The UE policies require that 80% of the deployed meters until 2020 to be Smart Meters. But the actual Smart Meters are much expensive, each manufacturer has its own view on how to “smarter” the meters and there is no consensus at horizon. Therefore we support a different approach to solve the smart-meter mess.
Architecture of the existing SMART METER (all in ONE)
Proposed Architecture
Advantages
Multiple business advantages:
- Allows the existing electronic meters NOT LABELED as SMART to be used as billing meters – selected models with simple COM and real-time data readout
- Enables the addition by the Supplier / TELCO / ESCO of Smart Meter eXtension (SMX) to provide many new functionalities and thus to act as an Energy Services Company (ESCO).
Services (a selection):
- Real-time info for Supplier
- Aggregation for active BRP
- Aggregation for VPP services
- Better end-user services (e.g. awareness)
- Other energy services
- Ensuring the DSO or TSO data needs through data communication services.
Functionalities for SMM – Smarter Metrology Meter (Metrology / Fully militarized zone)
- Mono / Poly – phased meter with direct connection (UN = 230 V , IB = 5A, IMAX = 40 or 60 A)
- Accuracy: Class 1 for active energy, class 2 for reactive energy, with LEDs for check
- Measuring energies in both directions: Active: Ep+, Ep-; Reactive: Eq+, Eq-
- Storing measured energies in 15 minutes (max) load profiles (LPs) (for metrology primary source of billing values)
- Measuring real-time data: p(t), q(t), u(t), i(t); measurements should be performed at least each second
- Local display and at least 1 key for interaction
- Infrared interface for local parameterization / local readout
- Internal real-time clock (including time and date), battery operated
- Metrological case, with 3 seals:
- for metrology
- for the case with wire connection
- for SW parameterisation
- Serial interface (RS232 or else) for connection to SMX, protocol DLMS (preferred) or IEC1107.
Such meter functionalities already exist for selected meters on the market!
Characteristics of Smarter Meter eXtension (SMX) version V1.1 built with a Raspberry Pi type B platform
Platform characteristics of SMX
- Raspberry Pi type B (512 MB RAM, equipped with 4 GB SD card)
- OS: Raspbian
- Application package: SIRIUS-SGS-L V1.1 (Sirius Smart Grid Solutions Local), as ECRO SW product running on Java / Linux platforms
- External power supply with 5V/1A source (max. 5W).
Connectivity
- USB-RS232 serial connection with a market existing Smart Metrology Meter, successfully tested with Landis+Gyr ZMG and ZMD meter families
- Ethernet port for communication with internet
- Alternatively, USB connection to GPRS/3G modem.
Meter (SMM) data readout
- Readout of meter billing values: 15 minutes load profiles (LP) of indexes (for further billing activities)
- Readout of other load profiles: 15 minutes load profiles (LP) of u, i (for power quality and maintenance / statistics analysis)
- Readout of meter events (for power quality and maintenance analysis)
- Real-time readout of meter instrumentation values (u, i, p, q, f), each 1 second (for intra-hour real-time services)
- Record of instrumentation values evolution in files, each 1 minute (for archiving).
Local services
- Meter data real-time readout through web-browser interface (SMX acting as a web server)
- Market notified load-profile registration through web-browser interface
- Real-time advice for reducing hourly energy unbalance, by estimating average power consumption for the remaining time frame
- Real-time display of external energy related data, such as: energy price, renewables availability (parametrizable, subject of feed-in from external data sources such as Sirius-SGS).
Internet services
- Web-services (RESTful) communication for providing all real-time data as an IoT (Internet of Things) device
- Web-service for remote readout of the files with the recorded data
- OpenVPN security through appropriate parameterization
- Seamless connection tot EDEN (ECRO AMR for billing support) and SIRIUS-SGS Server (ECRO applications at the higher level for VPP and other Smart Grid applications).
Observation: other platforms and configurations may be used also in future.