The term “Smart Metering” is often used, but what does it mean? If you read your utility meters regularly, you will know how much water and energy you’ve used in total over that period. However, you will not know how much was used at weekends or overnight while the building was empty. To solve this you could read your meters more often, but there are often more pressing business needs to attend to.
A smart meter is one which can give you more detailed information about your energy or water usage. It can help you to identify peak and minimum demand levels in order for you to understand where and when your resources are being used and to allow you to take advantage of different time-based tariffs.
Readings can be taken as frequently as every 15 minutes, allowing you to identify wastage, leakage or other unexpected use by establishing a base line and highlighting any anomalies. The sooner you can get this information, the easier it is to identify a problem and act on it which will reduce your exposure to unnecessary costs. If the meter can send data to you automatically, the process will be more efficient than having to go and collect it manually.
Smart metering is not limited to energy and does not always mean buying and installing new meters. It’s not necessarily the meter itself that has to be smart, more often it’s what can be attached to it.
Modern technology now provides small, self-powered data loggers with integral transmitters, ideal for water meters in remote locations where mains power and hard wired communications are not available. Data can be returned via radio or the mobile phone network direct to your computer or accessed via the internet. Meter index readings can be provided for bill checking and alarms can be configured to alert you to unusual events.
Smart metering can just as easily be applied to outflow meters and monitors, such as those used for measuring effluent volumes and strengths, offering opportunities for better control and helping to demonstrate regulatory compliance.