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

在撒哈拉以南非洲，6亿人无法用上电，主要是在农村地区。联合国SDG7包括到2030年普及电气化，但即使是乐观的估计也认为到2030年将有2.4亿非洲人缺电。随着每一个新的电网连接成本在400美元到1200美元之间，使用可再生能源技术(特别是太阳能，因为它已经成为当地住宅和商业层面清洁和安全能源接入的一个可行且具有成本效益的选择)的分布式发电的趋势越来越大。使用可再生能源技术(RET)作为微型电网的分散式/分布式能源(DER)有助于非洲的电气化，提供简单、负担得起、更快的部署和更清洁的替代方案。有证据表明，DER的支付意愿高于电网连接，因为它们被视为更可靠。然而，电力需求/供应匹配是微电网成功的关键，因为它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。利用微电网的增长潜力，展示与国家电网的适宜性(以及与国家电网的集成)，以保持稳定性、可靠性和可用性，同时仍提供具有竞争力的能源成本，是一项关键要求。DISMETE2R提出了一个基于物联网的智能电表技术平台，使个人家庭/小企业能够跟踪/了解/优化他们的能源消耗模式。智能电表将简单地与电气盘/用户单元布线集成，与电源输入(S)(包括为了测量电力/电力信号的谐波电流含量，现场的电源和电网)以及电气线路的相/断路器。该平台应支持模块化的多种能源产品，同时根据住宅/小型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。它们还应支持无线通信(GSM、GPRS、3G/4G、WiFi、LORA等)的SIM卡。通过基于AI/ML的数字/移动云平台进行持续的数据收集，以了解消费者的能源/使用模式，提供关于成本节约的见解/建议，同时具有环保意识，优化可再生能源和电网资源之间的能源消耗模式。DISMETE2R将提供数据驱动的方法，优化消费者(住宅/小型企业)的能源消耗，转向更清洁的能源(即RETS)，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/成本概况；以及随着时间的推移为电网/微电网运营商/开发商汇总消费者数据，以加强负荷预测/知情的基础设施投资决策。

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.