Recently there's been a lot of talk with regards to installing smart meters in all homes. These so called smart meters are essentially advanced electric meters which have the ability to identify power consumption in far greater detail than the old regular meters. This information is then relayed back to the utilities company for monitoring purposes as well as billing, but the question remains, will these meters really make any difference as far as reducing power consumption is concerned. In order to shed some light on the topic, let's take a look at exactly what one can and cannot expect from the new smart meters.
Traditional power meters regulate only the energy consumed, and not when it was used, meaning that it's hard to match consumption with production. Smart meters are one of the more economical methods of measuring not only consumption, but times other information. This allows power companies to set different prices according to when the power is used. This will allow customers to save money by using power at nonpeak hours and avoiding paying too much for energy. It's hoped that this will keep electricity prices down.
Italy's dominant utility is currently serving over twenty-seven million customers with fully electronic smart meters capable of measuring and managing power, and which have a software controlled disconnect switch. They're solid state, and communicate via low voltage power lines. These systems offer more features to utilities, allowing remote changing of billing plans, the ability to detect outages and unauthorized use, and the ability to turn power on and off remotely.
Smart meters have also been implemented in Turkey, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Australia. In the United states, a number of jurisdictions are actively pursuing smart meter technology, such as Northen California, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas. Implementation is imminent in the UK and in Ireland. Energy experts have noted that it's important for meters to allow homeowners to make choices such as buying their power when it's cheapest and selling wind turbine and solar panel electricity to utilities when they choose to.
The biggest problem with smart meter technologies is generally communication, since each meter must be able to securely and reliably communicate the information to a central point. This can be tricky, given the range of locations and environments in which these meters are located. Some solutions that have been proposed include cellular networks, radio, and power line communications.
Interestingly enough, the U.S. president has just recently called for 40 million smart meters to be installed, including 3,000 miles of transmission lines. As many have pointed out, this will be the first real upgrade to America's electrical grid in more than 40 years. Many also believe that such changes will be so significant; it could be compared to the Internet, the telephone, and the country's railroad. Of course it should be mentioned that one of the main reasons this project is being supported, is because it promises to be able to utilize electricity which has been generated from renewable resources. Additionally, it is also believed that this project will effectively reduce the need for any new power production facilities.
Considering that a smart meter can cost from 100 to $300.00 to install, it is by all accounts a significant investment, but then again, if you are able to choose when you wish to use electricity based on different prices during different times of the day, and then the savings you could make will surely make it all worthwhile. Judging from the amount of investment which has been made so far with regards to this technology, we may well see this become a reality sooner rather than later . - 29939
Traditional power meters regulate only the energy consumed, and not when it was used, meaning that it's hard to match consumption with production. Smart meters are one of the more economical methods of measuring not only consumption, but times other information. This allows power companies to set different prices according to when the power is used. This will allow customers to save money by using power at nonpeak hours and avoiding paying too much for energy. It's hoped that this will keep electricity prices down.
Italy's dominant utility is currently serving over twenty-seven million customers with fully electronic smart meters capable of measuring and managing power, and which have a software controlled disconnect switch. They're solid state, and communicate via low voltage power lines. These systems offer more features to utilities, allowing remote changing of billing plans, the ability to detect outages and unauthorized use, and the ability to turn power on and off remotely.
Smart meters have also been implemented in Turkey, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Australia. In the United states, a number of jurisdictions are actively pursuing smart meter technology, such as Northen California, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas. Implementation is imminent in the UK and in Ireland. Energy experts have noted that it's important for meters to allow homeowners to make choices such as buying their power when it's cheapest and selling wind turbine and solar panel electricity to utilities when they choose to.
The biggest problem with smart meter technologies is generally communication, since each meter must be able to securely and reliably communicate the information to a central point. This can be tricky, given the range of locations and environments in which these meters are located. Some solutions that have been proposed include cellular networks, radio, and power line communications.
Interestingly enough, the U.S. president has just recently called for 40 million smart meters to be installed, including 3,000 miles of transmission lines. As many have pointed out, this will be the first real upgrade to America's electrical grid in more than 40 years. Many also believe that such changes will be so significant; it could be compared to the Internet, the telephone, and the country's railroad. Of course it should be mentioned that one of the main reasons this project is being supported, is because it promises to be able to utilize electricity which has been generated from renewable resources. Additionally, it is also believed that this project will effectively reduce the need for any new power production facilities.
Considering that a smart meter can cost from 100 to $300.00 to install, it is by all accounts a significant investment, but then again, if you are able to choose when you wish to use electricity based on different prices during different times of the day, and then the savings you could make will surely make it all worthwhile. Judging from the amount of investment which has been made so far with regards to this technology, we may well see this become a reality sooner rather than later . - 29939
About the Author:
About the author: Jerry Dyess has specialized in Commercial Energy for the past 7 years. Get more information on Business Electric rates.
