Written answers

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Departmental Programmes

8:00 pm

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will report on the national smart meter rollout; when the current pilot phase will end and the national rollout begin; the type of smart meter that is being used in the pilot programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23536/09]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The rollout of a national Smart Metering Programme is progressing in line with the commitment in the Government's Energy Policy Framework and in the Programme for Government. The Smart Metering Programme is a central component of the strategy to significantly enhance management of energy demand and to achieve greater energy efficiency through the use of cutting-edge technology.

The current pilot phase of the programme is critical to informing, from all perspectives, the development of the programme as a whole. This is a highly complex technological project and the trials are essential to ensure that the optimum and most cost effective technology and systems are identified for implementation of a national smart meter programme.

The electricity element of the pilot phase was launched on 15 September 2008. The results of the pilot will inform both the timing of a national roll out and the technology to be adopted. It is important to have a trial that captures seasonal changes in usage for peak demand management purposes. The pilot phase for the electricity element of the smart meter trial is expected to be completed at end December 2010 and the outcome should be a fully informed decision on the most suitable model of smart meter(s)/IT system(s), tariffing structure, communications system and demand stimuli, all of which works effectively and has the capability to deliver the anticipated benefits of smart metering in the Irish market.

The pilot phase encompasses two strands: a technology trial, which is testing a number of advanced metering systems and their associated IT and communications infrastructure, and a customer behaviour trial, which will determine the potential of smart meters to achieve measurable change in consumer behaviour.

The technology trial will examine metering functionality and supporting information and communications systems. There are many challenges involved in developing a metering system for Ireland that will reflect the dispersed nature of our population and, as a result, the electricity network. This trial will involve the installation of up to 8,000 meters. Installation of the first 2,000 meters for technology testing is due to commence in July 2009.

Participants for the customer behaviour trial are being selected to ensure that the sample is representative of Ireland's electricity consumers both in terms of usage profiles and geographical spread. The number of participants needed for the electricity customer behaviour trial is 6,000. To date, the response has been very positive with sufficient numbers recruited to enable the residential element of the trial to proceed. Installation of electricity meters for this strand of the pilot phase is almost complete with 5,364 residential and 595 SME meters installed at 8 June.

Four metering systems are being trialled in electricity element of the pilot phase. These metering systems were selected through a procurement process undertaken by ESB Networks for the pilot – there will be a new tendering process for any national roll out. The successful tenderers were Elster, Sagem, and Trilliant.

The specifications of these metering systems will allow the testing of a range of functions, including, interval metering reading, time of use tariffing and the use of In Home Display devices, which, in turn, can facilitate demand management and increased energy efficiency. They will also provide reliable quality data on actual energy use which will inform better service to consumers through better fault monitoring and outage recording, power quality monitoring, reduced theft and losses and improved network planning.

The gas element of the Smart Metering Pilot Programme is also being progressed. 1,975 customers are expected to participate in Gas Customer Behaviour Trials. A further 750 meters will be installed to facilitate the Gas Technology Trials. Customers for the Gas Customer Behaviour Trial are expected to be recruited by end July 2009. The trial period will begin in June 2010 and is expected to continue until May 2011.

As part of the pilot phase, a cost benefit analysis is being undertaken which will inform the decision as regards the timing of a national roll out. An interim analysis will take place in 2010 with the final analysis, to include the results of the gas trials, to be completed by mid 2011.

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