Smart meters at the heart of power sector modernisation

The industry is innovating with localisation, advanced data practices and next-gen communication technologies to accelerate smart meter rollout.

- Anukram Mishra

The energy meter is at the heart of the ongoing digital shift in the power sector. Energy meters with advanced monitoring and communication features have now become smart, and we call them 'smart meters'. By providing real-time consumption data, enabling prepaid models and supporting demand forecasting, smart meters are redefining the consumer-utility relationship. There are challenges in the way of deployment speed, reliable communication, cybersecurity, and inclusion of agricultural consumers. The industry is innovating with localisation, advanced data practices and next-gen communication technologies to accelerate rollout. Consultants in the industry play a prominent advisory role to make smart meters more feasible and applicable. Let us delve into the article with Anukram Mishra to gain insight into the industry.

Emerging innovations or deployment strategies

To know the innovative deployment strategies of smart meters, let us first try to understand the basics of electricity generation, distribution and consumption. Electricity is consumed the moment it is produced, and the demand keeps varying with time. Hence, the challenge is always to control the production of energy in sync with demand at each point in time, and also keep the demand curves as flat as possible. Integration of non-fossil fuel energy (Solar, wind, biomass, hydel, nuclear) is another critical and time-bound goal to meet the commitments made by the government. This is necessary to check the looming threat of global warming and climate change. The equation becomes even more complex with renewable distributed energy resources (DERs), prosumers (energy producers-cum-consumers) and an increasing number of electric vehicles (EVs). Some examples of useful initiatives being taken to store green energy are efficient and effective battery storage, pumped water and green hydrogen.