How next generation smart meters could deliver new use cases

ESMIG’s ‘Next Generation Smart Metering’ and ‘5G’ task forces have set out an architecture and communication requirements for next generation smart meters.

With the need for more and better information to manage the increasing complexity of the grids, technology developments are opening the way to bring new tools and functionalities to smart grid devices and smart meters in particular as the foundational infrastructure.

Among these is the trend towards greater modularity and miniaturisation, enabling adaption to individual national requirements and for example multi-communication protocols.

The ESMIG task forces’ proposal for a next generation architecture is comprised of three functional elements that can be implemented in separate hardware devices or combined – metrology, which integrates the main pure metering functionalities required for billing, power and energy monitoring as well as real time data provisioning; communication, with communication functionality and security; and home energy management to enable the prosumer as a key market player.

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In some European countries the communication device is integrated in the smart electricity meter but the task force report states that ESMIG members see a trend to implement the communication device/gateway in a separate hardware device, as the communication technology develops much faster than the metrological functionality in the meter and therefore the need for replacement can be quicker than for the meter itself.

The meter should however cover the functionalities expected to be needed in its lifetime. One example is the power limitation function that will be needed more frequently for the management of distribution network congestion.

Another is the provision of near-real-time data to the consumer or party designated by the consumer for processing this data.

Based on this architecture, the task forces have identified five aggregated use cases that can be supported, although not necessarily by default or without additional costs.

These are:
● Supply limitation by the DSO, including limitation of actual power consumption, grid stability via power limitation at the grid connection point and near to power limit notification.
● Monitoring consumption, generation and power quality data, including monitoring the grid connection point, exchange of near real time data, exchange of load curves and real time identification, location and detection of grid faults.
● Local energy management by the consumer, including dynamic tariff and usage management, user information dashboard, monitoring active power consumption, energy monitoring and management, a unified user interface, awareness and notifications, monitoring energy consumption and appliance level real time energy disaggregation and consumption reduction.
● Remote flexibility management by the DSO or ESP, including maximising flexible energy consumption in premises, time of use tariffs, flexibility provision, management of peak load to avoid increases in the electricity invoice, peak shaving via direct control of heat pump, flexibility aggregation of commercial buildings, convenient smart EV charging at commercial buildings, appliance level real time behavioural demand side response and flexibility management for distribution grid support.
● Monitoring communications and security, for early detection of cyber attacks, prevention of connectivity outages and troubleshooting of connectivity outages/issues.

For each of these the task forces’ report also sets out the communication requirements, including the data speed, latency and message frequency, for evaluation of communications technologies.

Jürg Hass, chair of the Task Force 5G and Senior Product Manager at Landis+Gyr, comments on the work: “The main motivation to create the ‘Next Generation Smart Metering’ report was to identify new smart metering use cases for the next decade, and the impact on the communication infrastructure.”

The intention is to propose the report, Next Generation Smart Metering, as an input for further discussions about forthcoming smart meters solutions to answer to European energy efficiency programmes.