Power distribution companies like Adani Energy and Tata Power will expedite deployment of smart meters to bring greater operational efficiency by aligning power purchase with real time demand.
Adani Energy Solutions for instance is currently working on delivering over 20 million smart meters in eight distribution licensee areas, Anil Sardana, managing director of Adani Energy Solutions told Fe. These will come at a contract value of about Rs 23,000 crore and revenue recovery will be spread over a 10-year period, Sardana said.
“We are investing big time in technology and digitisation to improve our overall operational efficiency and customer value proposition and engagement, Sardana said.
Through smart meters, the company can monitor and predict power consumption pattern over micro geographies and hence manage retail distribution better. It is adopting IoT (Internet of Things) across its assets for getting their real-time health diagnosis and undertaking predictive maintenance wherever needed, he said.
“Use of data analytics is helping us in theft detection and bringing down distribution loss, and plan our power purchase in line with demand,” he said.
Similarly, Tata Power has installed over 125,000 smart meters for its customers in Mumbai and would provide the same for all its 750,000 customers in Mumbai by FY25, said a company spokesperson.
As on March 2023, the company has installed 500,000 meters across Mumbai, Delhi and Odisha.
In July, Tata Power received a letter of award to implement smart metering project in Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company (CSPDCL).
Smart meters provide real-time power consumption and analytics to the customers through a web portal and mobile application. They also enable remote meter reconnection and disconnection, quick outage detection, and accurate load forecasting, the spokesperson said.
“The consumer response has been positive, as they can optimise their consumption and save on their energy bills,” he said.
Smart meters are beneficial for the company as they help in reducing AT&C losses, improving service quality, enhancing customer satisfaction, and optimising network planning and capex. They also support the company’s vision of providing smart and sustainable energy solutions for a greener tomorrow, he said.
These meters work by using an in-built modem that connects the meter to the central grid. They transmit data on an hourly basis to the Tata Power portal, where the customers can access it. They also send SMS alerts to the customers about their consumption and billing. The meters are also capable of receiving commands from the central grid, such as firmware updates or reconnection/disconnection requests.