Tauron: Wrocław with a unique meter communication system in Europe

Original article in Polish retreived from Cire.pl: http://bit.ly/2Dbzn8c 

Tauron has built an AMI smart metering system in the capital of Lower Silesia, in which OSGP-based (Open Smart Grid Protocol) meters from three manufacturers are being used, maintaining the highest standards of PLC communication security. The group emphasizes that this is the first such solution in Europe.
 
Initially, the company installed about 368 thousand meters in the area of the city of Wrocław as part of the AMIPlus Smart City Wrocław project. The installed devices are supplied by two different manufacturers. The smart meters are fully interoperable, which means that they interact and communicate with each other in the power grid.
 
“Interoperability is a unique feature of the system because it allows devices from different manufacturers to operate in the network and communicate with each other. This is a rare feature, but a very desirable one, as it increases the competitiveness of tender procedures. It also ensures greater investment in security since we are not reliant on only one equipment supplier,” says Mariusz Jurczyk, director of intelligent metering at Tauron Dystrybucja Pomiary.
 
This year, the company decided to install meters from a third manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric, which debuts on the domestic and European market. It is a three-phase meter, compliant with the OSGP standard   and associated PLC technology. Previously, the meter was tested for interoperability and compliance with the AMI specification. The specific procedure of verifying the meter for compliance with the OSGP standard is similar to the world of smartphones and platforms on which phones work.
 
“Our solution is more like the iOS platform and the rules prevailing in Apple’s App Store. To meet the standard, one has to undergo demanding testing procedures, and the same goes for all participating suppliers. As a result, we receive a meter that is compatible with the system and can be immediately included in operations, while maintaining high safety standards,” explains Mariusz Jurczyk.
 
Now, AMI meters from the new manufacturer   are installed in the Tauron Distribution network, mainly for newly connected customers. Wrocław is a city that is dynamically developing and expanding. It is also one of the most active investment regions in the country for multi-family housing. This causes continuous demand for AMI meters, mainly in the three-phase system.
 
Last year, Tauron Dystrybucja was the first energy company in Poland to release a new functionality that allows remote activation of the wireless communication interface in an intelligent electricity meter. As a result, Tauron's customers are the first to observe the energy consumption of individual devices in homes or offices in real time. This is possible thanks to a new service called HAN Tauron AMIPlus.
 
Since 2015, within the Wrocław region, Tauron Dystrybucja has been implementing the AMIplus Smart City Wrocław project related to the installation of smart metering. AMIplus is a system that allows automatic processing, transmission and management of measurement data. It enables two-way communication between electricity meters and the Distribution System Operator, while giving the customer access to current information on electricity consumption. Communication is done via the OSGP - based PLC technology.