Smart Meters – A Sneak Peak at the Future
Posted by Damien Cabral on Wed, Jul 14, 2010
Blog Author: Matt Weiner
About a month ago, I received an email from my electric utility NSTAR asking if I’d like to participate in their Smart Energy Pilot program. I’m not sure why I was selected (perhaps because I’m in NSTAR’s Green program where I pay a premium for power generated by their upstate New York wind farm) but I jumped at the chance. After all, we’ve been hearing so much about smart meters and how they will revolutionize the way we use energy.
The process was quite simple. I merely signed a simple waiver and a week later they installed the system. The Smart Meter system is comprised of (3) components. The first is a Bridge Meter which essentially “bridges” the main power supply entering the home and measures the amount of electricity being used. Via Wi-FI, the Bridge Meter sends the information to the Transport routing device which sends my energy usage to NSTAR’s server. I can then access the information either through the Display which sits on the kitchen counter or through a web portal.
The Display and web portal provide simple and easy to understand information – a far cry from the standard electric meter and the cryptic monthly bills. In real time, I can see how much energy I am using (rounded to the nearest kW) and how much I’ve spent that day on electricity. I can even see a projection on how much my monthly bill is going to be (Ugh!). I can readily see when the power usage spikes and connect it back to various loads like air conditioning and appliances like the dryer and dishwasher (it would nice to have the ability to monitor each circuit to see exactly what electricity each load in the house draws but perhaps this would be too complex?).
So, what do I think so far?
I’m definitely impressed with the hardware and software. Everything works seamlessly and accurately and is easy to interpret. I do like knowing more about how much energy is used by the various appliances in the house. I’ve always been conscious about energy consumption so I don’t know if the Smart Meter is going to drive much change in my behavior (hopefully it will drive some changes in my teenagers’ behavior like turning out the lights!).
But I can see the future benefit. The Smart Meter does display the current cost of electricity. Since we’re all on flat rate plans, this means little now. But in the future when the cost of electricity is tiered based on demand and we have smart appliances in the home, I can definitely see how valuable it will be in scheduling appliances like dishwashers to run overnight or charging our electric cars. And for others who aren’t as conscious, I can see the Smart Meter as a catalyst of change. As the adage goes, “what’s measured is improved”!
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