The integration, believed to be a first for quantum-based cyber protection in smart meters, sees quantum computing-hardened encryption keys integrated into all Honeywell’s smart meters for gas, water and electricity.

This enhanced security is aimed to set a new benchmark for protection against data breaches and to help ensure the uninterrupted operation of the utilities infrastructure.

“By integrating Quantinuum’s encryption technology into our smart meters, we’re advancing data security for our customers and shaping the dialogue on how the utility industries should approach cybersecurity in the quantum era,” says Hamed Heyhat, President of Smart Energy and Thermal Solutions at Honeywell.

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“This integration underscores the necessity for continuous innovation to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape. It is a level of protection that is imperative in our increasingly digital and interconnected world.”

Quantinuum’s Quantum Origin generates keys through quantum computing-enhanced randomness – a feature of the quantum world – which makes them unpredictable and thereby able to significantly enhance the data security.

Specifically a quantum cryptographic seed is generated on a quantum computer, which is then verified for strength and the keys are generated.

Tony Uttley, President and COO of Quantinuum, comments that robust cybersecurity requires a multifaceted approach, taking advantage of the latest technologies.

“Our work with Honeywell demonstrates the importance of using the power of today’s quantum computers to create a more resilient cyber infrastructure to better protect customers.”

Quantum Origin is designed for both devices and infrastructure, with keys generated directly into devices or on demand via the cloud.

The smart meter products with Quantum Origin from Honeywell are available now to customers in North America and Europe.

Through the agreement between the clean tech major and the British water holdings company, the EnergyIP MDM X platform will connect the meter points, aiming to enhance the Group’s ability to detect and reduce household water leaks.

The water utility is undergoing a major rollout of smart meters, which report data back to the cloud on an hourly basis.

Siemens’ Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution will allow the utility, which services 4.5 million people in the North East of England and in the South East as Essex & Suffolk Water, to analyse the data from the water meters to identify household consumption anomalies and alert customers of potential leaks on their properties.

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Siemens collaborated with NWG’s team to design, develop, test and launch the meter data management SaaS, which is powered by the technology company’s EnergyIP software.

According to Siemens, it represents the largest solution of its kind implemented by the company for the water industry in Europe, as well as its largest deployment of grid software to date.

Gary Adams, head of smart transformation at NWG, said: “The EnergyIP MDM implementation is a critical cornerstone in our smart metering journey, allowing us to effectively manage the large volumes of metering data we will receive and to drive efficient operational activity for both our customers and our wider business providing access to granular smart data at the click of a button.”

The system will ultimately help NWG to meet UK water regulator Ofwat’s targets for reducing leakages and per capita consumption.

EnergyIP MDM X for Water is part of Siemens Xcelerator, the company’s digital business platform.

The retrofit, which encompasses electricity, gas and water meters, is aimed to enable remote meter reading in the diverse environments around the capital Jakarta.

There the meters are in locations including inside private apartments, residential areas, industrial water utilities and shopping malls, which has resulted in meter reading being both challenging and expensive.

Chen Deyu, CEO at Sindcon, says ST Microelectronics’ STM32WLE5 LoRaWAN wireless microcontroller was selected “for its high integration benefits to our customers and because it enhances performance, size, security and power consumption.”

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The STM32WLE5 wireless MCU is a sub-GHz wireless microcontroller featuring an Arm Cortex-M4 core operating at 48MHz.

The MCU contains 256kb of Flash memory, 64kb of SRAM, LoRa modulation, and AES 256-bit encryption.

With the STM32WLE5, Sindcon’s retrofitted meters contain an advanced battery management system that can support accurate remote readings for up to 10 years.

The project is Sindcon’s first deployment in Indonesia using the STM32WLE5CC wireless MCU and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Sindcon is involved in several LoRaWAN smart meter installations in Indonesia.

Over the past five years, the company has installed more than 1,000 LoRaWAN smart gas meters for restaurants and other commercial customers in more than 20 shopping malls in the country.

A recently reported new customer is Indonesia KFC, which has adopted Sindcon’s gas meter technology.

In another project, Sindcon has partnered with IoT solution provider IoT Kreasi Indonesia on prepaid gas metering in Jakarta for the country’s state-owned gas transmission and distribution company PGN Group – believed to be a first in Southeast Asia.

In the first phase, some 2,000 LoRaWAN prepaid gas meters have been deployed in collaboration with Chint, whose G1.6 model gas meter has been re-engineered to offer prepayment and LoRaWAN wireless data transmission.

Sindcon also has partnered with IoT Kreasi Indonesia on Semtech LoRa and LoRaWAN based smart electricity and water meter deployments in multi-tenant residential buildings.

The conventional standard ISO4064/OIML R49 mainly refers to the metering and mechanical features of the water meter, such as R100 or R160, the length of the meter is 165mm or 190mm. There is currently no unified standard for smart water meters except IEC62055-41,51 which is the standard for STS prepayment functions.

The DLMS in the AMI function is more popular in smart electricity meters, so how to select a smart prepaid water meter has become a challenge for water utilities. This article tries to propose the key aspects of the reliability of smart water meters.

Generally speaking, according to the special working environment of tropical rainforest or dry desert climate in African countries, the requirements for smart water meter will be more strict than in Asia or South America. In summary, the critical aspects of the smart water meters that need to be considered are as follows:

1. Communication Method for Remote Data Reading

In the previous article, “Why Prepaid Water Meters Must Be Smart”, we have explained why prepaid water meters must support remote reading or two-way communication. So how to choose the suitable communication method from GPRS, NBIoT, 3G, 4G, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Sigfox or Bluetooth? First, whether local telecommunication companies provide NBIoT network which specifically designed for smart meters or other IoT devices as a LPWAN network.

Compared to GPRS, NBIoT module has the characteristics of low battery consumption, and the data flow cost of NBIoT is also much lower than GPRS, 3G or 4G network, the common point is that all of these communications require a SIM card, either an e-SIM for PCBA or a physical SIM card, which means the water utility needs to pay for data flow on a monthly basis.

2. Battery Life from 6 Years to 10 Years

Battery lifespan not only depends on the battery capacity indicated by mAh, such as the ER26500 is typically 8500mAh, but also closely related to the power consumption of smart water meters in different situations, such as communication technology. And how firmware is designed to manage power consumption, like sleeping mode. And 3rd, the power consumption is also related to the working environment, IP level of the meters and the components. Sometimes manufacturers declare battery life of more than 8 years or even higher, but without any documentation from the battery provider, theoretical calculations such as Saft or Tadiran may require further evaluation.

3. IP Level for Smart Meters and Independent Components Such as PCB or Battery

The IP level of the smart water meter is preferable IP68, since the smart meter can sometimes be immersed in water. But when the service life of the meter increases to above 3 years or more, only the meter body is IP68 may still be a challenge, because the material of the meter may start to deform due to sunlight and rain, so it is better to require that the battery cabinet, valve, and PCB must IP68, and have a 3rd party certificate.

4. The material of the meter body, such as brass, or different types of plastic.

In Africa, the theft of brass material is inevitable, so a plastic body may be more suitable for water companies. Additionally, the Meter Casing material must be UV-resistant, resistant to high temperature up to 65°C and fire-resistant. Water permeability characteristics are also an optional indicator for choosing materials because of the high humidity in some areas.

5. Leakage Detection Inside or Outside the Door

The leakage detection function of the smart water meter can be realized through night flow monitoring. As the main IoT device in the water pipe network, the smart water meter is also an important part of the DMA, District Management Area, which is another major topic of water leakage management.

6. Bypass Detection and Anti-tamper Functions

Cases of bypassing smart meters usually occur because of the purpose of evading payment. Smart water meters must have the ability to close valves automatically or record events when they occur, and technical solutions may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and water companies can compare and choose an effective way. Other anti-tamper functions such as anti-magnetic and meter cover opening events etc. can be considered as optional functions.

7. Prepaid or Postpaid Working Mode

Prepaid water meters are only one working mode of smart water meters, and there is one paradox that in most cases, water utilities cannot cut off the water supply to industry users who do not pay for their bills, such as government institutes, hospitals etc.. Therefore, it is necessary to design prepaid functions in the platform, and smart meters support remote valve control.

8. Flexible Water Purchase and Payment Solutions

The concept of digitization is well known today, and it can help water companies adjust their operations processes. With the integration of smart water meters and Mobile payments, organizations no longer need meter reading workers, who can join smart water meter maintenance teams, or build telecommunications networks. Mobile payment platforms now are also popularly used in mechanical water meter billing. And for STS prepaid water meters, they have inherent advantage since they adopt digital encryption technology for 20-bit token transmission.

9. SaaS Software Based on Cloud or Web System Based on Physical Server

Many software companies now recommend cloud-based software solutions, since it is more flexible and expandable when the number of system users continues to increase. But some countries still have limitations on data security, so if leading cloud service providers such as Amazon and Google have not yet established branches in specific countries, a physical server-based web system is also a good choice for water companies. Both of them are not required to be installed on a PC, only user ID and password authorization to log in to the system, check reports or start daily operations like Registration or Vending.

10. Training and Local Maintenance Support

Training may need to take place in different stages, such as a Concept Presentation during ROI, a Request for Interest from the project team or a pilot project stage, and eventually extend to the whole operations team. Local maintenance is a very important factor in ensuring the success of a project, which relates to technical support, training and supply of CKD or components. Many water companies now prefer local assembly with local maintenance as one of the main modules in the workshop.

Read more news from LAISON

Anyhow, there are some other factors that may affect the sustainability of prepaid water meter services, but if water companies can understand the most important of these causes, it will definitely help avoid the failure of smart water meters and digital billing projects, which is a big investment and expect to bring the significant improvements in operations.

If you have any comments, please contact the author: Mr. Raymond Zheng on WhatsApp, +86 131 85002086, laisontech@gmail.com

The solution, believed to be the first to use Amazon Sidewalk for data communication, is comprised of the Subeca ‘Pin’ as a Bluetooth meter register to replace the standard register on the water meter.

Once commissioned, the utility is then able to utilise the Amazon Sidewalk communications network, with the free communications benefit that it offers.

“This is a very inexpensive way for a utility to start building out an AMI platform,” says Patrick Keaney, CEO of Subeca.

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Subeca’s Pin is claimed to work with the majority of existing water meters and that it can be retrofitted in less than a minute.

To get the product out on the market the company has launched an ‘Explorer kit’ comprised of three Pins and the use of its Engage data platform for one year, available to 100 utilities.

Amazon Sidewalk is a long-range, low-bandwidth, low-power community wireless network for IoT that is enabled on Amazon Echo and certain other devices.

It is based on Bluetooth low energy and 900MHz LoRa and is believed to potentially provide coverage to over 90% of the population in the US – its only country of availability so far.

Subeca’s Pin includes the Bluetooth meter register as the core data collection component and the Bluetooth low energy and LoRa modules.

The company’s product offering also includes the ‘Act’, a Bluetooth wireless ball valve that will open, restrict or close upon command from a Bluetooth-capable mobile device or through the company’s Link data collection device.

Subeca has previously developed a LoRaWAN solution with a Pin featuring AWS IoT Core for low-cost communication.

Keaney, who has been CEO of Subeca since May, is the former worldwide head of development at AWS Water, with a focus on the development of IoT and cloud services in the water sector.

Put simply, smart metering is key to managing energy, water and gas consumption effectively. And critically, Lightweight Machine-to-Machine (LwM2M) technology plays a pivotal role in making smart metering more efficient and responsive. Let’s explore how.

Understanding smart metering

Smart metering solutions provide valuable, real-time insights into resource consumption. In contrast, traditional metering systems suffer from a host of limitations. These include infrequent data collection, reliance on manual readings and limited visibility into real-time consumption. These systems also often fail to detect anomalies or leaks promptly, leading to wastage and higher user costs.

But how does LwM2M fit in here? LwM2M both facilitates and improves smart metering. It has the capability to enhance its efficiency and accuracy (if the LwM2M data model is in use) while boosting its real-time monitoring capabilities.

Through IoT device management, LwM2M ensures seamless smart metering connectivity, transforming how we monitor resource use.

LwM2M: Unveiling the technology

At the heart of today’s smart metering revolution is the Lightweight Machine-to-Machine (LwM2M) technology, designed for efficiency, scale and interoperability. Key features and advantages include:

• Lightweight: Consumes less bandwidth and power, making it cost-effective and ideal for large-scale IoT deployments. With LwM2M, IoT-based smart metering systems can offer massive benefits without bloated hardware and data storage.
• Efficient: Enhanced transmission rates enable swift and accurate data flow.
• Remote management: IoT device management is seamless, offering real-time monitoring and control.

In smart metering, LwM2M has a capability to foster robust machine-to-machine communication. It may simplify data transmission, making it faster and more reliable, and amplifies remote management capabilities, transforming how we monitor and control infrastructure elements such as routers, gateways and last but not least smart meters.

LwM2M in energy consumption monitoring

LwM2M supercharges smart metering systems, boosting their capabilities in energy management:

• Real-time data: LwM2M enables instantaneous data collection and analysis, offering immediate feedback to consumers. The result? Smarter, more efficient energy use.
• Demand response programmes: LwM2M can integrate with these programmes, allowing utility providers to adjust power production based on real-time demand, reducing waste and improving service reliability.
• Predictive maintenance: Leveraging LwM2M, IoT-based smart metering systems can predict maintenance needs, preventing malfunctions before they occur.

In essence, LwM2M transforms cellular IoT smart meters into proactive, precise instruments for energy monitoring and management, offering yet more benefits of smart metering.

LwM2M in water metering

LwM2M is a game changer in the field of smart water metering, driving accuracy and sustainability:

• Accurate measurement: By enabling precise data collection, LwM2M ensures consumers are only charged for actual water usage.
• Leak detection: The technology allows for early detection of leaks, preventing wastage and reducing utility bills.
• Remote monitoring: With LwM2M, consumers have real-time insight into their water consumption, promoting conscious usage and sustainability.

Essentially, LwM2M empowers consumers with the data they need to make informed decisions, optimizing water use.

LwM2M in gas metering

LwM2M transforms the landscape of gas metering, heightening safety and efficiency:

• Real-time monitoring: LwM2M enables live tracking and analysis of gas consumption, ensuring optimal usage and cost-efficiency.
• Anomaly detection: The technology excels in spotting irregular gas usage, helping prevent wastage.
• Leak prevention and safety: LwM2M enhances safety by promptly identifying potential gas leaks, helping to prevent accidents and property damage.

By integrating LwM2M into gas metering systems, users gain a more detailed, real-time understanding of their consumption habits. It’s a leap forward in gas safety and efficiency.

Final thoughts on LwM2M

LwM2M isn’t just a step forward in smart metering; it’s a leap. Revolutionizing energy, water, and gas management delivers real-time insights, enhanced safety and waste reduction. It’s not just about better resource management; it’s about smarter, more sustainable living. The future of smart metering is here, powered by LwM2M.

About AVSystem:

At AVSystem, we pride ourselves on being a trusted and reliable partner for IoT deployments. We understand that proper device management is crucial to the success of any IoT project, which is why we have built our reputation on providing best-in-class solutions to ensure that our clients achieve scalability, interoperability and security.

Website: https://www.avsystem.com/coiote-iot-device-management-platform/ 

Anjay IoT SDK: https://www.avsystem.com/anjay/

Coiote IoT Device Management Platform: https://www.avsystem.com/coiote-iot-device-management-platform/

The company, which supplies water to almost 7 million people mainly in the east of England, launched the programme in December 2022. Based on two complete scans of its service area has reported saving over 2Ml/d – enough to supply 8,000 homes in the region.

Chris Utton, Leakage Intensive Delivery Manager for Anglian Water, says that as much of the company’s region is rural, the satellites are particularly helping to detect any leaks in these areas where traditional monitoring is much more difficult.

“Over the last 30 years, we’ve reduced leaks in our network by 38%, despite putting a third more water into supply to meet the increasing demand of our rapidly growing customer base,” he says.

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“We know we must go even further as it’s one of the most important things to our customers and the wider environment. Gone are all the low-hanging fruits and quick wins, we’re now into the realms of tracking down really hard-to-find leaks, long before they’re visible to the naked eye, to fix them quicker and save as much precious water as possible.”

Anglian Water is working with water solution company SUEZ and California-based earth observation data provider Asterra – the only service in the world to use L-Band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with patented technology and analysis to find leaks from the satellite images.

The satellites work by sending a pulse down from space and measuring interaction with materials on the Earth as backscatter, in this case the signature of drinking water below the Earth’s surface, which may suggest a hidden leak in the water network.

The satellite imagery is expected to form a regular component in Anglian Water’s leak detection armoury but ultimately it is only one of them, with others including thermal imaging drones and naval hydrophone equipment.

Anglian Water was also recently allocated funding to expand its smart meter rollout as part of its leak reduction plans.

Since the first smart meters were installed in 2020, the company has reported helping customers find and resolve more than 100,000 leaks at their properties.

KORE, a global leader in Internet of Things (“IoT”) Solutions and worldwide IoT Connectivity-as-a-Service (“IoT CaaS”), announced its collaboration with GroundWorx, a wireless innovations and water conservation company, to provide technology support for the company’s Ground & Weather Intelligence Platform as a Service.

For organizations globally, sustainable water management is an environmental goal and demonstrates good stewardship. For use by industries, especially agriculture, turf management, hotel and resorts, school and universities, and government services, e.g., municipal parks and smart communities and cities, GroundWorx has developed its GX-1 Soil Sensor that is easily installed by embedding in the ground where soil monitoring is desired. The soil sensor pairs with the GX-1 Micro Weather Station and an analytics dashboard.

KORE initially helped power the solution through the development of firmware, device certification and continues in its support through comprehensive, global connectivity. This collaboration enables organizations worldwide to easily manage water and electricity usage reducing strain on resources while providing an opportunity to lower overall costs.

“Water accessibility and sustainability are major challenges across the globe. Working with an innovative organization that is implementing IoT to help solve some of the most pressing environmental problems is a privilege for us,” KORE President and CEO Romil Bahl said. “Our focus as a company is to make it easy for our customers to leverage and scale IoT capabilities to help solve issues, such as the global water crisis. GroundWorx is a user-friendly approach to water conservation and optimization, and we are thrilled to collaborate on this initiative.”

The soil sensor collects data to report on soil moisture, temperature, and salinity and integrates with irrigation systems. This proactive approach to soil condition monitoring allows end users to water only when needed.

“We’ve seen all of our customers decrease water usage by 30% with very little effort,” GroundWorx Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Brad David said.

KORE is an Energy Web partner – read more news from Energy Web

KORE has been critical in simplifying and streamlining the ability to implement GroundWorx solutions globally.

“With the help of KORE, we are able to ship these around the world,” GroundWorx CTO Diego Borrego said. “[Customers] open them up, take them out of the packaging, and they work.”

California Avocado Farm and High-End Golf Resort: Save millions of gallons of water monthly, increase employee efficiency and cost savings

John Haskett, owner of Lucky Charm Farms in San Diego, has implemented the GroundWorx solution at his avocado farm.

“California has a critical issue with water, and avocado trees are pretty voracious about their appetite for water,” Haskett said. “The traditional methods of watering avocado trees typically center largely on guesswork, and with the water bills very costly – in the tens of thousands of dollars range – we needed to find a better method of watering.”

In exploring options, the ease of use, installation, and comprehensive readings were key drivers in adopting the GroundWorx solution. The GroundWorx method of “dig and drop” installation and immediate pairing to smartphone devices allowed Lucky Charm Farms to continue operations with no shutdown during implementation and quickly reap the benefits of the system.

“These sensors take 144 readings a day,” Haskett said. “With greater data collection and enhanced analytics with thresholds built in our employees avoid watering too little or too much.”
David Yanez, Director of Agronomy at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, is leveraging the GroundWorx system to optimize water use for golf course fairways.

“The price for potable water has probably increased 300% in 10 years,” Yanez said. “And the challenge is providing the best quality course and playing conditions while using the right amount of water.”
Prior to the GroundWorx system, Yanez – much like many other golf course superintendents – was using a portable digital tool that takes individual soil samples at the surface. This solution was more labor intensive and not nearly as comprehensive as having multiple GroundWorx sensors embedded in the root zone that take numerous automatic readings per day.

Immediately, the data derived can be leveraged to make informed watering decisions. Yanez said, for example, he’s been able to better determine when he can skip irrigation cycles, which has realistically saved millions of gallons of water per month.

About KORE

KORE is a pioneer, leader, and trusted advisor delivering mission-critical IoT solutions and services. We empower organizations of all sizes to improve operational and business results by simplifying the complexity of IoT. Our deep IoT knowledge and experience, global reach, purpose-built solutions, and deployment agility accelerate and materially impact our customers’ business outcomes. For more information, visit korewireless.com.

The pilot, the state’s largest, is planned to install more than 16,000 digital smart water meters at homes and businesses across the city.

The aim is to provide insights on the benefits of the smart meters, including how data can help customers change water use behaviours and which meters work best in local conditions.

The first meters are expected to be installed with about 250 customers in west Perth this month, with the wider rollout planned to take place from October.

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“We know by empowering people with information about how they use water, they’re more likely to take action to reduce their consumption,” says Water Minister Simone McGurk.

“Through this pilot, we’ll gain valuable insights into how to best utilise smart meters in Perth. This will inform the pace and scale of future installations, and help Water Corporation on its journey to become a leading digital utility.”

The Water Corporation already has installed some 40,000 smart meters, particularly in larger commercial properties and in regional areas where there may be property access issues including Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the east, parts of the Pilbara in the north and Yanchep to the north of Perth.

In those locations the technology has been found to improve safety and efficiency by removing the need for the physical meter reading.

The smart water meters transmit data on an hourly basis, which should lead to the early detection of leaks or other unusual water use patterns with their implications for customer bills.

Average rainfall across southern Western Australia has fallen by 20% since the 1970s, leading to an 80% reduction in dam inflows, according to a statement.

This in turn has increased Perth’s reliance on water sources such as desalination.

The smart water meters are expected to support both more efficient use of water resources as well as the Water Corporation’s digitalisation journey.

Trial participants will have access to an online Water Corporation account from around mid-2024.

The pilot is planned to finish in mid-2025.

This passage will showcase LAISON’s experience with Smart water meters and Digital Billing and response to the following major challenges in water companies’ operations:

1. How to improve the cash flow and revenue?

Smart water meters provide real-time data on water consumption, ensuring accurate billing and consistent cash flow. They can detect leaks, minimise Non-Revenue Water (NRW) and increase revenue.

Since the adoption of the Laison prepaid smart water metering solution by the Zambia National Water Supply Corporation (NWSC), both the water fee collection rate and revenue have significantly improved. Laison’s prepaid smart water metering solution enables the water utility to implement remote data collection functionality, allowing utilities to monitor consumption patterns more efficiently, identify customers with overdue bills, and take appropriate actions to recover debts.

2. How does the smart water metering and smart app help with water management?

Smart water meters provide real-time data on water consumption, leak detection, and system performance. This information is transmitted to utilities and accessible via Smart Apps, enabling continuous monitoring of water usage and distribution network status. This data is instrumental in long-term planning, infrastructure development, and policy-making for sustainable water management.

In Nigeria, some water utilities have adopted the LAISON GPRS smart water metering solution, along with the LAISON Aquacyber app. This solution facilitates online water fee payments and empowers users to access smart water meter data. Key features include prepaid billing and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) capabilities, significantly enhancing the water board’s data collection and enabling remote data reading. Consequently, these features contribute to reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) rates.

3. The Walk by and AMI System application experience for remote data reading

The Walk-By and AMI System for Remote Meter Data Reading offers various advantages, including improved operational efficiency, accurate billing, customer engagement, and sustainability, making it a valuable utility management tool.

LAISON has applied its Walk-By and AMI System experience in Zimbabwe. The LAISON AMI system ensures real-time data transmission, allowing utilities to access up-to-date consumption information. This capability enhances decision-making and response times.

Read more news from LAISON

During installation, innovative solutions such as DCU pole installations and solar power supply were used to address challenges. These solutions effectively resolved DCU installation and power supply issues, leading to significant cost savings for the local water utility.

4. How to meet the challenges of technical upgrades on smart metering technology?

Before upgrading smart metering technology, water utilities should evaluate the current system and define clear objectives for addressing both current and future needs. LAISON offers tailored smart metering solutions and product upgrades. In Malawi, LAISON assisted BWB Water Utility in implementing a phased meter upgrade strategy, transitioning from Volumetric to Parise Series Smart Water Meters. This approach provided cost-effective solutions and extended battery life. Additionally, LAISON offers a comprehensive system solution, including hardware, software, and training.

For more details please contact laisontech@gmail.com

Portsmouth Water, which oversees Portsmouth and its surrounding area, has adopted Kraken, a tech platform and subsidiary of UK renewables major Octopus Energy, to oversee all of its 324,000 customers.

The partnership marks Kraken’s first deal outside of energy and a move towards digitising the UK’s water sector.

According to the partners, Portsmouth’s use of the Kraken Tech platform will allow the company to start its smart meter rollout and drive down per capita consumption within the water-stressed region, an important regulatory target for the water industry.

According to Kraken, there are three ways in which the platform will enable this:

• Roll-out sequencing – Kraken’s ability to store and interrogate customer data (such as on engagement, consumption and priority services) and property data (occupancy, size and third party attributes like valuation) will enable Portsmouth Water to define their optimal smart meter roll-out sequence
• Smart meter journey – Customers will be able to opt-in for a smart meter via mobile app and a consumer portal, allowing them to book and manage installation appointments themselves
• Consumption rates and leakages down – The platform, according to Kraken, will unlock the benefits of a smart meter for both customers and the water system by enabling consumption awareness and nudging reductions in consumption by exporting smart meter data to customers

Also of interest:
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Commenting on the partnership, Bob Taylor, CEO of Portsmouth Water, said: “We are thrilled to be the first non-energy utility to license the Kraken platform, which we believe will provide our customers with a more efficient and transparent service, meanwhile ensuring our systems are safe and secure.

“Most vitally, Kraken will allow us to supercharge the smart meter rollout in the water industry and will help our customers understand their consumption and identify leaks quickly and easily.”

According to Kraken, when it comes to managing supply, their platform provides an operating system extending to meter data management, a customer information system, billing, customer relationship management, customer interaction and AI-powered communication and automation.

Deepak Ravindran, CEO of Kraken for Utilities, added how, through the partnership, “Portsmouth Water will be able to unlock new levels of efficiency and benefit from a formula that has seen countless energy companies improve their relationships with customers and regulators.”

Portsmouth Water expects to install an additional 43,300 smart meters in the 2025-30 period, which should deliver water savings of 2.5Ml/d by March 2030.

Earlier this year in June, the UK’s water services authority Ofwat granted funding for an acceleration of smart water schemes. One such includes 500 smart meters to trial as part of Portsmouth Water’s programme alongside the supporting infrastructure for a wider rollout, including a meter data management system, cloud storage infrastructure, software and system implementation and integration.

The project, with a value of more than €25 million (US$28 million) over the next five years, forms part of a broader initiative by Canal de Isabel II to digitalise its activities, including providing remote meter reading with more than 1.6 million meters across its service territory by 2026.

The meters in Vodafone’s lot will be supplied by Sagemcom, and will collect meter readings hourly for delivery on a daily basis.

This will significantly improve the data availability and billing, with the meters read currently only every two months.

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The award is the latest in Canal de Isabel II’s plans to implement smart metering, which began over a decade ago.

In 2017 a pilot was implemented with Vodafone, Telefónica and Orange and demonstrated the feasibility of NB-IoT for remote water meter reading, with the meters commonly in locations such as basements or underground meter rooms without an electricity supply.

Canal de Isabel II awarded the first smart meter contract for a 130,000 unit rollout to Telefónica and the Spanish metering provider Contazara at the end of 2021.

Remote meter reading with the first 50,000 customers was launched in February 2023.

In March, Orange and Spanish water meter supplier Hidroconta were awarded a contract to digitalise more than 100,000 smart meters, including the supply of 9,000 concentrators, for Canal de Isabel II.

“The remote reading of water meters is an important part of the digital transformation of the management of the water cycle, which should allow a much more responsible and sustainable use of a scarce resource,” said Gabriel Aparicio, head of billing and responsible for the project in Canal de Isabel II.

“With it, it will be possible to offer end users a better service thanks to real-time knowledge of their consumption, in addition to additional benefits such as remote management of smart meters, automatic leak detection, etc.”

Vodafone reports its water metering solution as a comprehensive offering for the collection and delivery of meter data, including a middleware/device manager as a single tool for connectivity and data collection, as well as a range of tools for configuration and visualisation.

The seven schemes, on which work should start imminently, are planned to accelerate the installation of a total of 462,000 smart meters before the end of 2025 as part of a drive to increase resilience to drought by helping to reduce demand and enabling more rapid identification of leaks.

Climate change, population growth and abstraction reductions are putting increasing pressure on drought resilience, according to Ofwat, citing a National Infrastructure Commission estimation that in England there is a 25% chance of the worst drought in recorded history within the next 30 years.

The seven smart meter schemes are located in the southern half of England, which is the more heavily populated but also more prone to potential water stress.

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Anglian Water plans to deliver 60,000 smart meters with the aim to achieve 1.3Ml/d in water savings by developing a near-real time understanding of customers’ usage to support reductions and through proactive identification of leaks.

Severn Trent Water plans 250,000 smart meters with the aim to achieve 11.3Ml/d in water savings by facilitating behaviour change, identifying leaks quicker and better management of peak demand pressures.

South West Water plans 40,116 smart meters around the water-stressed Colliford area in Cornwall with the aim to achieve 1.2Ml/d in water savings by monitoring near real-time flows to better manage demand and identify leaks quicker.

Affinity Water plans 20,000 smart meters with the aim to achieve 0.3Ml/d in water savings by increasing water efficiency. The company also intends the scheme to provide more learning on the benefits of smart metering and to reduce the delivery risk of its future smart metering rollout.

Portsmouth Water plans to focus initially primarily on the AMI infrastructure, including a meter data management system, cloud storage infrastructure, software and system implementation and integration, for a smart meter rollout in the period 2025-2030. This first phase also includes a 500 smart meter trial.

The company also intends an additional 43,300 smart meter rollout from 2025 on, which are expected to deliver water savings of 2.5Ml/d by March 2030.

South Staffordshire Water, including Cambridge Water, plans to deliver two schemes with a total of 91,400 smart meters in both household and non-household properties, with the aim to achieve 5.4Ml/d in water savings by reducing water demand and quicker leak identification.

Other projects given the green light by Ofwat include ten schemes to tackle storm overflows, reducing the number by around an expected 10,000 per year, and six water supply schemes to provide an additional 75Ml/d of water once completed, as well as three nutrient neutrality schemes.

Several of the other water companies submitted smart metering proposals among others, but these were deemed not to meet the criteria for accelerated funding and delivery and are recommended for continuation either via acceleration at own risk or under the existing smart meter programmes.

With the recent call from the UK government’s Environment Agency for further acceleration of smart water meter deployments for reductions in demand and leakages, more attention will be focussed on this issue in the months and years ahead.

Currently, about 14% of water-metered households have smart meters, corresponding to about 2.4 million smart water meters.

The call by the Environment Agency, an executive non-departmental public body of the UK government, is in response to the water companies’ draft water resources management plans, with what the Agency describes as a “crucial” need for demand reductions, particularly in the short term but also longer-term towards 2050.

The Environment Act 2021 sets a target to reduce the use of public water supply in England per head of population by 20% by 2037-38 from the 2019-20 baseline.

The current draft water resources plans would deliver a 17% reduction in water use per person by this time in England.

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Moreover, the scale of the challenge increases with time as by 2050 the Agency estimates a shortfall of approximately 4,000Ml/day of water between the water supplies available and the expected demand.

While new water resource options are expected to account for about 60% of the demand in 2050, the majority of the remainder is envisaged through savings on the demand side approximately equally between customer options such as smart metering and distribution options such as leakage reduction.

Currently, approximately 60% of household properties are metered in England, of which about 14% are smart, and are read on average at most twice per year.

This is limiting understanding of household water use, the Agency says, asking water companies to stop installing these types of meters and instead accelerate the rollout of smart meters.

In particular, all water companies are expected to install smart meters from 2025 and to replace the current basic meter stock.

Smart meters also are expected to be rolled out to business users. A 9% reduction in business water consumption by 2037-38 from 2019-20 levels is sought, but currently the draft plans achieve a reduction of only 1.8%, the Agency says.

The draft water resources management plans have the household metering penetration in England reaching over 90% with 65% smart metered by 2050.

With 90% of businesses already metered, the smart metering is projected to reach 35% by 2050.

Overall the government is asking for a reduction in per capita consumption to 110l/person/day by 2050 as well as a 50% reduction in leakage.

Water companies open data

In a separate action, Ofwat has called on the UK water companies to take immediate actions to unleash the benefits of open data.

Reporting demand for data from a range of stakeholders, Ofwat has indicated that the companies are expected to identify priority data sets for release and to review datasets that have so far only been shared with limited groups or are not in machine-readable format and take steps to make them accessible and/or available.

The companies also should develop open data roadmaps and an open data culture within their organisations and should actively engage with data users especially to identify priority datasets and to improve the quality of data release.

In this context industry-wide collaboration would be helpful for the development of data portals, the facilitation of knowledge sharing and development of common standards that enhance interoperability.

“We are challenging companies to show proactive leadership and go further and faster to open up their data,” says Ofwat Chief Operating Officer, Lisa Commane.

“Learning from other sectors shows that as well as having established data infrastructure, companies must embed a stronger data culture, bring capability and skills into the sector and improve collaboration to speed up delivery.”

Ofwat reports increasing user demand for water sector data from stakeholders including environmental NGOs, citizen scientists, the public, government and supply chain companies who see opportunities to problem solve.

In a March report, the House of Lords also called for water companies to take more action to provide open data on the environmental performance of their wastewater network and treatment works.

Ofwat has indicated its intention to develop a licence condition obligating the companies to deliver on the open data challenge and envisages a step change over the next 18 months.

The industry open data delivery roadmap is due for publication in October.

Energy Web in Polkadot link up

Energy Web, which has led the development of the blockchain in the energy sector, is looking to Polkadot for its next generation technology.

Polkadot is a platform that unites specialised blockchains or ‘parachains’, such as Energy Web’s, opening up the possibility for interoperability across these and providing the basis for an interoperable decentralised web.

While Energy Web has yet to release full details of its plans – and we’ll report in due course – the organisation has indicated the move will allow it to create the framework for its new Energy Web X as the next generation energy sector blockchain technology.

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A key feature is the implementation of so-called ‘worker nodes’ or decentralised groups of computers that perform work off-chain that can be deployed independently but coordinated in cohesive networks.

Jesse Morris, CEO of Energy Web, anticipates that the shift to Energy Web X will enable partner companies, such as Shell, Vodafone and Volkswagen, to accelerate their decarbonisation strategies.

“To achieve the [clean energy] goal, we decided to search for a blockchain platform that offers real enterprise-grade security and seamless upgradeability to ensure a safe and future-proof environment. Polkadot excels on both of these fronts with its shared security model and best-in-class core technology.”

Energy Web is focused currently on two key areas, one to help electric utilities digitise and integrate distributed energy resources to the grid and the second to bring transparency and verifiability to emerging green product supply chains, including 24/7 matched renewable electricity.

By the end of Q1, a total of 42 parachains had joined Polkadot, representing sectors such as decentralised finance, privacy, social media, sustainability, NFTs, gaming and the metaverse.

By leveraging each other’s strengths to unlock new use cases, parachains help projects expand at scale while enjoying the shared security advantages provided by Polkadot.

ChatGPT comes to utility water management

In what is believed to be a first US headquartered water platform provider Klir has launched generative AI capabilities through the latest iteration of its Klir Comply platform.

Using Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI service to provide access to powerful language models, including ChatGPT-4, water professionals are able to receive insights into their utility’s data through an AI-powered chatbot while benefiting from the scalability, reliability, performance and security of Azure, Klir says.

By blending the conversational benefits of ChatGPT with each utility’s water quality management and compliance data – e.g. “Is our water compliant today?” or “Draft me a summary of last week’s water quality” – the AI function simplifies tedious but critical tasks while ensuring internal data stays secure and private at all times, the company asserts.

In what is stated as a nod of Klir’s Irish roots, the chatbot is represented by ‘Boots’, an Irish Water Spaniel “trained to sniff out key data”.

And ‘Boots’ allows users to query millions of data points within the utility’s private internal data with features including integrating administrative tasks with sampling results data, providing predictive water quality analysis, generating quantitative insights into sampling results and identifying correlations between data.

“Klir’s AI function sits as a layer on top of what is already the most comprehensive software for water quality and compliance management on the market,” declares David Lynch, CEO of Klir.

“To be able to ask complex compliance water management questions and immediately receive accurate answers is seismic and will help organisations around the world to slow the global water crisis.”

Along with introducing the ChatGPT function, Klir also has unveiled a new ‘maturity model’ that assesses and prioritises the key operational risks water utilities face.

Metaverse could reduce greenhouse gas emissions

New research from scientists at Cornell University suggest that the growing metaverse sector could reduce US greenhouse gas emissions by 10Gt CO2e by 2050 and lower the global surface temperature by up to 0.02^oC before the end of the century.

The findings emerged from AI-based modelling of data from several key sectors, technology, energy, environment and business, to anticipate the growth of metaverse usage and the impact of its most promising applications including remote work, virtual traveling, distance learning, gaming and non-fungible tokens.

The researchers projected metaverse expansion through 2050 along three different trajectories – slow, nominal and fast – and they looked to previous technologies, such as television, the internet and the iPhone, for insight into how quickly that adoption might occur.

They also factored in the amount of energy that increasing usage would consume.

The modelling suggested that within 30 years, the technology would be adopted by more than 90% of the population, which was more rapidly than expected, and with limiting business travel generating the largest environmental benefit.

“Think about the decarbonisation of our transportation sector,” says Fengqi You, professor in Energy Systems Engineering in Cornell Engineering and senior author of the research.

“Electric vehicles work, but you can’t drive a car to London or Tokyo. Do I really have to fly to Singapore for a conference tomorrow? That will be an interesting decision-making point for some stakeholders to consider as we move forward with these technologies with human–machine interface in a 3D virtual world.”

Currently, two of the biggest industry drivers of metaverse development are Meta (formerly Facebook) and Microsoft, both of which contributed to the Cornell study. Meta has been focusing on individual experiences such as gaming, while Microsoft specialises in business solutions, including remote conferencing and distance learning.

Ultimately however, the metaverse can only do so much, You points out.

“There are so many sectors in this economy. You cannot count on the metaverse to do everything. But it could do a little bit if we leverage it in a reasonable way.”

Novel water leak detection

By 2030 Britain’s water industry is required to reduce leakage by 1 billion l/day to ensure future water supplies, which in turn requires a step change in innovation in current leak detection tools.

Two new projects are set to tackle this issue with funding from Britain’s water regulator Ofwat’s innovation ‘Water Breakthrough Challenge’ fund.

Severn Trent Water is leading an initiative to use fibre optic cables adjacent to water mains as leak sensors. While the concept, which uses unused optical fibre strands, aka ‘dark fibre’, has already been demonstrated, the next phase is focussed on proving it at scale as well as building industry confidence to bring the technology to market.

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SES Water is investigating a complementarity approach, with what it has named a ‘universal access point for water’. Part of tackling leakage is an accurate understanding of the condition of the water mains and the ability to carry out inspections and repairs without the need for expensive and disruptive excavations. The project is aimed to design such a universal access point with a standardised entry for use for inserting cameras, leak location arrays, repair solutions, autonomous robotic solutions or a host of other devices.

“We’re really excited to be developing the universal access point, which will enable water companies to reduce water leakage and manage their current buried asset base far more effectively,” says Jeremy Heath, Innovation Manager at SES Water.

An EV battery for all seasons

As electric vehicles (EVs) have become more widespread drivers have increasingly observed a drop in performance in the winter, as have other users of electronic devices with lithium-ion batteries such as cameras.

The issue is attributable to the electrolyte starting to freeze in sub-zero temperatures. But this may soon be a thing of the past with the development by a team of scientists from the US Department of Energy’s Argonne and Lawrence Berkeley national laboratories of what is effectively an anti-freeze electrolyte with fluorine.

In testing with laboratory cells, the team’s fluorinated electrolyte retained stable energy storage capacity for 400 charge-discharge cycles at -20oC. Even at that sub-zero temperature, the capacity was equivalent to that of a cell with a conventional carbonate-based electrolyte at room temperature.

The team also determined at the atomic scale why their electrolyte composition worked so well, depending on the position of the fluorine atoms within the molecules in the electrolyte transporting lithium ions and the number of those atoms.

The researchers anticipate that the anti-freeze electrolyte shows promise of working not only for batteries in EVs, but also in energy storage for electric grids as well as for consumer electronic devices.

Next-gen optoelectronics in prospect

Optoelectronic devices – that convert light into energy – are widely used in applications from solar PV panels to TV screens and smartphone displays.

These rely on semiconductor materials to operate but expanding the current capabilities of optoelectronics with improved performance and new functionalities lies in finding new non-silicon semiconductors.

Kyusang Lee, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and materials science and engineering at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science, has been investigating such new systems with a ‘mixed-dimensional heterostructure’ approach involving the joining together of 2D and 3D semiconductor materials.

A material system engineered this way has the potential to efficiently detect a wide range of frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum, including ultraviolet, visible and infrared light. But before tapping that potential, more understanding is needed on the optical and electronic properties of the heterostructure, specifically how electrical charges and energy move across the 2D-3D junction through a ‘hybrid charge transfer exciton’.

Now with funding from the US Air Force, Lee aims to describe the quantum (atomic level) physics of his proposed heterojunctions. Then mixed-dimensional heterostructures would be fabricated to validate the model predictions.

Eventually, the aim is to enable the learnings to be applied to design a wide array of optoelectronic sensing technologies.

While the technology is clearly of potential interest for military applications, another potential one could be to improve the efficiency of PV panels to operate in non-sunny conditions and possibly even at night.

Indeed, over the past few years most water meter manufacturers have started to move away from smart card technology and adopt the Standard Transfer Specification (STS) technology, which supports mobile payment platforms like M-Pesa, MTN, or Airtel and may be more easily recharged with a 20 digit token.

Moreover, without a physical card to transfer the data, STS prepaid water meters may more easily integrate remote communication technologies such as LoRa/LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, GPRS or Bluetooth, etc., collectively named Internet of Things (IoT) communication, which enables bi-communication capability.

There is no standard definition of the difference between smart prepaid water meters and regular prepaid water meters. The consensus of the industry can be summarised as follows.

First, the digital metering technology, which is based on sensing, will be more accurate compared to the conventional metering.

Second, the smart water meters must have the function of bi-communication enabling uploading of billing data and alarm events, etc. through either a walk-by system or fixed network.

Third, the smart water meters must have leakage and by-pass detection features, etc., which are not necessary functions for normal STS prepaid water meters. Other functions like stepped tariffs, anti-tamper, pressure and temperature measurement are also frequently mentioned as features of smart water meters, but none are as important as IoT communication for two-way data transmission.

So why must smart water meters must have bi-communication as the most important feature? As is well known, the biggest challenges for African water utilities are the high non-revenue water (NRW) and the delay on bill payments. The STS prepaid water meter effectively improves the efficiency of bill collection, as without the IoT remote communication, the idea of decreasing the NRW through data management and analysis is not feasible.

There is a misunderstanding that remote data collection is only for replacing the meter reader, but this is not necessary in Africa as labour costs are very low and people need more job opportunities. On the contrary, data collection is the basis for improving management and creates more valuable jobs. It is only through the MDMS (Meter Data Management System) and IoT communication that water companies can collect the hourly or daily consumption data, which can be used to analyse abnormal events and detect leakage points quickly to which skilled workers can then go to fix the problems.

The IoT remote communication also provides the possibility for online monitoring of pipe network pressure, abnormal users with non consumption and huge night flow, etc.

After the installation of the prepaid water meters, the financial department will encounter challenges with the revenue and the consumption having a time difference as the prepaid water meter has a balance, which is effectively a stock of water. Thus, the financial department is the one that most quickly requests the billing data readings for analysis of financial indices such as gross profit, etc.

Water companies are very concerned about the cost difference between regular prepaid water meters and smart water meters, but this depends on the strategy of the manufacturers. For example, Tesla vehicles are fitted with all features, which can be activated through the configuration. Similarly LAISON Parise series prepaid water meters have all smart features by default.

Depending on the different IoT technologies, the smart metering system requires some additional devices to enable remote data transmission, such as LoRa Data Concentrator Unit, LoRaWAN gateway or NBIoT/GPRS SIM card, etc. This communication equipment is used to collect data from multiple meters, with typically 200 to 300 smart meters sharing one DCU within a range of radius above 0.5km, so the cost is favourable compared to the benefits.

Upgrading prepaid water meter solutions to smart metering systems with a DCU/gateway and MDMS is a smart choice for water companies and a trend of the times.

Author: Mr. Raymond Zheng, managing director of LAISON, email: laisontech@gmail.com

A challenge for the cost effectiveness of water as well as gas smart meters is the need for a battery to power the communications, placing potential restrictions on the level and frequency of data transmission and the need for its replacement within the lifetime of the meter.

But that may be about to change with the development of a meter powered by the mains water pressure through a turbine in a project conceived by Northumbrian Water back in 2021 and now awarded funding from Britain’s water regulator Ofwat’s innovation ‘Water Breakthrough Challenge’ fund.

Climate change is driving the need to conserve water as a key resource. Using the flow of water to provide limitless power to the meter would enable live, rich data to be provided to the consumer and to utilities, enabling actions to reduce consumption and to more rapidly identify and respond to leaks, states Northumbrian Water.

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In addition to saving water, further sustainability benefits will arise from longer meter lifespans, reduced maintenance and the elimination of environmentally harmful batteries.

“This funding provides a fantastic opportunity to develop a prototype of the world’s first concentric hydro powered smart meter, enabling the use of granular data to reduce customer consumption and removing the need for environmentally damaging batteries,” says Gary Adams, head of Smart Programme at Northumbrian Water.

Other partners in the project include SUEZ Advanced Solutions UK and the French smart water solution startup Hydrao – Smart and Blue as well as the other water companies Southern Water, South East Water, Anglian Water and Portsmouth Water.

The hydro-powered smart meter will be designed to fit in customers’ existing meter chambers.

Open water data

The hydro powered smart meter is one of four projects for which Northumbrian Water received funding in this round.

The largest amount – almost £4 million ($5 million) – was awarded to the next phase of the Stream project, which is developing an open data sharing platform for the water companies to share data with one another, other utilities companies and the wider public in a secure, standardised and easy to access way.

The Stream platform, due to be delivered in 2024, is involving ten other water companies alongside Northumbrian Water as well as other partners with experience from banking and energy.

The challenges and solutions don’t stop at water company boundaries, Northumbrian Water points out. Being able to collaborate around data is a key ingredient to drive innovation and improve sector performance.

Ofwat has stated its expectation that in the next price review period from 2024 on companies should be making better use of data, including by embracing open data.

In partnership with the real estate billing service provider Minol Zenner and metering system developer aktiver EMT, Netze is planning to pilot the submetering solution with housing industry customers in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

According to the Heating Cost Ordinance (HKVO), which regulates the billing of heating and hot water in multi-unit dwellings, since December 1, 2022 only measurement technology that can be securely connected to the Smart Meter Gateway may be installed for submetering.

Drawing on the technologies in the respective companies’ portfolios, the three intend in the pilot to digitise via the Smart Meter Gateway’s secure communication channel the entire submetering process from consumption recording to billing.

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“For Netze BW, this new project within the framework of our cooperation is an important step towards developing new digital business models around the rollout of intelligent metering systems in our role as the basic metering point operator,” says CEO Dr Christoph Müller.

“By digitising metering, we can offer our customers additional services with great added value.”

Examples include the provision of data in real time and consumption control via the metering system, while for Netze BW new business models include variable tariffs and energy monitoring and management.

The companies have a long history of collaboration and as far back as 2018 Netze BW and Minol Zinner technically combined submetering with metering.

With Germany’s smart metering now mandatory and the rollout expected to accelerate, demand for such submetering solutions also is expected to increase.

With the latest provisions in the HKVO, the foundation also is laid for closer collaboration between the smart meter and submetering service providers.

LoRaWAN roaming pilot

Alongside the smart submetering pilot, Netze BW and Minol Zenner also have agreed to launch a one-year pilot to share their individual LoRaWAN networks on a free basis.

Such a roaming agreement is a first in Germany and the project aims to test operations in a real world setting and to define the necessary process flows.

With LoRaWAN the foundation for the Internet of Things (IoT), such roaming opportunities should lead to more efficient use of the resources as the demand for IoT applications grows and rapid expansion of the LoRaWAN network is necessitated.

Dr. Hartmut Ritter, managing director of Minol ZENNER Connect, says that as part of the cooperation with Netze BW, the company is bundling competencies with the long-term goal of establishing Germany and Europe-wide roaming in the LoRaWAN® network with various partners.

“Digitisation stands and falls with the development and expansion of communication networks as well as the availability of connectivity. Together with Netze BW, we are setting a milestone here.”

Netze BW is the largest network company for electricity, gas and water in Baden-Württemberg.

With this, the performance of the platform and its conformance to G3-Alliance hybrid specifications is validated and interoperability assured when using the solution in G3-hybrid networks.

The SM2400 PLC+RF reference design module is a complete board that implements a full powerline communication interface and as well as an integrated radio for short range, modest bandwidth communication.

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The module can be used as a bridge between RF and PLC or simultaneously connect to both networks.

Such hybrid offerings are aimed to offer an efficient and cost-effective solution for smart grid, smart city, industry and other IoT applications in which meters, data concentrators and other devices need to communicate reliably to meet performance levels and are interoperable with each other.

“Hybrid PLC/RF networks deliver high reliability and scalability, while adding flexibility and increasing data capacity and speed,” said Semitech CEO Zeev Collin.

“Customers want to use certified platforms as a stamp of quality approval and to ensure interoperability with other products sharing the same networks.”

The G3-Alliance is a consortium with responsibility for 2011 to standardize and promote G3-technologies globally.

The G3-PLC Hybrid is the first industry hybrid standard offering extended capabilities through one seamlessly managed network over both wired and wireless media. As such it opens up new cases such as communication with water and gas smart meters, in-home displays and lighting controllers among other technologies.

Subsequently, the solution has been extended to include the ARIB bandplan for Japan to enable implementation in that market.

The project ‘Making optimal use of stormwater in cities: a market-driven smart grid’, is aimed to address the twin challenges of flooding and drought that are prevalent in the urban water industry.

In particular, the proposal is to examine how the use of a smart grid network could enable consumers to reduce their water demand by harnessing urban stormwater by incentivising the release of water to drought-affected streams and mitigating the flood-risk by drawing down water storages prior to large storms.

“We believe we can do for the urban water grid what solar panels have done for the electricity grid,” says Professor Tim Fletcher from the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Science, who will lead the project.

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“We can create a network of connected rainwater tanks that actually pay their owners for contributions they make to reducing floods, supplying water to streams in drought and reducing their own demand for drinking water.”

Water is critical to cities but urban stormwater, such as runoff from roofs and roads, is usually wasted, even though much – up to half in Australia – is generated from private land.

Harnessing this stormwater could supply more than 80% of the urban water that is currently used for non-potable purposes.

The project, which will be undertaken with Melbourne Water Corporation, envisages developing a control platform that can optimise in real-time the use of a smart grid of networked stormwater storage on private land.

This network would enable consumers to reduce water demand by supplying their own non-potable water, but also financially reward them for water releases to streams requiring greater water flows while reducing the flood risk by automatically drawing down storages prior to large storms.

The platform will be commercialised through IP sharing arrangements with private companies, with Melbourne Water facilitating translation through its established partnerships with technology providers, retail water authorities, local government and policymakers.

In addition to the ARC funding, the project also receives Au$1.3 million in university funding as well as support from Melbourne Water.

The announcement marks a major milestone in the utility’s 100-year water plan, Water Forward, reaching the halfway mark in its My ATX Water Smart Water Meter Program.

Over half of Austin Water customers’ water meters have been replaced as part of their effort to upgrade and modernise critical infrastructure, while encouraging and supporting customer efforts to conserve water and save money on their bills.

More than 125,000 new My ATX Water digital meters have been installed; and by 2025 all customers served by Austin Water are expected to have a new My ATX Water meter.

“This milestone is cause for celebration!” said Randi Jenkins, assistant director of customer experience at Austin Water. “The My ATX Water digital infrastructure and the associated portal will help individuals save water by identifying leaks in their homes, helping them budget water use and providing tips on saving water and money.”

To celebrate the milestone, the utility is hosting a free community celebration this Saturday, May 6 at Dove Springs District Park.

“We will have family-friendly activities, free pancakes, and ice cream from local vendors while supplies last. Dowser Dan, Austin’s very own water saver, will be there, and we can help to get people signed up on the customer portal,” added Jenkins. “We want to meet members of the community and share all the great benefits this new system will provide.”

Smart water metering – My ATX Water

My ATX Water, Austin Water’s smart water meter system, aims to modernise the utility’s water metering system by replacing more than 250,000 analogue water meters with digitally read water meters connected to a wireless network.

A customer portal will provide daily water use data and custom notifications. The project is considered an important strategy within the utility’s 100-year water plan, known as Water Forward.

According to Austin Water, since 2016, the utility’s staff have evaluated Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and conducted small-scale pilot projects to choose the best meter and data analytics solution.

On March 26, 2020, the Austin City Council approved contracts for full implementation of the new metering system and customer portal.

The My ATX Water portal is hoped to give Austin Water customers near real-time data to better track and manage their water use.

With the smart water meters, consumers can set water use thresholds to push notifications to their email or phone and will receive alerts about continuous water usage that could indicate a leak.

On top of that there is the energy crisis, for which the utilities also need good information, Lieberherr commented.

Speaking in a Connect interview at Enlit Europe, Lieberherr welcomed the European Commission’s drive to accelerate the rollout of smart meters across the region, saying that while some countries such as the Nordics are at the “front end” of the energy transition, others such as Switzerland and Germany are further back.

However, one of the main challenges is legislation, which needs to be changed. Another issue is disruptions in the supply chain with the demand for chips, although this is underway to be resolved.

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“We keep rolling out smart meters because utilities don’t stop [their rollouts], which is very positive, so a moderated supply chain environment is a good thing for us.”

Lieberherr also highlighted the importance of smart water metering, particularly in countries with water shortages in for example Africa and others such as Australia. He cited as an example the Victoria utility South East Water, which is losing on average about one-sixth of its water.

“With ultrasonic water meters, we are able to detect leaks, and really help to make water management much more efficient.”

Turning to the company’s newest product, the Revelo range of meters, Lieberherr said that it is a grid edge sensor and is currently being deployed in the US where the grids are generally older than in Europe and often not connected to one another.

“There you need better information and the Revelo senses the power system sin curve 15,000 times per second for anomalies for power quality, cybersecurity, etc. That’s important for the utility but also for the end consumers when they can quickly run up a bill of $300-600 per month and with the Revelo they can see their power consumption in real time on their iphones.”

Meters of the future

Looking to the meter of the future, Lieberherr said that the meter of today is already a highly capable computing power module and in the future there will be an increase in accuracy as well as in the information that is available to the utility and end user.

He added that the data management also has to be thought about with the increased data flows. Landis+Gyr has a current seven-year partnership with Google for cloud-based energy analytics.

“My view is that it will increase with the increased urbanisation and changing energy demand from EVs and heat pumps, which means the requirements for the grids are becoming more challenging. For that we will need more efficient solutions and I believe that within ten years there will be a grid edge sensor that is highly capable in terms of managing these different resources together with a huge amount of software to really do the best for the utility and for the end customer.”

Watch the full interview with Werner Lieberherr on Enlit World.

The total investment will be around £1.6 billion ($2 billion) with work beginning in the next two financial years, from 2023 to 2025.

The investments will deliver benefits in three areas:

• £400 million ($493 million) for water resilience schemes, including installation of 462,000 smart water meters and new water resource and water quality projects. In total these projects will deliver and protect 159Ml/d of water supply, helping to increase drought resilience.
• £1.1 billion ($1.4 billion) to improve over 250 storm overflows and reduce the annual average of spills by 10,000. This includes work to improve water quality at the bathing water site at Ilkley on the River Wharfe and significantly reduce spills into Lake Windermere.
• £160 million ($197.2 million) to help reduce nutrient pollution and support nutrient neutrality at 14 locations, protecting natural ecosystems while facilitating housing and economic development.

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Smart water meters and accelerated water security

In October 2022, Ofwat and Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) invited companies to propose schemes to accelerate investment in water resilience (supply and demand), storm overflows and nutrient neutrality.

According to Ofwat’s proposal, there is increasing pressure on drought resilience from climate change, population growth and abstraction reductions.

Dry summers, more frequent and intense rainfall, more variable river flows and biological changes in water bodies necessitate the acceleration of such projects. In England specifically, it is estimated that there is a 25% chance of the worst drought in recorded history within the next 30 years.

The smart water meter rollout is split between seven schemes as follows:
● Anglian Water – 60,000 smart meters, which should achieve 1.3Ml/d in water savings by developing a near-real time understanding of customers’ usage to support them reducing water usage.
● Severn Trent Water – 250,000 smart meters to achieve 11.3Ml/d in water savings by facilitating behaviour change, identifying leaks quicker and better management of peak demand pressures.
● South West Water – 40,116 smart meters to achieve 1.2Ml/d in water savings by monitoring near real-time flows to better manage demand and identify leaks quicker.
● Affinity Water – 20,000 smart meters to achieve 0.3Ml/d in water savings by increasing water efficiency. The scheme will also allow the company to learn more about the benefits of smart metering and reduce the delivery risk of its rollout.
● South Staffordshire Water (including Cambridge Water) – 91,400 smart meters in two schemes to achieve 5.4Ml/d in water savings by reducing water demand in the future and allowing the company to identify leaks quicker.
● Portsmouth Water – 500 smart meters to trial as part of a programme to put in place the supporting infrastructure for a wider rollout, including a meter data management system, cloud storage infrastructure, software and system implementation and integration. The company expects to instal an additional 43,300 smart meters in the 2025-30 period, which should deliver water savings of 2.5Ml/d by March 2030.

Early approval of the schemes, states Ofwat, will help the sector to gear up for a larger investment programme over the coming years and will help deliver benefits for customers and the environment sooner.

These are Ofwat’s draft decisions for consultation. All projects must be started before April 2025 and completed by 2030.

Ofwat also identified a further 37 schemes, totalling £376 million ($463.3 million) of investment in the 2023-25 period and £1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) overall, that companies can accelerate if they are included in final company environmental plans and address concerns that Ofwat has raised.

David Black, chief executive, of Ofwat, comments on the levels of investment that will be needed to address water system challenges in the UK, including “storm overflows, river and bathing water quality and drought resilience.”

Said Black: “We are pleased that we’ve been able to work with companies and identify significant investments which companies can start well before the next price control period…We want to see companies making more rapid progress in delivering improvements, and will hold them to account if they fall short.”

Water minister Rebecca Pow added: “These new schemes…build on the key commitments in our five-year strategy – our Environmental Improvement Plan – as well as our upcoming Plan for Water to tackle pollution, reduce water consumption and protect our waters”.

Updated with smart meter schemes – April 17

A contract has been signed between smart tech company Itron and the Italian water utility, the only operator of Sardinia’s water services, and involves the supply of Itron’s ultrasonic water meters.

Specifically, Itron will be providing its Intelis wSource smart water meters to improve the utility’s data collection and better manage water use and delivery on the island, which is the second largest in the Mediterranean.

Itron’s smart metering technology will give Abbanoa access to detailed and precise data on a frequent basis.

Built-in alarms will aim to enable the utility to quickly detect leaks in its water network and reduce non-revenue water losses.

Among its key features, Abbanoa will utilise are:

• Remote meter reading collection, allowing Abbanoa to quickly identify water patterns. In turn, this can lower their customers water consumption by spotting and pre-emptively remediating leaks to lower bills.
• Data collection; the ultrasonic water meters have no moving parts and are designed to be long-lasting. The meters aim to prevent unplanned maintenance costs while providing accurate water data. This will also enable insight into the health of their water network. This helps to reduce real and apparent water losses.

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“It is essential not to take water for granted, but rather to protect and manage it in the best possible way. This is especially true as a water distributor enabling ever-increasing services to our end-users,” said Maurizio Zannol, who is responsible for the measures sector at Abbanoa.

“With remote meter reading, in a single day, it will be possible to take as many as 2,500 consumption readings versus 200 with a traditional door-to-door system.

“As many of our customers have inaccessible meters or have meters located inside private homes, Itron’s smart meters will allow us to simplify the data collection process with remote readings. We look forward to deploying Itron’s ultrasonic smart meters with high-precision two-way communication and accessing key information such as leak detection and reverse flow.”

Justin Patrick, senior vice president of Device Solutions at Itron added: “The [ultrasonic water] meter is built to maintain the highest level of accuracy in some of the most challenging conditions, which will help deliver long-lasting results in the Sardinia island climate.”

The Itron Intelis wSource is, according to Itron, the only water meter available today that is MID-certified for R1000 accuracy, a new standard in precision for measuring water consumption at low flows and increased accuracy in customer billing.

Underground pipeline water leaks are usually difficult to detect using traditional leak noise logging techniques due to depth.

Aiming to meet this challenge, the Smart Ball system consists of a small diameter sphere with a highly sensitive acoustic sensor, which is inserted into the water network where it travels freely, driven by water flow.

The Smart Ball technology detects these sounds generated by leaks and identifies gas pockets or anomalies, which have unique characteristics.

Once the Smart Ball is extracted, the compiled data is analysed by software using mathematical algorithms showing the precise location of leaks, gas pockets or anomalies.

The Smart Ball travels freely inside the transmission pipes at around 3km per hour and can inspect over 35km in one day without affecting the water flow.

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Year long project results

The Smart Ball tech was initially used by DEWA in April 2021. Until the end of 2022, it detected 43 leaks in the utility’s water transmission network in Dubai, saving 130 million imperial gallons of water and AED5.2 million ($1.4 million).

“In addition to ensuring around-the-clock water supply and early detection of leaks to reduce wastage, the Smart Ball technology contributes to reducing losses in water transmission and distribution networks which is currently 4.5%, one of the lowest worldwide,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA.

DEWA launched its water smart distribution management system – of which the Smart Ball forms a part – hoping to improve automation, efficiency of operations and reliability of water supplies.

It has a centralised around-the-clock system for remote control and monitoring, as well as smart equipment and systems.

The system uses Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) installed at interconnections between the transmission and distribution pipelines. In addition, it is linked with advanced water SCADA and hydraulic-management systems to improve fault location and lowers costs.

In Tanzania, the Maji Week celebration is organized by the Ministry of Water in association with existing Water Stakeholders to celebrate world water day with a series of events in various regions under different themes. The Maji week celebrations started to incorporate a scientific conference in 2019. The conference aims at engaging water industry experts in sharing insights, new technologies and experiences within the sector.

It’s a great honour for Laison to be part of the 21st International Maji Scientific Conference organized by the Water Institute, Ministry of Water. Our team brought the latest series of products and smart metering solutions to this conference, thereby helping water sectors make waves of changes to smart water and accelerate toward a more sustainable future.

As the leading company in smart water meter, Laison’s presence at the conference drew a lot of attention, particularly from industry experts and water institutes. At Conference, we not only showcased cutting-edge metering products like the Parise series smart water meter, Ultrasonic smart water meter, Volumetric STS Prepaid Smart Water meter, etc. but also introduced advanced data management system which will help water utilities realize smart management. Moreover, the trending MaaS(Metering-as-a-Service) concept and PPP funding model Laison brought at this Expo also grabbed the public’s eye. A steady stream of visitors including water sector major officials came to visit Laison’s booth.

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The Minister of Tanzania Water Sector stopped before Laison’s booth for a long time and expressed Laison’s products and solutions are more than impressive. He also mentioned Laison’s brand in the presentation of this event and indicated that Laison is in the vanguard of prepaid metering technologies.

As the most widely used smart water meter brand in Africa, Laison will always be the best partner for water utilities to help them create more value and embrace the challenges of water management with advanced solutions and technologies.

Laison’s team attended this grand event and we are thrilled and honoured to showcase our innovative smart water metering solutions at the exhibition.

The African Water Association (AfWA) was established in February 1980 out of the desire of some African water utility managers to pool their human, technical, and financial resources and to improve access to drinking water for the African people. This year’s session features the theme “Acting for sustainable resources management and access for all to water and sanitation in Africa”, and the world’s leading experts, engineers, technicians, researchers, and stakeholders could meet and focus on the water opportunities and challenges in Africa.

Laison stays firm to follow localization strategy and has established branches and factories in multiple countries in Africa. This step will make fast delivery possible and promote local industrialization and employment. Meanwhile, Laison also brought the trending MaaS(Metering-as-a-Service) concept and PPP funding model at this Expo, thereby providing one-stop service for water metering, management&monitoring, operation and project funding. Additionally, Laison’s smart water metering solutions not only focus on cutting-edge metering products like the Parise series smart water meter, Ultrasonic smart water meter, Volumetric STS Prepaid Smart Water meter, etc. but also include advanced data management systems like LAPIS system. Bi-directional data transfer between Meter and LAPIS System can be realized for remote meter monitoring and automatic data collection for further analysis. All of our solutions will help water authorities further reduce non-revenue water and bring their management to a new level.

Through this exhibition, Laison not only reinforced and established connections with existing and potential customerS and developed in-depth exchanges with peers and experts in water fields, but also received extensive positive feedback and affirmation from water utilities.

As the leading water meter brand in Africa, Laison will make continuous efforts for products upgrade and better customer experience, thereby providing advanced smart water meter solutions to help water authorities cope with challenges of water management.

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International Affairs Analyst, Alice Bertazzoli, describes these companies and their respective technologies, which are enabling the energy transition.

“In all areas in which the energy transition will decline, we see extraordinary development opportunities for our companies. In this context, the showcase represented by Enlit Europe will consolidate its importance in the coming years,” she said.

Watch the full video interview below.

This interview was filmed in November 2022 at Enlit Europe in Frankfurt, Germany

For more information, you can visit ANIE internazionale@anie.it

Olea’s Meter Health Analytics (MHA) solution uses AI to provide insights into the performance of commercial and industrial water meters, which can have an outsized impact on both water loss and utility revenue.

Olea cites a 2018 study, Quantifying the global non-revenue water problem, which found that non-revenue water — water that has been produced but is ‘lost’ before it reaches the customer — comprised 30% of water system input volumes worldwide. The total cost of such losses for utilities can be up to $39 billion per year.

“EVMWD is one of the country’s most technologically savvy utility companies, and they were interested in trying an innovative solution to reduce water loss and maximize water efficiency,” Olea Edge Analytics CFO Jennifer Crow said.

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“When large commercial meters perform optimally, it benefits the entire system. The largest water consumers are billed accurately and utilities can address significant apparent water loss quickly.”

Municipalities across California have asked their customers to reduce their water use as the state contends with its third straight year of drought.

Despite some respite from heavy rains in December 2022 and January this year, the need for efficiency remains to ensure supplies for the future.

“When confronting the challenges of drought, EVMWD takes a multifaceted approach to ensure water is available 24/7 for our community,” said Greg Thomas, general manager for Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.

“Using [such] tools…will allow our operations team to more accurately detect and address water loss.”