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Render electricity and gas consumption more transparent for users.
Project field
Business and work
Partners
Technische Werke Friedrichshafen (TWF), Bittner und Krull Softwaresysteme GmbH, Kisters, Wilken, Deutsche Telekom / T-Systems
Render electricity and gas consumption more transparent for users.
Render electricity and gas consumption more transparent for users.
Brief description
Taking responsibility for the environment means above all saving energy. And to save energy, consumers need to be aware of how much energy their household appliances are using. Now, citizens of the T-City Friedrichshafen are receiving the opportunity to monitor their energy consumption in detail, via the Internet, and influence their own personal energy consumption directly and efficiently.
Toward that end, Technische Werke Friedrichshafen is installing smart electricity meters in homes. The meters send data via a wireless link or DSL to energy suppliers. A software program processes the information and makes it available to the customer via a personalized Internet portal. Readout intervals can be as short as 15 minuties, i.e. customers can monitor their energy consumption on a quarterly-hour basis. To participate in the effort, customers require a computer with Internet access.
Project aims
The system is aimed at making it much easier for users to monitor – and thus influence – their personal consumption of electricity and gas.
In addition, T-City, with a focus on the Oberhof and Windhag city districts, is studying how complete installation of smart meters would affect energy suppliers economically. By replacing all meters in a defined city area, T-City is creating an environment in which studies of various topics related to smart grids can be carried out. The topics involved include virtual power plants, demand-side management, network infrastructure automation, etc.
Benefits
With smart metering, customers can monitor their consumption data via mouse click. In the process, they can learn how much energy each of their household appliances is using. They thus receive the opportunity to improve their own personal energy consumption habits.
Energy suppliers benefit in that the solution will support them in implementing the EU's pending energy-efficiency directive. The new directive obligates energy suppliers to inform their private customers – subject to their customers' own wishes – about their electricity and gas consumption at least once per month. In addition, the project will provide important findings relevant to the future energy infrastructure, which will be based largely on renewable energies and locally operating energy producers.
Project status
The T-City Smart Metering project was launched at CeBIT 2008. Since November 2009, relevant expansion has focused on the Oberhof and Windhag city districts. As of spring 2011, those areas have been fully equipped with smart meters.
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