Development of an IoT-based Smart Meter for Efficient Technology-Enabled Energy Response (DISMETE2R)

在撒哈拉以南非洲，有6亿人得不到电力供应，主要是在农村地区。联合国可持续发展目标7包括到2030年实现普遍电气化，但即使是乐观的估计，2030年也有2.4亿非洲人缺乏电力。随着每个新的电网连接成本在400美元至1200美元之间，使用可再生能源技术的分布式发电的趋势日益增长（特别是太阳能，因为它已成为当地住宅和商业一级清洁和安全能源接入的可行和具有成本效益的选择）。使用可再生能源技术作为微电网的分散/分布式能源资源可以促进非洲的电气化，提供简单、负担得起、更快的部署和更清洁的替代品。有证据表明，与并网相比，购买DER的意愿更高，因为它们被认为更可靠。然而，电力需求/供应匹配通过需求侧管理将需求从较低的可用时间转移到较高的可用时间，对微电网的成功至关重要。随着微电网的增长潜力，展示其与国家电网的沿着（和集成）适用性以保持稳定性、可靠性和可用性，同时仍提供有竞争力的能源成本是一个关键要求。DISMETE 2 R提出了一个基于物联网的智能电表技术平台，使个人家庭/小型企业能够跟踪/了解/优化其能源消耗模式。智能电表易于与配电盘/消费者单元电缆集成，与电源输入（包括RE源和电网）以及现场的电路相位/断路器，以便测量电/功率信号的谐波电流含量。该平台应实现模块化的多能源供应，同时根据住宅/小企业消费者的个性化能源使用数据配置文件优化能源选择。它们还应该是SIM卡启用无线通信（GSM，GPRS，3G/4G，WiFi，LoRa等）通过基于AI/ML的数字/移动的云平台持续收集数据，以了解消费者的能源/使用模式，提供节约成本的见解/建议，同时注重环保，优化可再生能源和电网资源之间的能源消耗模式。（住宅/小型企业）能源消费转向更清洁的能源（即可再生能源技术）来源，通过以下方式为消费者和运营商/监管机构带来好处：优化消费者的能源使用/成本状况;以及为电网/小型电网运营商/开发商随时间聚集消费者数据，以增强负载预测/知情基础设施投资决策。

In sub-Saharan Africa 600 million people lack access to electricity, mainly in rural areas. UN SDG7 includes universal electrification by 2030, but even optimistic estimations see 240Mn Africans lacking electricity in 2030\. With each new grid connection costing between $400-$1200 there is a growing trend towards distributed generation using renewable energy technology (particularly solar, as it has become a viable and cost-effective option for clean and secure energy access at a local residential and commercial level). Decentralised/distributed energy resources (DERs), using renewable energy technologies (RET) as micro-grids can contribute to Africa's electrification, offering simplicity, affordability, faster deployment and cleaner alternatives. Evidence shows willingness to pay for DERs is higher than grid connection because they are seen as more reliable.However, electricity demand/supply matching is critical to micro-grids' success by shifting demand from lower to higher availability times via demand-side management. With micro-grids' growth potential, demonstrating suitability along side (and integration with) the national grids to maintain stability, reliability and availability, while still providing competitive energy costs, is a key requirement.DISMETE2R proposes an IoT-based smart-meter technology platform enabling individual households/small-businesses to track/understand/optimise their energy consumption patterns. The smart-meter will be simple to integrate with electrical panel/consumer unit cabling, interfacing with the power input(s) (incl. RE sources and grid) as well as the site's electrical circuitry phases/breakers in order to measure harmonic current content of the electric/power signal. The platform should enable a modularised multi-energy source offering, while optimising energy source selection based on personalised energy usage data profile of residential/small-business consumers. They should also be SIM card enabled for wireless communications (GSM, GPRS, 3G/4G, WiFi, LoRa etc.) and continuous data collection via an AI/ML-based digital/mobile cloud platform to learn consumers' energy source/usage patterns, providing insights/recommendations on cost savings while being environmentally-conscious to optimise the energy consumption pattern between the RE and grid resource.DISMETE2R will provide data-driven approaches for optimising consumers (residential/small businesses) energy consumption towards more cleaner energy (i.e. RETs) sources, bringing benefits for consumers and operators/regulators by: optimising consumers' energy usage/cost profile; and aggregating consumers data over time for grid/mini-grid operators/developers for enhanced load forecasting/informed infrastructure investment decisions.