Leveraging Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

Electricity smart meters promise many benefits, including improved user service (through faster supply restoration and supply problem resolution), better network utilisation, as well as creating opportunities for new user products and services.

Select Solutions, a division of SP AusNet is working on ways to leverage its existing expertise and capability in electricity AMI to offer a broad range of smart, multi-utility metering solutions across electricity, gas and water.

“The benefits of smart metering are not just restricted to the electricity. There could be considerable benefits for the water industry, such as the ability to more accurately determine sources of water leakages as well as an ability to better manage network augmentation as a result of a better understanding of consumption patterns. The provision of more timely consumption data to end users would also empower them to modify behaviour to save water, which would benefit the community and environment as a whole. These are all important considerations in an environment of water scarcity,” says Robert Frattaroli, Product & Technology Development Manager for Select Solutions.

Select Solutions has been successful in setting up an initial trial to remotely capture half-hourly water consumption data on a nightly basis, which is made available through its integrated web portal, providing a single point of access for all metering data for customers. Select is currently looking at ways to extend the water trial on a greater scale, involving a more significant number of meters.

“There are many options for delivering an end-to-end multi-utility metering solution. The challenge is to develop solutions in an evolving technology environment that best meet customers’ requirements at the most effective price points” said Jason Hall, Product Development Lead for multi-utility metering at Select Solutions.

Select Solutions’ vision is to create solutions that empower utilities, authorities and general consumers with technologies and information that enable them to maximise the effectiveness of infrastructure and maximise the efficient use of electricity, gas and water.