Rachel Eyres, Client Director for Energy and Utilities at Expleo
According to a landmark UN report compiled by the world’s top scientists, the climate crisis is damaging the ability of the land to sustain humanity, with cascading risks becoming increasingly severe as global temperatures rise.
In response to the growing public pressure of the Extinction Rebellion generation, the UK has committed to operating at net zero carbon emissions by the far-off sounding deadline of 2050.
滚出smart meters在英国家庭和企业跨越净零的关键。然而，只有2700万家庭安装米，能源行业需要更快地移动，以实现这种革命性的技术倡议，即使在扩展到位。
More than Meters the Eye
So why are smart meters so crucial for net zero?
On a basic level, smart meters offer immediate end-user benefits, such as more accurate and potentially lower bills – based on consumers changing their behaviour due to greater visibility of their consumption.
如果每个人使用更少的能源，全国减少排放将是相当大的，但这只会达到2050个排放目标。然而，智能仪表可以解锁家庭排放的减少大于来自小行为变化的人。
一个很好的例子,侯的增长潜力sehold consumption isElectric Vehicle所有权。家庭将通过家庭和遏制侧充电，运作与个人汽油站同样的运作。更多的电力将通过国内系统，可能在一天中的类似时间，创造一个需求“峰值”。这种峰通常需要在系统上包含更多的碳强发电，以满足短期需求。因此，需要监测和控制电动车辆充电并控制以管理排放。
另一个伟大的焦点面积是天然气 - 天然气现在是家庭排放的最大贡献者，但用于加热超过80％的英国房屋。政府了解这一点，并裁定了2025年，没有燃气锅炉应该安装在新房子里。温室排放将下降，但电力需求将上升，进一步增加了智能仪表的需求，以准确记录和管理消费。
此外，随着电池技术和太阳能电池板的进步，房屋将有能力以更大的尺度产生和存储自己的电力。无论这是否销售回电网，局部能源池或用于国内目的，它会降低国家供应的应变。这种“微代”需要智能计量to work properly – especially if electricity is being sold to the national grid from individual homes.
More to Measure
One of the challenges facing theUK energy混合是其目前对主要发电厂的依赖，以产生足够的电力以满足高峰时期的需求。这些植物共同产生了巨大的排放，是实现净零的主要障碍。
The power networks won’t just be valuable for carrying that power, but also for gathering and sharing data.
By analysing the data from smart meters we can move to a model where granular, real-time demand data, rather than historic data, dictates electricity generation. This will support a move away from large scale power plants to more local, sustainable energy sources.
Some lessons can be taken from developing economies where local approaches to resource generation gave millions of people access to clean water. By establishing supply (water pumps) in communities themselves, needs were met without wasteful large-scale infrastructure.
在电力的情况下，如果您将国内和商用电池与太阳能电池板和风力发电机组合在一起，则能突然变得真实。在小规模的核融合和海上风中增加了这一进步，您可以看到国家如何为国家提供批发变化。展望未来，大型电站可能变得冗余，整个系统将变得更加灵活，高效和清洁。
There are of course, lots of other changes and developments that will need to occur over time, such as the growth of local energy trading markets, the complex balancing of networks through ‘flexibility’ providers, and further developments in the likes of vehicles and solar.
At the heart of these changes, however, sit smart meters and the need to control, balance and measure the flow of electricity. If people can’t trust smart metering, how likely are they to invest in the solar panels and batteries needed for their home or business?
更快，质量更高
As inspiring as the theory of these big-picture changes may be, we shouldn’t lose focus on the issues at hand.
The whole smart meter programme has had a series of technical false starts, from theData Communication Company’s (DCC)system issues to a lack of installers and smart meters themselves. Testing has been slow and质量控制问题have been numerous.
Widespread negative press coverage of smart meters not delivering cost savings, and the volume of smart metering’s hurdles become apparent.
实际上，它目前需要超过四周的供应商来测试新的智能仪表设备或固件版本。为了满足截止日期，现在是供应商来看待的时候自动化和外包此过程提高速度并降低成本。
如果您认为智能仪表旨在支持的未来世界的复杂性和压力越来越多，但前方任务的严重程度增加。智能电表不仅需要工作，而是将成为未来的证明，使全国能源生产，消费和管理变动。
As the flow of energy becomes more technologically and economically complex, big energy providers need to be agile and upgrade their skills. The gas engineers and electricians of the old system will morph into the remote IT specialists, software managers and systems integrators of the future.
滚出smart meters should be a major turning point in our journey towards a low emissions future. What has become clear though, is that, this first step outside their technical comfort zone has been tricky.
如果有一段时间拨打加强队，就是现在。
