Great Britain Smart Meter Infrastructure: Analysis of Potential Architectures
Introduction
The previous Labour administration in the UK mandated that 100% of all gas and electricity meters should be smart by 2020, but the new coalition government is now pressing for accelerated deployment. With 47 million meters to install in less than a decade, there are huge revenues to be earned.
Features and benefits
Ovum believes that GB AMI will benefit from a strong yet flexible DCC that assumes a number of responsibilities not in the initial scope laid out by Ofgem. Ovum encourages Ofgem to include within the scope of the DCC essential yet commoditized functions.The analysis of the data flows underpinning GB AMI directs us to recommend some form of pervasive distributed intelligence into GB AMI.
Your key questions answered
The previous Labour administration in the UK mandated that 100% of all gas and electricity meters should be smart by 2020, but the new coalition government is now pressing for accelerated deployment. With 47 million meters to install in less than a decade, there are huge revenues to be earned.
Features and benefits
- There are several potential architectures for GB AMI
- A lack of clarity surrounding the future role of the DCC requires analysis of different architectures under different DCC scenarios
- Ovum firmly believes that distributing intelligence and data-processing functions closer to the home will alleviate issues of scale in the deployment
Ovum believes that GB AMI will benefit from a strong yet flexible DCC that assumes a number of responsibilities not in the initial scope laid out by Ofgem. Ovum encourages Ofgem to include within the scope of the DCC essential yet commoditized functions.The analysis of the data flows underpinning GB AMI directs us to recommend some form of pervasive distributed intelligence into GB AMI.
Your key questions answered
- Identify the key data flows underpinning GB AMI
- Understand how different architectures affect these data flows
- Read our recommendations for the services the DataCommsCo should adopt
SUMMARY
Catalyst
Ovum view
Key messages
GB AMI ARCHITECTURES
GB AMI processes are supported by numerous data flows, which in turn are managed by numerous applications
A generic architecture is used as the basis of our analysis
POTENTIAL ARCHITECTURES FOR GB AMI
A lack of clarity surrounds the future role of the DCC
Centralized intelligence architecture
WAN-connected metering architecture
RTU-based intelligence architecture
WAN module-based intelligence architecture
“Early Smart” architecture
ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL ARCHITECTURES ON GB AMI PROCESSES
Visibility
Improved customer visibility on consumption and tariffs
Improved accuracy of bill
Peak shedding through TOU/CPP charging
Single version of the truth
Home automation
Enabling a competitive market for suppliers
Removal of barriers to entry
Improved customer switching
Competitive differentiation
Functional interoperability and interchangeability
Security
Dynamic security upgrades
Smart grid applications
Revenue protection
COMMERCIAL PREDICTIONS
Centralized intelligence architecture, Optimal DCC
WAN-connected metering architecture
RTU-based intelligence architecture
WAN module-based intelligence architecture
APPENDIX
Definitions
Author
Ovum Consulting
Disclaimer
Catalyst
Ovum view
Key messages
GB AMI ARCHITECTURES
GB AMI processes are supported by numerous data flows, which in turn are managed by numerous applications
A generic architecture is used as the basis of our analysis
POTENTIAL ARCHITECTURES FOR GB AMI
A lack of clarity surrounds the future role of the DCC
Centralized intelligence architecture
WAN-connected metering architecture
RTU-based intelligence architecture
WAN module-based intelligence architecture
“Early Smart” architecture
ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL ARCHITECTURES ON GB AMI PROCESSES
Visibility
Improved customer visibility on consumption and tariffs
Improved accuracy of bill
Peak shedding through TOU/CPP charging
Single version of the truth
Home automation
Enabling a competitive market for suppliers
Removal of barriers to entry
Improved customer switching
Competitive differentiation
Functional interoperability and interchangeability
Security
Dynamic security upgrades
Smart grid applications
Revenue protection
COMMERCIAL PREDICTIONS
Centralized intelligence architecture, Optimal DCC
WAN-connected metering architecture
RTU-based intelligence architecture
WAN module-based intelligence architecture
APPENDIX
Definitions
Author
Ovum Consulting
Disclaimer
