A new IoT‐based smart energy meter for smart grids

Abstract

The significant increase in energy consumption by the growth of the population or by the use of new equipment has brought big challenges to the energy security as well as the environment. There is a need that consumers can track their daily use and understand consumption standards for better organizing themselves to obtain financial and energetic efficiency. With the improvement of smart networks technology for better energy supply, a smart meter is not just a simple measurement gadget anymore, but it has additional functions including smart equipment control, bidirectional communication that allows integration of users and networks, and other functionalities. Smart meters are the most fundamental components in smart power grids. Besides, the meters used with a management system can be utilized for monitoring and controlling home appliances and other gadgets according to the users' need. A solution of an integrated and single system should be more efficient and economical. Smart measurement systems allow monitoring the energy consumption of the final consumers while providing useful information about the energy quality. The information provided by these systems is used by the operators to enhance the energy supply, and different techniques can be also applied for this end, such as charge scheduling, management from the demand side, and nonintrusive load monitoring. The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming a great ally in the management of smart distribution and energy consumption in smart systems scenarios. To address these issues, this paper proposes and demonstrates a new smart energy meter following an IoT approach and its associated costs and benefits. The developed device incorporates several communication interfaces. In order to easily integrate with any monitoring software solution, the meter has a multi-protocol connection. Finally, the provided solution is validated and demonstrated in real-life environments and it is also under use.

Internet of things energy system: Smart applications, technology advancement, and open issues

“…In humidity, temperature, and radiation sensors, the functionalities are to identify and monitor water vapor in the air, detect radiation in the atmosphere, and calculate the degree of heat or cold. These functionalities enabled IoT devices to be used in application areas such as smart healthcare, 6,27 smart transportations, 28,29 smart homes and buildings, 30,31 smart grids, 2,5 and more. The illustration of IoT energy applications is shown in Figure 4, an example of using cloud IoT based connecting things platform.…”

“…The information delivered by such devices is used by the controller to optimize energy supply, and various methods can also be used for this purpose, such as charging schedules, demand-side control, and nonintrusive load monitoring. 2,5 The IoT smart transportation and smart building functionalities taxonomy are shown in Figure 10. While Table 2 summarizes the IoT smart energy applications and devices.…”

“…A smart meter includes smart system control, bidirectional communication that enables consumers and networks to connect to send and receive functionalities. 2 In smart healthcare systems, IoT devices such as wearable, implantable, ambient, and stationary sensors are used to send data to the healthcare system for further processes and analysis. 3,4 Smart home appliances are equipped with IoT devices for convenience, optimization, practical, and effective environment.…”

“…With the improvement of energy supply technologies in smart grid advancement, a smart meter is no longer just a simple measuring tool. A smart meter includes smart system control, bidirectional communication that enables consumers and networks to connect to send and receive functionalities 2 . In smart healthcare systems, IoT devices such as wearable, implantable, ambient, and stationary sensors are used to send data to the healthcare system for further processes and analysis 3,4 .…”

Control Networks and Smart Grid Teleprotection: Key Aspects, Technologies, Protocols, and Case-Studies

“…Meter reading applications allow power distributors to read consumers' energy meters automatically [80]. Different from conventional automatic meter reading, smart meters allows daily data collection, as well as can be utilized for collecting real-time current and voltage measurements [81], [82]. With Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), a realtime (or near-real-time) bidirectional data flow between user and distributor provides greater precision in power readings , reduces operational costs, and maximizes the benefits of the resources provided by the utility operator.…”