable performance in the presence of all of these.
Lifecycle
Industrial products are expected to operate for 10+ years without replacement. Wireless modules must be specified for the full lifecycle and be available in stable form for the duration.
Conclusion
Smart power distribution places demanding requirements on wireless transmission. Industrial Bluetooth, properly specified and deployed, meets all of them — which is why it has become the preferred choice for in-building distribution metering.