Elster-Instromet Profiles 2/2011 P r o d u c t s 3UK smart deployment gathers pace – and Elster is in the driving seat As with a number of the EU member states, climate change and decarbonisation have come to the core of the UK’s energy policy, with government passing legislation setting a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 34% by 2020, and proposing a second target reduction of 80% by 2050. Delivering the building blocks to meet this challenge had to start somewhere, and in October 2008 the UK Government Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) mandated the installation of 46 million smart gas and electricity meters, together with a consumer In Home Display “IHD” in every residential property in the UK by 2019. The aim of this smart meter programme is to provide consumers with the tools to understand and reduce their energy usage, and subsequently their carbon footprint, as well as facilitating the infrastructure to deliver a UK “smart grid” supporting, as a minimum, active lead management and generation. While this is no easy task for any country, the competition-based structure of the UK utility sector, and the complexities of existing prepayment billing systems, have necessitated a unique architecture to be deployed. A central Data Communications Company (DCC) will be procured and licensed (and installed by 2014) with competing energy suppliers being responsible for deploying meters which provide interoperable data against defined protocols, supporting a sustainable platform for competition in the future. Elster has played a pivotal role in delivering these requirements, both by supporting the ongoing DECC UK standards workshops and as a founder member of the Smart Specification Working Group (SSWG), where key industry participants Meter data management system (MDMS) In home display LAN/WAN Head end HAN Electricity meter are working together to create interchangeable and interoperable command sets to support smart Home Area Networks (HANs) based on ZigBee's Smart Energy Profile (SEP) and a Wide Area Network (WAN) based on DLMS and ZigBee gateway protocols. General Electric, Germany’s SAP, Trilliant Inc., Itron and Sensus recently joined the alliance formed a year ago by Elster, Secure Meters Ltd. and Landis+Gyr. For short range communication, ZigBee Smart Energy Profile has been selected. Six technologies had been short-listed and evaluated against different weighted criteria. ZigBee Smart Energy scored highest in the evaluation and is a preferred standard in the UK for smart meters and home area networks, allowing over-the-air upgrades of firmware as well as secure Gas meter data communication. In this respect, ZigBee is able to provide customers with the latest improvements and new functionalities. Since data security & privacy is a matter of national security (not only in the UK), this topic has had a major impact on the industry. Elster gas and electricity solutions are able to support the latest mechanisms for data protection and system security. Elster is one of the few organizations that can provide an end-to-end solution from meters, through home area networks and wide area communications, into head ends and meter data management services in the back office. In terms of become increasingly aware of the risk that these meters will be removed and replaced as part of the smart deployment model. Our solution to the UK requirement is scaleable to cover either metering as a component to a defined architecture. At a later date. the last 2 years have shown a dramatic reduction in the volume of demand for these meters as both utilities and metering asset owners. at a time when these resources actually need to be expanded to cope with smart technology – Elster may have the answer. GPRS). but this perspective puts increased pressure on the roll-out by reducing the number of active meter installers required. AS 300P modular smart electricity meter – key benefits • SSWG and ‘DECC response – Mar 11’ compliant • Flexible modular communications (GPRS. gas and other services to more than 10 million customers throughout the UK. Initial smart trials. However. a managed end-to-end capability including head end and MDMS.4 P r o d u c t s Elster-Instromet Profiles 2/2011 security. by connecting and pairing the integral communications module (UMI) when the smart electricity meter and/or WAN communications are installed at the premises. safety-conscious smart valve (an integral remotely operated isolation valve is a mandated requirement for all residential smart gas meters within the UK). thereby operating in traditional credit meter mode. with proprietary technology. In terms of capital investment. the meter can be initialised into its full smart capability in situ. this is a sound decision. An essential part of any security solution is simplicity and integrity. and will deploy the latest additions to Elster’s Smart Meter portfolio: the next generation AS300 electricity meter and the BK-G4E gas meter with its UMI modular communications interface and innovative. have been ongoing for some time. or alternatively. the near completion of UK standards will now see the first deployment of compliant and interoperable smart meters using Smart gas meter – key benefits • Evolution of market-leading BK-G4 open communications standards. commencing late 2011. in-field exchangeable • Optimised for long battery life • Patented smart valve • Full local prepayment to SSWG spec load profile data • Extensive security • Tamper-resistant design • MID. M-Bus) • Menu driven display (3 lines 16 characters) • Firmware download • Smart Grid capability (instrumentation & PQM) • Full local prepayment inline with SSWG definition • Integrated disconnect switch • DLMS protocol • Load profiling – 13 months • Extensive security data • External meter register storage In home displays – range and key benefits • Compliant with DECC response – All support prepayment functionality • AD200 – entry level – Analogue and text displays • AD300 – As AD200 plus colour enhancement – Option for mini plugs – Internet connectivity • AD400 – Full colour graphics – Touch screen – Real time info – Home controls . long range radio. EN 1359 and ATEX compliant Smart-ready – asset protection for the here and now While initial smart deployments in the UK develop between now and 2014 (implementation target for DCC and mass deployment). Scottish and Southern Energy Supply Limited (SSE) has selected Elster as its Smart Metering partner for the first phase of its smart metering deployment to be completed by mid-2012. PLC. M-Bus. ZigBee. Elster has already announced (June 2011) that one of the big six energy retailers. effectively stranding their initial investment. SSE is the UK’s second largest energy supply company. Elster’s solution is based around the following premises. supplying electricity. the industry will still continue to support a requirement for traditional residential credit meters (G4/U6). Elster is at the forefront of data protection techniques and can look at the end-to-end security issues that many other vendors cannot. However. making Elster the ideal choice for UK roll-out: • Technical interoperability and interchangeability • Asset life protection • Security & privacy • Supplier Smart Metering Working Group (SSWG) and Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) response compliant • UMI modular HAN/WAN communications (ZigBee. The modular design used by Elster within our smart portfolio allows our fully compliant smart meters to be installed without a communications module. please contact Elster Stafford (UK) on +44 (0) 1785 275200 or visit www.com Elster’s BK-G4E full smart/smart-ready gas meter with modular integral communications .co. when the communications / electricity meter is installed within a residence • UK smart prospectus and SSWG compliant • Firmware upgradeable once the communications module has been initialised For more information.Elster-Instromet Profiles 2/2011 P r o d u c t s 5 Benefits for a smart-ready solution: • No stranding risk against the initial capital investment. not two) • Supports acceleration of the smart meter programme. only initialised.elstermetering. and development of the installation workforce for mass deployment • Can be upgraded to full smart in-situ. • Reduced installation costs (only installing one gas meter. a smart-ready meter will not be replaced. when a residence is upgraded to full smart.uk Steve Case Matthew Hallchurch Carsten Lorenz carsten.lorenz@elster-instromet.