A Custom Smart Electricity Meter for the UK market
Partner OnStream brings Mobius-based smart meters to UK
OnStream selected Sentec to assist them in creating the right meter for the UK market. They chose the option of producing a customised smart electricity meter, the first to be developed specifically to fit the profile of the burgeoning UK market.
As part of this customisation challenge, they chose to incorporate Sentec’s Mobius current sensor, featuring sophisticated and accurate metrology and communications interface. It provides a highly cost-effective platform simplifying the design process which has allowed this meter to be approved for market in record time.
“OnStream’s award-winning smart electricity meter took advantage of the outstanding performance measurement functionality offered by Sentec’s Mobius platform, helping us to develop a very accurate meter.
We partnered with Sentec based on their strong reputation and through their expertise and dedicated support they have really helped us achieve what we wanted in a very timely manner.”
Keith Hawkins, Strategy and Smart Development Manager, OnStream
The performance of Mobius is well-proven: at the time the technology was already the basis for more than 5 million smart meters in the US. Mobius is easily integrated into the overall design and offers a number of benefits over other current sensors, including highly accurate metrology and immunity from DC magnetic tampering.
OnStream has included plenty of functionality in their meter design as well as an easy to use interface. The meter uses GSM which allows it to use the strongest mobile network available for each site. Furthermore, it has excellent memory capabilities, is both robust and reliable and it is particularly suitable for the rapidly changing UK market because it is can be easily upgraded remotely to meet existing and future standards and requirements around functionality, tariffs and home area networking.
This partnership has resulted in the first meter to be launched in the UK to take advantage of the outstanding performance measurement functionality offered by the Mobius platform.
The project emphasised a change in attitude towards the metering supply chain, with traditional meter manufacturers facing competition from new entrants such as systems integrators and now meter asset providers and managers are looking at the opportunities offered by custom meter design and build.
Mark England, CEO of Sentec, explains: "This shift has resulted in all metering businesses, suppliers and customers redefining the way they work together, with more MAMs, such as OnStream, turning to bespoke meters as an affordable solution for their different marketplaces."
Clare Naunton, Smart Development Manager for OnStream commented: "Smart metering is on the brink of rapid expansion in the UK and it’s critical to create a product that is perfectly suited to the region.
The days of the one-size-fits-all meters are over and the opportunities in the future are based on increasing modularisation of meter design and lower costs of manufacturing as meters become pure electronic products that are found in every home."
England continues: “The OnStream meter encompasses all of Sentec’s key ideals for smart metering, including future-proofing, use of the combination of the best technologies available and lower cost manufacturing routes. It shows the true value of what can be achieved with a bespoke meter. With the national smart meter roll-out beginning in 2014, there is a pressing need for proven solutions that are specifically tailored to the needs of the UK market. OnStream is fully committed to driving forward the UK smart metering markets and is the perfect partner to support Sentec in bringing our expertise into UK homes."
Result
OnStream are currently trialling the smart electricity meter with leading UK utility partners.
They have been awarded a number of accolades for the smart meter product including winning both the Metering Manufacturer & Technology of the Year Award and Innovation of the Year Award at the European Smart Metering Awards, 2011.
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