Saturday, 25 September 2021

Welcome, Prepaid Smart Meters

 


 

Context :

Soon You Can Track Your Power Consumption On An App. BEST Plans Prepaid Smart Meters  /  WhatShot / 23 Sept 2021


Extract :

Ø  According to a Times of India report, BEST’s power utility department is planning to install prepaid smart meters across Mumbai city by next year.

Ø  Just like SIM cards, smart meters will also have the option of prepaid and postpaid. The prepaid smart meter will also have a top-up facility. This seems to be a more efficient way to keep a tab on one’s power consumption.

Ø  For prepaid meters, one has to download the BEST app; then choose a payment plan of a certain denomination in multiples of 500

Ø  The moment you are close to your exhaustion limit, BEST will send warning messages; you can add top-up if you wish to continue; if you don’t, power will be disconnected.

Ø  The smart meter is priced Rs 3000 and BEST will recover the cost of it in installments.







Ø  Using this app, you can track your power consumption by the hour, day, week or month. This will also help in adjusting power consumption patterns and usage.

Ø  Lokesh Chandra, GM, BEST said, “Prepaid smart meters will help the consumers study consumption patterns every week, reduce power consumption and save money”.





 

My Take :

In this context I sent to our Policy Makers an e-mail on 19 May 2017, which was reproduced in :

Ø  Electrifying : Smartly ………………………..( 25 Sept 2017 )

 

Extract :

But , how about a Prepaid Electricity Meter , with following features / functionality ?

 

 

·   It will be a Tablet look-alike device

 

 

*   It will show daily – weekly – monthly , power consumption of the premises

 

 

*   It will show the “ average / highest / lowest “ monthly consumption 

 

            

*   It will also show how many UNITS remain to his BALANCE , at any given time

 

 

*   It will show a GRAPH comparing consumptions during any two “ periods “

 

 

*   It will have facility to enter ( type in ) , customer’s Aadhar Number ( of course,

     linked to his Bank Account  Number )

   

 

 

*    After login ( using biometric identification of Finger + Iris + Voice ) , customer

     can “ Re-charge “ his “ Account “ with ( say ) , Rs 1,000 / - at the beginning,

     using the built-in Virtual Keyboard ( Device will have  built-in camera )

 

                

*    When the “ balance “ to his credit falls to ( say ) Rs 100 / - , an alarm will ring

      and he will also get Email /  SMS / WhatsApp Reminder 

 

                        

*    If he fails to “ Re-Charge “ his account , power will get disconnected upon th

      balance falling to Rs 10/-  !

 

 

*    Power will start flowing again as soon as consumer “ re-charges “ through

     device

 

  

 None of this ( hardware + software + wireless telecom ) , is a Rocket Science !

 

  Any Start Up can come up with such a total , end-to-end , solution within 6 months !

 

  Only thing, this device cannot stop is UN-METERED THEFT of power, where wires

 get pulled from a power-line  , bypassing the meter !

 

  

Other than this one limitation , this suggestion has the potential to dramatically improve the Financial Positions of the State DISCOMS !

 

 

 Dear Shri Goyalji ,

 

 Would you like to pose this challenge to our Start Ups ?

 

==================================================

Question :

Over the next 4 years, can we build around the SMART ELECTRIC METERS, an SMART POWER ECO-SYSTEM ( SPES ), comprising of, Electricity Consumers / Electricity Producers / DISCOMS / Domestic Appliance Manufacturers / Manufacturers of Smart Meters etc.), which will incentivize :

#   manufacturers of appliances consuming less power

#   consumers of electric power


Yes, we can. And we must . As described in my following e-mail to Shri R K Singhji :

Ø  Carbon Finance through Carbon Credits……………………… ( 12 Mar 2021 )

 

Extract :

Ø  Here is a partial list of domestic appliances which consume electricity ( apart from LED bulbs ) :

TV sets – Refrigerators – Air Conditioners – Fans – Deep Freezers – Ovens – Electric Stoves – Mixers – Computers – Cloths Washing Machines – Dish Washers – Radios – Tablets – Robotic Floor Sweepers – Massagers – etc


Ø  By 2030, all of these must be made “ Energy Efficient Appliances “ , certified by Bureau of Energy Efficiency [ BEE ]


Ø  Just as was done in respect of ICE vehicles ( BS IV > BS VI compliance ), all electric Appliance Manufacturers must be mandated to switch over to manufacture of only BEE certified appliances in 4 phases ( April 2022 – 24 – 26- 28 )


Ø  Each such appliance MUST be pre-installed / integrated with SENSORS which will continuously monitor its,


#   State of Usage ( ON or OFF )

#   Rate of Consumption of electricity ( Units )


These INTERNET-CONNECTED appliances will continuously relay / transmit these data to the SMART ELECTRIC METER installed in each home


In turn, each SMART METER will relay / transmit to concerned DISCOM ( and to any other specified govt agency servers ), such usage / consumption data, through Internet ( IoT / Internet of Everything ).


These data-transfer will be separate for EACH INDIVIDUAL APPLIANCE


This will enable DISCOM / concerned Agencies, to know / monitor, IN-EFFICIENT appliances, operating above the CERTIFIED THRESHOLD for each type of appliance


Appliances operating “ above “ the threshold, will be assigned / allotted “ CARBON DEBITS “ , whereas those operating “ below “ the threshold, will be assigned “ CARBON CREDITS “


If the NET of these two is POSITIVE ( + ), that home will be incentivized by a lower tariff – and vice-versa


This model ( of INCENTIVIZATION ) must be further strengthened by measuring the amount of ROOF TOP Solar Power , flowing into the SMART METER , with appropriate linkages to CARBON CREDIT


This linkage will motivate a large number of households to install ROOF TOP solar panels


This scheme will enable us to take the CARBON MARKET / CARBON CREDIT / CARBON FINANCE concept, right inside our 290 MILLION households !

 

Ø  All manufacturers of House-hold Electric Meters must be told to manufacture only SMART ELECTRIC METERS , starting April 2022


Ø  All DISCOMS to replace existing meters in each and every home, with a SMART METER, by April 2024


This is only a CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK whose details are not difficult to work out


Dear Shri R K Singhji


During past 3 years, you have initiated many reforms to replace FOSSIL-FUEL power with RENEWABLE power

If implemented, my above-mentioned suggestion will ensure that we exceed our commitment given in Paris Agreement

==================================================

 With regards,

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  26  Sept 2021

 

Related Readings :

Ø  Smart Meter : No Pending Payments ?.....................( 08 Dec 2017 )

Ø  A Smart Move , Shri Singh !.................................. ( 07 June 2018 )

 

 

 

 

 

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