Background
Increased energy usage efficiency and energy management is an essential need of our society. The UK Smart Metering Initiative is a fundamental catalyst for energy management systems that will lead to more efficient energy usage.
Activities to date have looked at limited applications of Smart Metering, with very limited extensions beyond automatic meter reading applications.
Exciting opportunities all along the supply chain will be created by closing the communication loop interoperably between the consumer premises, the meter and the supplier. New services will be provided over this loop, and pricing models used to control consumption actively and improve the efficiency of electricity production.
The simplest example is for energy supply companies to offer varying rates throughout the day so that home appliances could be switched on at times which take advantage of low cost power.
Problem
However many questions remain unanswered, such as what are the expected traffic rates for these kind of applications, and what is the most suitable combination of ICT solutions to meet the application requirements end-to-end ?
Approaches to date in the UK indicate that solutions are being driven by a near-term view of addressing narrow single-industry business requirements. This would lead to the development of fragmented ICT platforms and a lost opportunity for integrated and standardised solutions that can support future energy efficiency targets through active closed-loop energy management systems.
CLEVER will devise a solution to close the loop of electricity generation, distribution, retailing, metering and consumption through the direct involvement of residential energy consumers using intelligent meters.
