Smart Metering
participation of consumers’ in the gas and electricity supply markets respectively. Te electricity Directive sets a timeline of 80 per cent coverage by 2020 and every European household should be equipped with smart meters by 2022.
The integration challenge
Existing energy management infrastructures lacks the flexibility and efficiency that utilities need in order to manage the extent of future change while at the same time keeping control of costs. Before smart meters are installed, utilities must face the challenge of how to integrate them with a wide range of other systems. At present, combining business process management with metering management systems is possible only by using several components. In most cases, the SAP EDM system and AMM systems are separated, or linked together with a one-way interface capable of transferring only a very limited set of basic information. Since components are only loosely linked, each utility business process involves coordination by several operators, often with manual steps and multiple data entries by hand. Due to this one-way nature of communication from the AMM system to the EDM system there is usually no possibility to simply execute commands or requests from the EDM system down to the smart meter.
Te limited number of possibilities and the complexity of existing processes compel utilities to look for more advanced technology. Tey require technology that offers a simpler alternative and two-way communication as well as a wider set of functionalities that result in a more economic means of managing their business process flows. Landis+Gyr and SAP have recognised these
problems and designed the Gridstream MDUS solution which enables the seamless integration of SAP EDM with Landis+Gyr energy management systems. Together, the EDM and AMM systems must deal
with a vast amount of information. In addition to providing two-way communication from SAP EDM to the AMM system, Gridstream MDUS offers utilities a unified data storage centre that combines data from any number of AMM systems. It is this unification of the meter data that makes it possible for SAP EDM to communicate with multiple AMM systems in a common and standardized way. “Te integration of Landis+Gyr’s MDUS with SAP for Utilities will enable our joint customers to effectively integrate smart metering systems with their business process management solutions and significantly increase their return on investment,” said Philip Mason, Gridstream MDUS product manager, Landis+Gyr.
“Te solution was created with the utility and consumer in mind and is designed to simplify and enhance utility processes, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction through accurate billing and efficient customer service. Te MDUS software helps utilities efficiently manage energy data by providing a
Meter Data Management interface for meter readings, meter event data, master data synchronisation, as well as providing the foundation for message and control commands vital for system maintenance and customer helpdesk applications. Te entire system can be controlled by one operator from a single terminal, significantly reducing the time spent on implementing typical customer service tasks.”
Making energy management less complex
Gridsteam MDUS has two key elements: the first provides the system level interfaces to SAP and to the AMM system, while the second performs processing and aggregation of the basic meter reading data. Te software acts as an interoperable messaging interface and MDM system that enables bi-directional communication between SAP IS-U and AMM systems. It provides all functions and interfaces required for meter data collection, synchronization of the ‘master data’, such as serial number, location, and status, associated with new device installation or device replacement, multiple-tariff or time-of-use billing parameters, and for remote device connection and disconnection. Te SAP IS-U user interface initiates these operations, while MDUS performs data collection and processing required to collect and send the information from the AMM system to SAP. To survive in today’s competitive market utilities
must provide a high quality service to their customers. Tis includes clear and accurate bills based on actual energy consumption, competitive tariff offers, and the ability to communicate more directly with customers using either in-home display devices or the Internet. All of these services require accurate and timely energy consumption information and a highly available communications channel. Gridstream MDUS forms the basis for all these services by providing the vital link between the energy measurement device and utilities customer relationship management systems. By optimising energy data management, Gridstreams MDUS allows utilities to build a direct and long- lasting relationship with their customers.
Flexibility and scalability
Data storage and data management are key potential problem areas in any smart metering implementation. In simplified terms, smart-metering data collection can generate approximately 40 000 times more data than current manual data collection methods. For example, let us assume that a residential property has an electromechanical electricity meter, and that the local utility company is able to physically read the meter once a year by sending an employee out to the property to find and then read the meter’s consumption dial. Let us now assume that the same property is equipped with an electronic ‘smart meter’ that is able to communicate directly with the utility company’s central data processing office. Such meters are capable of automatically collecting a meter reading every 15 minutes, all day every day. It is this high granularity
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“As the world moves toward an increasing focus on
renewable
energy, home automation and plug in electrical vehicles, utilities are looking at
how to deploy smarter
technology to interact with these new resources.”
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