Smart meters will gain traction among utilities in future

Gautam Seth, Joint MD, HPL Electric & Power Limited, In an Interview with EPR magazine 

Demand for smart meters in Indian power sector

The global smart electric metre market is expected to be worth USD 30.19 billion, by 2026. The rising demand to keep the track of data with an aim to reduce unauthorised use is increasing demand for smart electric metres. These metres, which are fully digital and include measuring and collecting data, help to improve the efficiency of electricity networks. The intelligence power grids are maintained by these metres, which act as strong pillars. Companies are now working on smart energy metres that can not only collect data but also gather it for billing purposes. As a result of these circumstances, consumers have been compelled to replace their traditional metres with smart and automated metres.

Responding to ever increasing power supply demand

Smart meters have been in use in India for over two years but they are still in their infancy. Initially, consumer acceptance was challenging in some areas but the situation has now got Better.

Over 2 million smart metres have been installed across the country by various entities. Nearly 1.7 million have been installed by IntelliSmart and EESL in six states and union territories, with the remaining being installed by other agencies. All the metres in our order book match the government’s requirement for local manufacturing which is defined as more than 50 percent value addition to the metre, or any appliance from local parties. 

Imports of electrical equipment and accessories impacting smart meters market

Indian R&D is offering metering technologies around the world for an industry that has focused largely on solar and wind. India has now established itself as a metering R&D centre. In the past, Chinese metres made their way into the Indian market, but they were readily tampered with in the field. Utilities must eventually remove Chinese metres from the field. Smart metering solutions will be implemented by a growing number of utilities in the coming years. Consumers will be able to monitor and regulate their electricity consumption just like the way they track and control their phone usage.

Smart meters and sustainability

Renewable growth may start picking up in 2021 as the new administration begins to implement a platform that includes rejoining the ‘Paris Climate Accord’, investing $2 trillion in clean energy, and fully decarbonising the power sector by 2035, all in the pursuit of a larger goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. A new administration is likely to use its executive authorities to help renewable energy deployment. Powers over emissions, public lands, procurement, foreign relations, trade, and agency appointments are all possible.

Supportive federal policies might assist expedite timelines for further development into other technologies, such as better batteries and other types of storage, offshore wind, and green hydrogen technology, for an industry that has relied mainly on solar and wind. We may see more power-to-x projects to store, convert, and reconvert surplus solar and wind power into carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals as these new technologies, particularly green hydrogen generation and storage, move closer to commercialisation.