Visiongain determined that the value of the global smart meter market would reach US$7 billion in 2012. Globally, Pike Research found that smart meter shipments were 17.4 million units for the first quarter of 2011. The installed base of smart meters in Europe at the end of 2008 was about 39 million units, according to analyst firm Berg Insight. Research by the UK consumer group, showed that as many as one in three confuse smart meters with energy monitors, also known as in-home display monitors.
Interval and time-of-use meters historically have been installed to measure commercial and industrial customers, but may not have automatic reading. They are similar in many respects to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters. These additional features are more than simple automated meter reading (AMR).
Similar meters, usually referred to as interval or time-of-use meters, have existed for years, but "Smart Meters" usually involve real-time or near real-time sensors, power outage notification, and power quality monitoring. The term Smart Meter often refers to an electricity meter, but it also may mean a device measuring natural gas, water or district heating consumption. 6.8 Criticism of smart meter roll-out in the UK.4.2.1 Smart Meter Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS).Wireless communication options in common use include cellular communications, Wi-Fi (readily available), wireless ad hoc networks over Wi-Fi, wireless mesh networks, low power long-range wireless (LoRa), Wize (high radio penetration rate, open, using the frequency 169 MHz) ZigBee (low power, low data rate wireless), and Wi-SUN (Smart Utility Networks). Communications from the meter to the network may be wireless, or via fixed wired connections such as power line carrier (PLC).
Such an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) differs from automatic meter reading (AMR) in that it enables two-way communication between the meter and the supplier. Smart meters enable two-way communication between the meter and the central system. Smart meters typically record energy near real-time, and report regularly, short intervals throughout the day. Smart meters communicate the information to the consumer for greater clarity of consumption behavior, and electricity suppliers for system monitoring and customer billing. Itron OpenWay electricity Smart meter with two-way communications for remote reading in use by DTE EnergyĪ smart meter is an electronic device that records information such as consumption of electric energy, voltage levels, current, and power factor.