What are smart meters for?

From 01.07.2020, it is planned to begin a universal transition to smart electricity meters. And all publications on the topic come down to the fact that we will get rid of the need to write down numbers on a piece of paper. From my point of view, this is nothing more than an attempt to shift attention from the main to the secondary.

I have worked enough in the energy company, and therefore I consider myself entitled to give my own answer to the title of the article.

For a professional power engineer, a smart meter is a familiar device, and it appeared on the farm long before optical cables stretched along the power transmission poles. In fact, these meters do not create heavy traffic, and may well be content with a GPRS modem. Again, not every substation has optics. and not every substation is in the coverage area of ​​a mobile operator. Therefore, the metrologist often has to wear boots to the ears, and go to the counter on an all-terrain vehicle. However, the readings are not written on a piece of paper, but downloaded to a laptop, so ancient that there is a nine-pin COM port. Such happiness, when the numbers themselves flow through the wires, came much later, and those places where they still work the old fashioned way probably remained.

If there were no optics and GSM, they would have run from point to point, wept bitterly, but they would never have parted with smart meters. Where does this love come from?

So: the main thing is not how information is transmitted, but how it is extracted. This is just a traditional “stupid” counter that accumulates a single digit on an accrual basis. Real “smart” - regularly takes measurements at short intervals. For example, we had a setting - every 15 minutes.

What for? And then, to have a detailed daily schedule of power consumption. Now the question is, why the schedule? And then, in order to implement a special approach to pricing policy, it’s not at all the one we are used to in everyday life.

Two, three and four tariff plans take into account the time of day and season. In general, the main price factor is time. But this only indirectly solves the main task of tariff regulation, combating the “torn regime”, minimizing peak loads. Control of power consumption allows you to solve the problem directly, but only the "smart" meter provides such an opportunity. Work in a mode of moderate energy consumption must be stimulated, and for creating peak loads - mercilessly punished with a progressive tariff.

What do you want? The higher the power, the greater the loss in energy transfer. Exceeding the permissible load - at least premature wear of the equipment, or even an accident. Consequently, the level of payment, progressive depending on the consumed power, is logical, fair and correct. That is why the trip of a metrologist on an all-terrain vehicle to a remote substation is sometimes quite justified.

From 07/01/2020, “smart” meters will begin to transfer residential buildings. For the layman they are advertised as traditional two, three, or four tariff, more profitable than the ancient one tariff. It's true. However, when manufacturers of metering devices advertise their products to power engineers, the opportunity to get a “power profile” is rolled out to the forefront. A very competent move, and also not a bit of cunning.

Now we look: iron computers, powerful processors, a power schedule can easily be built for each apartment. Question to the club of experts: for the population, the power profile will be taken into account in the price, or how?

Those who use electricity gradually and evenly will not notice the changes. But let's look at a large family: mom loaded the chicken into the oven for one and a half kilowatts, in the washing machine the heater turned on for two kilowatts, at this time you need to iron the laundry again with one and a half kilowatts. Dad includes a kettle, another two kilowatts, and at this time the child knocks over a flower pot. For cleaning, a vacuum cleaner of at least kilowatts is turned on. This is not for long, the kettle will boil soon, the vacuum cleaner will be turned off, and the rest of the business will be completed slowly. However, the dormant “smart” counter will draw all this mess in the power profile. Is the modern layman ready for such a turn? However, a payment receipt will inevitably be received.

The issue of data transfer is also an interesting one. Although there is not much traffic, but the connection costs money. Who will pay? Electricity supplier? And where does he get the money from? From the tariff, where else? So, in the end, the subscriber will pay for the data transfer, the only question is how well it will be disguised. In a modern apartment building there is enough unlimited Internet, according to common sense, “smart” meters will not remain without communication. Theoretically, the tariff should not affect much, but we will see real practice soon.

But what if the meter is in a place where only mobile Internet is possible? In this case, data transfer will be more expensive than the cost of electricity consumed. In theory, there may be other such counters nearby, you can combine them into a group and connect to one common point. And if not, if they are scattered over a long distance? Will the electricity supplier pull its own data cable to each meter? It will be interesting to know.

According to the declaration, the installation of smart meters is free for subscribers. And the fact that the tariffs will be different is complete silence. No matter how you disguise, and the cost of data transfer will inevitably be in the tariff, they are also silent about this.

Let’s think about this now: the “smart” meter itself is not a cheap device. The subscriber network is huge. The question arises: who is so kind and rich that it takes to do the installation for your own money? Why so much enthusiasm and friendly media support?
Here you need to understand what opportunities automatic transmission of data opens up. The smart meter serves as a nerve receptor at the end of the tentacle of an incredibly legged monster, whose name is ASKUE - an automatic system for commercial accounting of electricity. It is not just client-server, it is multi-level. That is, the servers of regional energy and distribution companies not only collect readings from installed meters, but also transmit aggregated data to the servers of higher organizations. As a result, somewhere, someone sees the whole picture. Moreover, “complete” is said optimistically, because what is happening at the “last mile” in the domestic sector is a mystery covered in darkness. In the “complete” picture it turns out this way: for the needs of the population 10-15% of the total consumed power falls, and in the structure of the cost of electricity,expenses for losses and maintenance of low and medium voltage networks are almost 40%. Ordinary mortals do not care about it, but someone is ill. He is indignant to the core, but forced to endure.

More precisely, he endured until he gained rich experience in using ASKUE systems. Now it became clear how to curb indomitable low and medium voltage networks. With the help of "smart" meters, you can make all household energy consumption transparent, understandable and manageable. But most importantly, the level of centralization of management can be maximized. Here lies the clue why this “someone” is so generous and rich. A radical change in the entire system of electricity sales to the population is expected, no more, no less.

The transition to smart meters is planned to be completed by 2035. What will happen then?

You must understand that replacing equipment is just a measure of technical support. Major changes should be expected in the economic and managerial fields. In simple terms, all regional energy sales from grand dukes will turn into small gendarmes. They will be required to maintain in order the necessary fleet of metering devices, provide data transfer and maintain a certain number of their own servers. It is quite possible that they will also be entrusted with the routine task of sending out payment receipts. However, bank account numbers will change, and someone will be much more different than managing cash flows. Of course, all subjects of the housing and communal services system will be completely excluded from the electricity trade process, completely and irrevocably. In the receipts of the management companies, only the line “housing maintenance” will remain,Citizens will pay directly for everything else.

In short, since 2035, someone will sell "energy to people", buy it alone at the wholesale market, sell it alone at retail. Regional energy sales will formally remain, but they will work not “for a share”, but “for a salary”.

Thus, from my point of view, smart meters are needed for:

• technical support for the activities of a large sales monopolist;
• introduction of tariffs progressive depending on power consumption.

If I misunderstood something, please correct ...