More than half of the homes have smart electricity meters managed remotely and 2.9 million customers have yet to connect. A target that E-Redes, former EDP Distribuição, will have to meet by the end of 2024, according to the new Basic Law for the Electrical System that was approved at the beginning of this year. A deadline that the electricity distribution network concessionaire deems “challenging” but guarantees it will be met, the company’s official source DN/Dinheiro Vivo assured.
There are a total of 6.3 million consumption locations. So far, approximately 4.3 million smart meters have been installed in mainland Portugal, covering two-thirds of customers. Of this total, “3.4 million smart meters are already under remote management”, according to E-Redes. In other words, more than half of the low-voltage sites are already connected, enabling automatic data collection, e.g. eliminating the need to send measurements and allowing suppliers to issue invoices without resorting to estimates or hits. There are still 900,000 devices that, despite already being installed, are not yet integrated into fully functional smart grids.
Under the new rules, recently approved by the government after a public consultation conducted by the sector regulator (ERSE), E-Redes must “ensure 100% coverage of smart meters for end customers” by the end of 2024. Asked if this was a feasible deadline, the company said that as this equipment is “fundamental to the energy transition, E-Redes will certainly comply with what is laid down in the legislation”.
E-Redes finds the new deadline to cover the country with smart meters “challenging”, but guarantees it will meet it.
This is despite the admission that it is “a challenging objective, considering the magnitude of the associated logistical effort, particularly with regard to the availability of equipment and the need for manpower for this operation”. However, the former EDP Distribuição guarantees that “it will continue to do everything it can to integrate all 6.3 million consumption locations into the smart grid”. E-Redes has so far invested 230 million euros in the implementation of the smart grid, of which these new meters are part.
The pilot phase of the integration of these intelligent equipment, for the validation of the solution, started in 2009. This was followed by the launch of the pilot project in Évora, the extensive test in different parts of the country, together with the development of the technology necessary for the operation of all communications. The gradual expansion of new-generation equipment to the whole mainland took place shortly after, based on an annual plan, E-Redes recalls. The installation of smart meters even accelerated from 2015, when the EDP Group company chose to discontinue the installation of conventional meters.
In addition to reading bills remotely, these devices also prevent professionals from traveling to clients’ homes. And according to figures from E-Redes, this year alone, by carrying out 660,000 remote service orders and 1 billion measurements, they will avoid the emission of 2,000 tons of CO2.
At the beginning of this year, the new Basic Law for the Electrical System was passed and, as the Secretary of State for Energy explained at the time, the diploma was intended to “have a system that is much more flexible, dynamic and fully integrated with the goals of decarbonisation”.
In this sense, as João Galamba emphasized, in order to facilitate the path to carbon neutrality, the law places “great emphasis on all issues of the digitization of networks, self-consumption and energy communities”.
Sara Ribeiro is a journalist for Dinheiro Vivo
Source: El heraldo
Jason Jack is an experienced technology journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in computer science and engineering, he has a deep understanding of the latest technology trends and developments. He writes about a wide range of technology topics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, and cybersecurity.
