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have already been installed for commercial and industrial users in most EU Member States, but smart meter penetration in private households is fairly low. Deployments are often based on proprietary technologies and, at up to €250 per installation, cost remains a major hurdle. Tis was one of the conclusions reached by SAP in a report presented to the European Energy Commissioner in January 2011. Te report also found that the cost for the smart meter device is around €100, although SAP believes this could be reduced through economies of scale.
Tarrif information Changes in the energy mix are making commercial realisation of smart grids more pressing. Te adoption of renewables to meet environmental targets makes balancing supply and demand difficult for utilities, because renewable energy sources provide intermittent power generation. At the same time, demand side management requires tools enabling consumers to better monitor and manage their energy consumption. Te provision of tariff information based on time for example, will support ‘peak shaving’ schemes, whereby
T
the consumer is able to purchase power from the utility when tariffs are low, while giving them the ability to turn-off appliances. Some of the more optimistic smart grid proponents also believe consumers will be able to generate their own power when tariffs are high. Yet early efforts by utilities to gain customer acceptance of smart meters have met with limited success. A recent study by Ovum warns that unless utilities do a better job of educating consumers about the long-term benefits of smart meters, it’s likely they will fall back on old power consumption habits and entire grid projects could ultimately fail. Another problem will be who pays for the rollout of smart meters, with the solution varying according to whether it is a liberalised or regulated market.
Market liberalisation One of the fundamentals of the deregulation of electricity markets in Europe and worldwide has been the separation of transmission and distribution from generation and sales of electricity. Tis is a cornerstone for the development of a competitive market which, in respect of accepted commercial models, should
he UK’s National Skills Academy for Power has launched a sector wide Competency Accord which promotes collaborative working amongst sector employers to address the competency and skills requirements needed to ‘future proof’ the sector. The Competency Accord was signed by industry figureheads, including those from the National Grid, Scottish Power and E.ON, at the Skills Academy’s first annual conference – Many Skills: One Vision.
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www.engineerlive.com
‘Future-proofing’ skills in the UK power sector The Competency Accord enables the
development of a cross sector competency framework capable of maintaining and enhancing standards, introducing efficiencies and facilitating the transferability and mobility of staff across the sector Underpinning the Accord is recognition amongst signatories that in order for the sector to be sustainable, there is a need for employers to collaborate on the skills agenda and work together to find common
solutions for the benefit of the sector as a whole. The Skills Academy will oversee all activity regarding the scheme. Steve Davies, CEO of the Skills Academy,
comments: “ Building a first-class skilled, sustainable and flexible workforce over the next twenty-five years is critical to the UK’s competitiveness at a global level. “ ●
For more information, visit
www.power.nsacademy.co.uk
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