Smart Metering - Smart Grid
Properly managed meter data enables utilities to predict system load and usage to avoid imbalances and reduce off-network purchases. Data analysis can help pinpoint over- or under-utilized infrastructure, improve system throughput, speed service restoration after outages, and more. Meter data helps utility leaders make good decisions, deploy new supporting technologies and get the most return out of their existing base of assets.
In countries where "smart metering" rollout has been initiated, companies are setting up systems in order to deal with this new incoming information. Indeed, they need a central place to collect, validate and store the customer consumption. Data collected is almost real time and be made available to the end customer thru web portals for example. Hence both parties have a better view about what is happening in real time. A joined "effort" takes place involving retailers who design new tariffs and customers who adapt his consumption to the new tariffs, creating a dynamic which helps reducing peak and saving energy.
