Let's all get involved with energy management
April 1st 2008

The Government has finally realised that if they want people to save energy and reduce emissions be they businesses, schools or homeowners then those people need to know when and how that energy is being used.Hence the references in the White Paper to smart metering and the recent consultation on the issue. Julia Szajdzicka, managing director, ND Metering Solutions looks ta smart metering technology

The development of smart metering has been driven by the need for easy and early access to information. It is no good utilities providing out-of-date estimated readings which just offer a glimpse of what might have been.

The use of technology to improve this area of energy management is already permitting its users to reap dividends in terms both financial and environmental terms. But to borrow the terminology of corporate responsibility the technology can also be used to further the social aspects of energy management by increasing accessiblity; a triple bottom line! Integrated webservers The latest generation of smart meters now incorporate their own webservers so that the data can be viewed from a conventional web browser no special software is required.This means that,provided the PC or PDA being used to access the meter has the correct permissions, the user can view the information in a number of standard formats from any remote location.And the advances in computer miniaturisation allow all the hardware and software to be mounted in a standard-sized meter.

Installation can be made much simpler by using clip-on current sensors no hard-wiring required and so no expensive electrical work.The technology is therefore ideal not just for permanent monitoring of equipment but also for shorter term audits of consumption on particular items.And since the advent of wireless technology,a nearby power socket and a standard WiFi access point are all that is required to make the meter operational.An 'ethernet over mains' interface is also easy to set up.

So smart metering is now truly portable and accessible.The energy manager is now able to log-on to the site's energy performance wherever he is and see immediately what is happening.That puts him (or her) in control of the building's performance at all times and not just when in the office. And in meetings with senior management, he can back up his arguments by demonstrating the current situation using the standard graphical displays programmed into the meter.Real time information is a much more powerful aid than charts of historical data. Immediacy has a way of focussing minds on the topic under discussion! Another advantage of wider access to energy performance is the ability to get support for energy efficiency measures from other staff.

For example, if they are able to see and monitor over time the way energy is being used, perhaps in their own departments if there are sufficient meters installed, they are more likely to feel engaged and aware of the part they themselves can play in controlling and reducing energy consumption. Once again, access is the key to involvement and password controls can of course be set to filter the amount of information allowed to different sections of the workforce.

Tomorrow's consumers One other application for this type of smart meter deserves a mention.

Although our generation is facing rapidly rising energy prices and calls to combat climate change, it is the adults of tomorrow who will have to live in a world where energy is no longer cheap and unlimited.They need to learn how to manage energy consumption and minimise waste just as they learn English, history and science at school.Learning about energy and how it is managed through the school's computers is the best way to appreciate what is really going on.This kind of technology, easy to install, easy to access, is likely to have wide application in this sector.

Technology does not stand still and information technology (IT) is advancing faster than most. It is providing the tools to make energy management easier and more immediate.The latest suite of smart meters is also making that information more widely available, to end-users, energy managers,the boardroom, other stakeholders and to the energy consumers of tomorrow. In fact, just about everyone that needs to know about energy and that's all of us!

More articles from Northern Design (Electronics) Ltd: