Siemens makes smart metering work in multi-occupancy properties

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has said1 that ‘the roll-out of smart meters is a complex programme with significant risk. The potential consequences of a poorly conceived or overly rushed roll-out include cost escalation, poor functionality and rejection by consumers’. 

 

The organisation also noted in the same document, the potential technical difficulties in commissioning smart meters in multi- occupancy residential buildings. 

 

Smart metering should be especially useful for multi-occupancy properties, which often require repeat visits because of the number of people being out when the meter reader calls. 

 

Yet, early results of trials have shown that high-rise buildings, especially those with communal (typically basement or ground floor) metering positions, will present challenges in terms both of signal penetration and communication with in-home displays. 

 

It has been estimated that, because of this, over 2.3 million households are at risk of missing out on the energy and cost benefits offered by the UK’s smart metering programme, simply because they live in difficult buildings such as multiple dwelling units (MDUs).

 

The result, says the IET, is that vulnerable and fuel-poor consumers could be disadvantaged if delays in enabling smart meters in such buildings precluded the possibility of those consumers taking early advantage of new time-of-use tariffs.

 

 

So why is the installation of smart meters into high-rise blocks of flats and multi-occupancy buildings so problematic?

 

It is because often the meters are not located in the apartment but are instead based in communal areas or basements. This makes it far more difficult to connect these electricity and gas smart meters to in-home displays.

 

The physical distance between the meters and the apartment is not the only problem. The distance between the meters themselves, hard to reach locations and the fabric of the buildings can all compromise the effectiveness of the connection between all the devices.

 

 Extensive field research carried out by Siemens shows that in a significant number of properties, there is not enough physical space in the meter room to install a communications hub.

 

 

Siemens believes that it has the answer and has developed a turnkey solution for multi-dwelling properties to effectively link electricity and gas smart meters with in-home displays.

 

It uses a broadband over powerline (BPL) backbone integrated with ZigBee radio technology. BPL is the preferred technology, because it uses higher frequencies, a wider frequency range and different technologies from other forms of power-line communications. It therefore provides high-rate communication over longer distances and greater bandwidth connectivity to meters in difficult positions, whilst importantly still using the existing wiring in buildings. 

 

ZigBee connectivity ensures that standard smart metering assets can be installed in MDUs, simplifying the process and supply chain. 

 

The Wide Area Network (WAN) gateway may then be positioned where the best signal can be received.

 

Siemens’ solution is based on a shared infrastructure principle, where a building is made ‘smart ready’ and all retailers gain the benefit of the common home area network (HAN). This provides the most cost effective service solution, the company says, and also affects consumers and landlords the least. 

 

Although technology plays a key part in our solution, it does not cover the entirety of it. There is also a need to: 

 

The Siemens’ MDU Solution offers end-to-end management across all aspects of the project and its ongoing operation, which will provide absolute clarity for its customers. 

 

This approach, claims Siemens, allows it to quickly implement a high- availability, high-bandwidth, low latency solution that reads 100% of meters in near real-time. 

 

 

Contact Siemens using http://w3.siemens.co.uk/smartgrid/uk/en/Services/mcs/Pages/Contact.aspx to see how the company can assist in overcoming the high-rise challenge.