MONITORING & METERING
IMPLEMENTATION OF It has been reported that ‘the case for smart metering has never been more compelling than it is now’. Here, Alex Troth of Seaglass Cloud Technology discusses how, while the vast multiples of data brought about by smart meters is a significant challenge for the power retail market, Software as a Service (SaaS) is providing the solution…
HOW SUPPLIERS ARE SUPPORTING THE SMART METERS
T
he Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
recently reported that ‘the case for smart metering has never been more compelling than it is now’. The argument is that while the pandemic has slowed the progress of installing smart meters within domestic and commercial premises in the UK, the reality is that smart meters offer consumers more accurate billing, based on real-time data on what energy is used and when. The knowledge garnered increases transparency and can also help to reduce bills and further energy efficiency. They also facilitate energy suppliers providing more convenient tariffs and products that accommodate varying energy-usage models. The Mandatory Half-Hourly Settlement
(MHHS), coming into force in 2025, means energy providers will need to monitor all energy usage through smart meters. According to BEIS, in March 2021 there was 44% national smart meter coverage in homes and businesses across Great Britain. This progress has been achieved over two to three decades, demonstrating there is still a long way to go in a comparatively very short period.
THE DATA CHALLENGE The key industry challenge in adopting half-hourly settlement is data, and specifically how to manage the vast amounts of data that will be created once the new regime is fully operational. Most legacy systems were designed
to use physical servers and will struggle to cope with storing and processing the amount of data required. GDPR is another important consideration, as businesses require larger teams with more sophisticated expertise to demonstrate that data is secure and is being managed in line with the regulations. Robust data loss strategies are also required to assure regulators that, when servers inevitably go down, there are systems in place to prevent the data from being lost – and the poor customer outcomes that may result. Achieving the required scalability for
any business in the power retail sector will rely on robust planning and having the right systems in place.
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SAAS TO THE RESCUE Thankfully, we’ve had the foresight to be able to create solutions to accommodate mass data. Taking data off servers and onto the Cloud has been key and has opened the door for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) businesses like ourselves – where we are also rooted in energy industry knowledge – to support the power retail market in storing and utilising data in such a way that it becomes an enabling tool, rather than an unwelcome challenge. Cloud-scale services, for example, mean
that companies do not have to maintain redundant server capacity to know that they can always meet their computational needs, and can grow and take on more meters without the worry that they are about to hit a limit. The performance and efficiency of their systems can be maintained throughout by these auto- scaling features, and the SaaS business model can prevent large step-changes in infrastructure costs. Systems can be built to accommodate
GDPR and data loss strategies from the outset to be not only compliant, but also to use the data to communicate with customers about their usage, contracts and billing in a timely and responsive way. Practically speaking, the obscure coding
and data security knowledge now required – including cryptography with reference to smart meters – is well beyond the specific expertise previously required within energy supply businesses. Outsourcing is therefore an efficient way to tackle the data issue. Ultimately, however, above all benefits
of practicality, accuracy, transparency, convenience and fairness, there is an important ideological argument to smart metering at play.
PREDICTING ENERGY USE Predicting energy usage supports the customer, especially when it comes to paying a fair price, and ensures supply meets demand. This will become even more important in the future as we strive to generate an increasing proportion of our electricity from renewable sources (such as wind and solar) that are inherently more erratic in their levels of production. This will require a move towards a ‘smart grid’, where the use of electric vehicle charging
ENERGY MANAGEMENT - Winter 2021
www.energymanagementmag.co.uk “The
Mandatory Half-Hour Settlement (MHHS),
coming into force in 2025, means energy providers will need to monitor all energy use
through smart meters. According to BEIS, in March 2021, there was
44% national smart meter coverage in homes and businesses across Great Britain”
and smart appliances, for example, can react to the changes in generation (and therefore price) and, in turn, customers can benefit from tariffs that facilitate this. But as customers become more engaged
Predicting energy usage supports the customer, especially when it comes to paying a fair price, and ensures supply meets demand, explains Troth
and informed and the demand for renewable energy increases, so must energy providers be ready for the huge task ahead of them in the storage, management and use of data – and making the most of that data to deliver a better, more efficient, service.
Seaglass Cloud Technology
https://seaglasscloud.com
Alex Troth
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