Joint investment by six distribution system operators in improved reliability and operational savings

Date: 23/05/2018

Increasing numbers of network operators are taking a new approach by turning to the sharing economy, which primarily involves the merging of services. Dala Energi did this, when acting as agent for five other companies – Envikens Energi Elnät, Hedemora Elnät, Sandviken Energi Elnät, Smedjebacken Energi Nät and Malungs Elnät – all of which had chosen to invest in a common multi-tenant solution for reading a total of 81,000 smart electricity meters.

“So far, this joint venture has brought us significant benefits through cooperation, such as being able to exchange experiences, share resources and together implement effective meetings. In the long run, besides the financial benefits, we also expect to make operational savings due to reduced administration costs,” report the contracted companies in a joint statement.

The meters and data collection system are being supplied by Danish company Kamstrup, which has extensive experience in the provision of similar solutions in Norway, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland. “Our focus was on finding a supplier for long-term cooperation, which would be able to deliver a proven, future-proof solution. Kamstrup is a stable company and the solution it offered best suited our needs,” explain the contracting companies.

Important criteria include adaptability and IT reliability
The adaptability and IT reliability of the solution were two important criteria to be examined by the companies when considering the common solution based on well-known, proven standards in the areas of IT and energy measurement. Although the energy companies will be using a common solution, the system ensures that the meter data collected is distributed and separated to ensure that the companies comply with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

“Usability and IT security go hand in hand, and the supplier is responsible for ensuring that the components of the smart metering value chain actually work together, not just today, but also ten years from now. Threat levels can also change quickly, which requires rapid decision-making on the part of the supplier with respect to the smart metering value chain. With our own manufacturing plant and R&D in Denmark, we can incorporate just such synergies into the solution, from end to end,” says Filipe Vasconcelos, Key Account Manager, Kamstrup.

Significant consumer benefits
The focus on security and usability also provides consumers with a number of benefits. “If we are able to rely on our system’s operational reliability, we can devote more time to serving our customers instead of operating the system,” explain the contracting companies.” They continue: “This is a win-win situation where customers receive a new smart meter which not only delivers meter data on an hourly basis but also measures electricity quality and registers real-time power failures. This enables us to notify customers of power failures before they contact us.”

Source: Kamstrup