The Smart Metering Programme (SMP), supervised by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), is making strides during the ongoing lockdown. The programme has been noted for helping electricity discoms attain 95% billing efficiency. The use of smart meters under this initiative has resulted in a 15-20% monthly revenue increase per customer for the participating discoms. As a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, EESL is responsible for the execution of this transformative scheme across the country.
Smart Meter National Programme: Towards Better Efficiency
The central aim of the Smart Meter National Programme is to facilitate the installation of smart meters across India. Since the project’s inception, a total of 1,206,435 smart meters have been set up to help consumers monitor their power usage better and make energy consumption more rational. These advanced devices can collect data about energy, water, and gas usage at different intervals and transmit this information via fixed communication networks to the utility provider as well as to the user.
Innovation: Transforming India’s Energy Mix
With predictions suggesting a 79% growth in electricity demand over the next decade, India is proactively innovating its energy mix. Along with boosting energy production, the plan also includes a commitment to lower Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses to less than 12% by 2022 and under 10% by 2027. With the help of smart meters, human intervention in metering, billing, and collection can be minimized. This promotes efficiency and aids in identifying pockets of energy loss or theft.
Smart Meters and the Smart Grid
Smart meters constitute an integral component of the smart grid, which includes the creation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). AMI essentially signifies a complete system, from smart meters to a two-way communication network, that enables real-time transfer of energy usage details.
Operational and Customer Benefits
On the operational front, smart meters encourage energy conservation, enhance data-entry accuracy, improve billing efficiencies, and trim down the expenses incurred on manual meter reading. For customers, these new-age meters render better complaint management, system reliability, transparency, and stability. The built-in Time of Day (ToD) tariff feature also allows users to reschedule their electricity usage during off-peak hours, resulting in significant savings on their bills.
Challenges in Smart Meter Implementation
Despite its multiple benefits, full-scale smart meter deployment comes with its set of challenges. High capital costs, pertaining to hardware and software components, network infrastructure, and management software, are a major concern. There’s also a need for standardization to establish uniform technology, deployment, and operational guidelines. The complex integration with utilities’ IT systems adds another layer of complexity. Lastly, concerns have also been raised about radiation release owing to the ‘communication’ function between the consumer and the smart meter.
