The takeaways from this episode are:

– For energy monitoring purposes, the cost of the metering infrastructure is a careful balance between hardware and software options – Smart energy meters are also becoming more affordable and with a wider spread of features. Engaging an expert is a good step to understanding what meter would be appropriate for your needs – You might be safer installing a smart meter as a way to verify that you are receiving the correct bill from your utility

The Relevance of Smart Energy Meters Today

The main drivers for organisations acquiring energy meters are:

* Regulations – The Kenya Energy Management Regulations 2012 as well as the new Energy Act 2019 put emphasis on energy efficiency and conservation. To meet the law in a repeatable way, smart energy meters are usually a good start, as they collect and store data about energy use.* Monitoring and Verification – Owing to periodic wrong billing by the utility, more organisations need a way to verify what they are being charged. This results in the installation of a smart meter after the utility meter.* Technology Shift – The cost of tech devices including meters is dropping as the capabilities of software tools increase. With collected meter data, there are affordable tools that can be used to analyse  data and highlight opportunities for energy efficiency

What if you already have a smart utility meter on your premises?

A utility meter is a good starting point because you can access your historical consumption data. But the bureaucratic process of getting this information at will is what makes your own smart meters a convenient option.

Commercial and industrial organisations can be better off installing smart meters as a way to monitor individual circuits to understand their consumption patterns. This can be energy-consuming equipment or individual tenants in a building.

Overall, smart meters give you data about how you’re using electricity. You can use it to:

* Size a Solar PV system for your building* Find wastage points e.g.  idle equipment at night* Check the impact of energy conservation practices e.g switching off the air conditioning when not necessary* Check the energy consumption of equipment compared to its production* Generate individual bills for tenants in a building

Who can benefit most from smart meters?

Smart meters are meant for anyone who wants to have visibility into how energy gets consumed, in real-time. This might be to verify your monthly bill or look for opportunities for energy efficiency.

Organisations that have conducted an energy audit might be the biggest beneficiaries because they have a better understanding of which equipment or section of the company has the potential for energy conservation.

If your facility is also heavily dependent on electricity for production, smart meters might provide a chance for you to compare the energy consumed per kg/tonne of product over time. The metric might be a good benchmark for performance and efficiency.

Common types of smart energy meters

We know of the utility meter which can either be for residential (with token provision) or commercial (without token provision) application.

Sub-meters found locally in Kenya are from brands like Siemens,