As loadshedding continues to impact South Africa, power generation SOE Eskom has unveiled its plan to install smart meters in every single home within the next four years. The project, estimated to cost the enterprise R16 billion, is expected to help the power utility recover more than 7,000MW to the grid. But there is a second benefit for Eskom of installing the meters, explains Dwibin Thomas, Cluster Automation Leader at automation and energy management company Schneider Electric.
“The smart meters will use a management system that will allow the consumer to decide when to use electricity based on how much it will cost,” says Thomas. “For users with smart prepaid meters, the amount used will be taken from a prepaid balance. A conventional prepaid metering system uses cards or an integrated keypad to recharge the prepaid meter. The prepaid meter offers the requisite hardware and software to recharge (bought from prepaid voucher providers) and determines the remaining credit on the customer account.”
Unlike the traditional prepaid meter, smart prepaid meters provide real-time data on power consumption via a smart energy management system. “This data can be accessed remotely, allowing users to proactively monitor their usage and adjust it accordingly. This is particularly beneficial to households and businesses that use hybrid solar/grid systems,” says Thomas, adding, “A common complaint by prepaid users is that when they do switch over to a hybrid system, they don’t have real-time insight into the status of their prepaid account i.e., how many units are left on their account.”
Accessing the meter and this kind of data is only possible when the system is exclusively powered by the national power grid, which presents a significant limitation. “This becomes problematic, for instance, when the solar system fails to charge adequately due to cloud cover, and the base load, such as battery storage, requires grid charging. If one is not present at the physical prepaid meter, it becomes impossible to determine the available units for charging batteries and ensuring uninterrupted power supply to homes or businesses during loadshedding,” says Thomas.
Another important benefit of the smart prepaid meter system is that it provides users with information on their data consumption patterns, allowing households and businesses to make informed decisions on where energy can be saved or optimised. “This is not a new feature to traditional smart meters, but it is not one that is currently available on traditional prepaid meters,” says Thomas. “Smart prepaid meters offer tangible and intangible benefits. They have the capability to identify faulty wiring and detect unsafe electrical conditions that can prevent accidents and reduce the risk of electrical fires from occurring. These smart prepaid meters incorporate robust encrypted security features that safeguard the user’s personal and financial information, ensuring their privacy and data protection in accordance with the POPIA act.”
Having a smart meter installed to monitor your power consumption is as important as the power itself. “Smart prepaid meters undoubtedly provide myriad benefits, and the good news is making current prepaid meters smarter won’t require a forklift rollout,” concludes Thomas.
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