MONITORING & METERING Remi Demerle, director,


developer Ecosystem, WSP LoRa Alliance and Community at Semtech, examines why monitoring is the key to


recognising energy consumption patterns and looks into why LPWAN (low-power wide area network) is an ideal connectivity technology


UTILITIES RAISE THEIR GAME WITH SMART MONITORING


A


s the world increasingly buys into the green message, waste is becoming a dirty word. No


one knows this more than today’s utilities, which are on the front line of cutting energy wastage, reining in pollution, stopping water leaks and ensuring their customers get accurate bills. To achieve these aims, municipalities and utilities


providers are building networks of connected smart monitors that give a real time view of consumption and flow rates. Reliable, easy to access data on water and gas volumes and flow rates, is essential to optimising the cost of energy used for pumping water, achieving better dosing in the water treatment process, or planning capacity based on patterns of electricity consumption. The key to accessing this data is to get the right


type of connectivity. With distribution networks often having facilities in remote or inaccessible places, conventional wire-based systems are not always practical or cost-effective. The difficulty and expense of accessing remote sites means that maintenance also needs to be kept to a minimum. LPWAN (low-power wide area network) is an


ideal connectivity technology for utilities because it combines extremely long range, measured in kilometers, with deep underground and indoor penetration. It can also offer very long battery lifetimes of up to two decades, making maintenance less of a burden. The technology plays a big role in ensuring the


successful use of renewable sources of electricity. It can be used to integrate renewable energy management systems with storage facilities. With data on the performance of resources such as solar photovoltaic systems, fuel cells and wind turbines as well as demand, renewables can be managed much more efficiently and contribute to reducing carbon production.


WIDE COMPATIBILITY Suitable for all utilities including gas, electricity and water, LPWANs such as the LoRaWAN open standard are flexible and simple enough to adapt easily and ensures utilities have the connectivity they need to supply customers efficiently and


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make a success of their businesses. The technology is widely compatible with other


data standards, making LoRaWAN a secure, carrier-grade IoT connectivity protocol for utilities. For example, DLMS (Device Language Message


Specification) is an ISO/IEC-recognised standard for smart electricity metering that is widely used in the world of utilities. DLMS is specified by the DLMS User Association, an international and nonprofit organisation, which has mandate from IEC to specify, maintain and propose unique certification. This encourages utilities and meter manufacturers to develop and support the same interoperability of meters independently of the communication media. LoRaWAN can support M-bus data messages, a


European standard specified by CEN and the OMS association for the transport of metering data over a communication bus. It is most often used in Europe for reading energy consumption on water, gas and heat meters.


FRESH IDEAS FOR WATER MANAGEMENT In addition to smart metering, LPWAN connected devices are helping lead the fight against water that is unaccounted for. For example, typically over 25% of the clean water produced by utilities is lost for various causes including leaks, inaccuracy, misuse and inefficiency. LPWAN connected devices can also report on


water quality and pollutants to protect water courses and fish farms. Use cases include helping utilities measure water quality parameters in reservoirs and other sources, such as conductivity, temperature, chlorine content and dissolved oxygen. It also offers the potential for utilities to expand their business with IoT applications for Smart Cities and communities. By enabling easy connectivity of smart IoT devices to a network, allowing data to be readily converted into insights


Remi Demerle


and thus actionable decisions, LPWAN can help utilities cut costs, improve safety, reduce waste and improve customer satisfaction.


CITYWIDE WIRELESS DATA One city set to benefit from such a network is Frankfurt am Main. Based in the city, Mainova AG is the region’s largest energy supplier, supplying over a million people with electricity, gas, heat and water. In partnership with the city, Mainova is building a citywide wireless data network based on LoRaWAN. As well as being used to read meters for energy and water supply, or monitor district heating, the network could find use in managing vehicle parking, irrigation of green spaces, and monitoring buildings. In the future, Mainova will be able to integrate


smart solutions with other partners and sell them new services based on the LPWAN infrastructure, bringing immense benefits to citizens who live and work in the city. Similarly, primary schools in Otterberg, Otterbach


and Katzweiler have had their electricity, heat and water consumption meters equipped with LoRaWAN sensors. Linked to the Pfalzwerke data platform, unusual consumption patterns that might indicate a leak or a light left on in a classroom are flagged up for the municipality by email, saving huge potential costs. With utilities at the forefront of providing people


with vital, energy intensive services, they are also in pole position to help save resources and keep waste and pollution to a minimum. LPWAN devices are a big piece of the green puzzle – putting devices together with networks will help utilities save resources, deliver more value for customers and be a major facilitator of the smart cities that can improve all our lives.


Semtech www.semtech.com


ENERGY MANAGEMENT - Spring 2022 25


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