Page 36 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2015 publication
P. 36
Summer 2015 European Energy Innovation

SMART METERING

Successful smart technology
starts with smart consumers

Our entire energy system is going to information and education tool how consumers will be able to
change drastically. Especially from the should be simple, uncluttered, manage their bills, make a more
consumer’s perspective, much will change. and modern. It should be offered, sustainable future environment
Our energy system will function (best) not sought after. The inter-play of and rely on energy supply with
on the assumption that the consumer outstanding pre-offering, pre- the help of smart meters and
participated in the market, they may technology education, especially smart grids. Take a look at:
own and operate generation capacity, from independent sources is www.my-smart-energy.eu.
and use smart technology to manage an extremely important way
their consumption. This in turn can to prepare consumers for the What needs to be done, soon!
result in a reduction on their electricity program to come. As a first step,
bills, a reduction in the cost of network a consumer must see the bigger PROTECT
operations, and increased energy picture, the reason why the utility For public acceptance of smart
efficiency. If we want to build a European is embarking on this action, why metering and use of energy
Energy Union that will ensure secure, the customer should be interested management services, suitable
affordable and climate-friendly energy for and why the community should privacy and data protection
citizens, we need consumers to engage in be working together. Only then safeguards need to be in place so
the new energy system. Not an easy task. should technology be introduced. that consumers are assured their
It is after all, not the technology data is treated securely and their
INFORM that is the objective; it is only a privacy is not infringed.
The VaasaETT Report Empower means to an end.
Demand II1, authorized by The Smart Metering Infrastructure
ESMIG, indicates 10 steps to ESMIG and EDSO are launching should therefore be developed
generate consumer awareness, “My Smart Energy” at EUSEW in such a way that distinct
involvement and engagement. 2015: a portal targeting information flows for different
Generally, any type of consumer European consumers explaining stakeholders can be identified,
Figure 1: The Smart Energy System (ESMIG) implemented and controlled.
The information collected by
the organization responsible for
allocation of the energy consumed
or produced (in the context of his
legal task) is one information flow
that can be regarded as the legal
basis for (Smart) Metering. This
information has typically a low
time resolution, such as bi-monthly
consumption readings and power
quality data, but also covers alarms
from the metering system such as
tampering. Because of its nature
this information flow has low
privacy sensitivity, but should still
be sufficiently protected.

1 http://esmig.eu/sites/default/files/final_empower_2_demand_report_final_distr2.pdf

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