REVIEW PAPER A Comprehensive Assessment of the Need and Availability of Smart Grid Technologies in an Electricity Distribution Grid Network Sudhangshu Sarkar 1 • Ushnik Chakrabarti 1 • Suvamoy Bhattacharyya 1 • Amlan Chakrabarti 1 Received: 30 October 2019 / Accepted: 31 August 2020 Ó The Author(s) 2020 Abstract The electrical distribution grids face major problems such as aggregate technical and commercial losses and integration of distributed energy resources. There are also several operational problems such as inac- curate meter reading, blackouts and outages, huge data compilation, etc. With the availability of automatic metering infrastructure and phasor monitoring units, many of these problems can be addressed. With the rapid pro- gress in power electronic converter technology, the prob- lems in integration of distributed energy resources can be efficiently resolved. However, the necessary prerequisite for getting all these benefits is remote monitoring and control. For effective demand response and price respon- sive demand, transparency and communication with the consumer and consumer—end systems are essential. For interoperability between the devices of various smart grid technologies, the rapid advances in communication tech- nologies on Zig Bee, cellular communication WiMAX, power line communication are being used. In spite of the smart grid communication standards being not in place, the present standards from various bodies are being used. This has given shape to several data analytics applications with crunching of huge data from smart grid network operations. Keywords Distributed energy resources (DER) Á Demand response (DR) Á Price responsive demand Á Pole–top RTUs Á Distribution blackouts Á And synchrophasor technology Introduction A smart grid is a rationalized electrical grid that balances the consumption requirements of the grid by modernization of the following infrastructure: 1. Power generation 2. Transmission and control 3. Distribution and control 4. Consumer or load-point energy management The above infrastructure is characterized by the fol- lowing functionalities: 1. Distributed energy resources(DER) 2. Dynamic communications and control addressing the problem of peak demand 3. Demand response It enables to meet and act on evidence about the behaviors of suppliers and consumers in a computerized manner to advance the efficiency, economics, reliability and sustainability of the generation and distribution of electricity. The purpose of smart grid technology also suggests an essential remodeling of the electrical industry, while distinctive usage of the term is focused on the technical setup. The smart grid is an automated widely distributed energy supply network characterized by a bidirectional flow of electricity and information [1]. It is gifted for monitoring and responding during turbulences in & Sudhangshu Sarkar sarkar.sudhangshu@gmail.com Ushnik Chakrabarti ushnikchakrabarti@gmail.com Suvamoy Bhattacharyya suvamoy.bhattacharyya@gmail.com Amlan Chakrabarti amlanc@hotmail.com 1 Department of Electrical Engineering, Narula Institute of Technology, Kolkata, India 123 J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. B https://doi.org/10.1007/s40031-020-00486-1