At a recent Power Line conference on “Metering in India”, metering experts from various power utilities shared their experience in the implementation of smart metering projects, and discussed the key use cases of smart metering for utilities, the biggest issues and challenges faced, and the choice of communication technology for their smart metering projects. Edited excerpts…
Sumit Chaudhury
West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (WBSEDCL) has approximately 0.25 million smart meters at the initial stages of installation. Almost 40 per cent of its smart meters have been deployed so far. Several issues are being faced with the installation of smart meters. The discom is working towards addressing them to make the entire process smooth and trouble-free. We also have an ongoing geographic information system project in West Bengal, and efforts are being made to migrate some of the old data into the new system.
One of the immediate benefits of smart metering projects is making physical collection of readings redundant, thus enabling a reduction in manpower. Even now, WBSEDCL has a spot billing system running in West Bengal, whereby a meter reader enters the meter reading data manually, which risks human error.
Consumer education is undoubtedly paramount, especially since WBSEDCL has not yet rolled out prepaid meters in West Bengal. WBSEDCL anticipates stiff resistance from the public as well as various sectors, groups and organisations. However, with the support of the media, pamphlets and advertisements, WBSEDCL will overcome this challenge. Despite its efforts, however, the threat of potential litigation could deter the process of adopting prepaid smart meters. Transitioning from post-paid to prepaid will undoubtedly be challenging for WBSEDCL, but it will be necessary if regulations require it.
With regard to communication technology, WBSEDCL’s first project is GPRS-based. Smart meters are not a new concept for WBSEDCL. For over 10 years now, all bulk consumers and consumers with Current Transformer and Potential Transformer-operated systems have had modems connected to their meters. WBSEDCL has a meter data acquisition internal network service, where a meter’s serial number can be used to log in to a specific consumer account to retrieve relevant data. Although WBSEDCL has had this system for a decade, efforts are being made to migrate to smart meters due to the increasing number of defective modems and the expiration of the annual maintenance contract. Additionally, a radio frequency (RF) mesh-based smart pilot project was successfully implemented in Siliguri, North Bengal, a long time. There is a growing uptake of smart meters in the country, and WBSEDCL is also gradually adapting the technology. Currently, its system is GPRS-based, but in the second phase, under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, WBSEDCL plans to implement an RF mesh network for 3.7 million meters.
Sandeep Dhamija
The use cases of smart metering are not bound to be the same in every area. In Delhi, work has been progressing on some use cases that will help in improving the reliability of supply. With more data coming in from smart meters, accuracy can be increased, leading to better power management. Additionally, areas such as Delhi present strong scenarios for real-time pricing. In other areas, such as Odisha, the primary use case is loss reduction. Since we are not getting a grant under the RDSS, our approach is to first install smart meters for higher-revenue consumers and then expand further. In areas such as Mumbai, since they already have low technical losses and high network reliability, smart meters represent a technology upgrade. TP power has started the implementation of smart metering in Chhattisgarh, where Tata Power is handling this project.
Even if a small number of smart meters is installed, it will significantly help in reducing the meter failure rate, which is one of the big problems for discoms. There are many places where, for as long as five to six months, meters are not being changed due to unavailability of inventory and various other reasons. Hence, installation of smart meters will help improve prediction of possible meter failure, and reduce the meter failure rate. Further, the analytical features of smart meters bring different benefits, such as energy auditing and auto-indexing. Correct indexing can help identify pockets with leakage and assist in preparing the right strategy for loss reduction.
One of the most crucial factors for the success of a smart metering project is change management, which includes employee training, and raising consumer awareness by engaging with resident welfare associations (RWAs) and industry welfare associations. In Chhattisgarh, TP Power Plus, in collaboration with the state discom, is planning various initiatives to increase consumer knowledge of smart meters. These include advertisements on local TV channels and in newspapers. As part of the implementation strategy, TP Power Plus is categorising areas into high-,
middle- and low-revenue segments, to ensure an effective change management strategy. There have also been discussions about retaining existing meters while installing new smart meters in parallel. This approach is intended to boost consumer confidence by demonstrating that smart meters will not increase consumption and will offer additional benefits. These initiatives will help achieve better change management during large-scale deployments. Recently, there was an incident where around 200,000 consumers were disconnected simultaneously, and there was significant delay in reconnection. Recognising such issues, TP Power Plus and other utilities are implementing measures to prevent them.
With regard to communication technology, for Chhattisgarh, TP Power Plus has chosen NB-IOT technology due to the specific tender conditions imposed by the state. One key condition required the discom to upgrade from 4G to 5G technology at its own expense in the future. Therefore, installing 4G involved a significant reinvestment risk. While RF mesh requires upfront capital expenditure, this is not the case for cellular technology. Additionally, RF mesh cannot provide complete coverage of the area. Due to these factors and the complexities of managing different technologies, TP Power Plus decided to adopt NB-IOT, specifically NB2, which offers two to three times faster speeds than NB1.
Rishi Goyal
BSES Rajdhani Power Limited took over Delhi operations in 2002 and has had a transformational journey since then. When it took over, losses were at an excessive 51 per cent. Today, they have been reduced to approximately 7 per cent. Since 2005-06, we have not required manual intervention. We have also developed in-house analytics software and several algorithms, which have not only facilitated a reduction in thefts, but have also helped in planning network augmentation as and when required. We have 100 per cent billing for all consumers through electronic methods, supporting several payment mechanisms. Additionally, there have been efforts towards automation, digitalisation and capability enhancement for future network planning and power procurement.
For BSES, one of the major concerns has been the resistance faced by its personnel during disconnections. Hence, during pilot projects, installing smart meters for habitual offenders and being able to remotely disconnect these meters has been extremely beneficial. The safety of BSES’s field personnel has seen a big improvement. Real-time alerts for tampering and theft have helped BSES’s enforcement teams to immediately get hold of the culprits. However, once a meter fails, we don’t become aware of it until a meter reader visits with a handle device to actually read the meter. This is another area we have started looking at. Last, but not the least, time-of-day metering will help the entire country, not just Delhi, if we are able to implement 100 per cent smart metering at the consumer level.
Consumers are the key and most critical component of the entire industry. BSES engages with political entities and RWAs to interface with consumers. We conduct small demonstrations to show how smart meters work, how our mobile app functions, how consumers can pay bills and the available payment mechanisms. Additionally, BSES is focused on upskilling its workforce, and their utilisation in various other areas. Moreover, the success of smart metering depends on the benefits availed by customers, not just the discom. A collaborative effort between the customer and the discom is essential for the success of smart meters. BSES is implementing these measures internally first, before communicating them through corporate channels and reaching out to consumers on a larger scale.
BSES has experimented with almost all available technologies and has concluded that no single technology can meet all its needs. This is due to its diverse consumer base and the varied geographical conditions in the area. Therefore, BSES has determined that a hybrid approach, using approximately 20-25 per cent RF technology and 75-80 per cent 4G technology, would be most effective. However, the emergence of 5G during the implementation of 4G has presented new concerns. BSES is still evaluating 5G for adoption for smart metering at the consumer level. It will select the most suitable technology from these two or three options, maintaining a hybrid communication system. The plan involves using RF mesh for commercial complexes and high-density areas, while cellular technologies will be deployed in other regions.
Deepak Kumar
North Bihar Power Distribution Corporation Limited (NBPDCL) and Bihar, in general, were the first movers in the implementation of smart metering. After seeing the success of Energy Efficiency Services Limited’s smart metering pilot project in Bihar, the state government took the decision to implement smart metering for the entire consumer base of the state. Presently, we have awarded smart meters to 12.3 million consumers, out of which prepaid smart meters have already been installed for 2.6 million consumers, representing around 18 per cent of the consumer base. NBPDCL has reduced its aggregate technical and commercial losses and is now a profitable company. Going forward, NBPDCL hopes it will continue to do better and make smart metering more viable.
All new consumers have to be outfitted with a smart meter. NBPDCL is making provisions in its software so that smart meters can be installed for new consumers. NBPDCL has strengthened its special task force at certain levels. All the data that is regularly lacking in meter readings is being handed over to the discom randomly, due to which several cases of theft have been identified. Overall, heightened vigilance is necessary to reap the benefits of smart meters.
Consumer engagement is crucial before starting smart meter installations. To this end, NBPDCL has adopted several approaches. We distribute pamphlets that provide details of the entire procedure, including how smart meters work, the benefits they offer and how customers can recharge their meters. The benefits of smart meters include the ability to view power consumption in real time, allowing consumers to manage their usage more effectively. NBPDCL also collaborates with local administrations for additional support. It is common for smart meters to show higher recorded consumption than conventional electronic meters, so it is important to address these discrepancies.
In Bihar, initially, NBPDCL had implemented RF mesh alongside cellular technology. However, the choice of technology is primarily dependent on advanced metering infrastructure requirements. It is crucial that the selected technology does not disrupt the discom’s operations while ensuring that service-level agreements are met. NBPDCL has had positive experiences with both cellular technologies and MBit. With regard to RF technology, there were some issues that needed attention. Since there are specific use cases for RF mesh separate from cellular technology, NBPDCL plans to continue using RF mesh in some areas.
