Smart metering – the stepping stone to a smart grid

ISSUE 4: SMART METERING

04
smart metering:

the stepping stone
to a smart grid

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E d it o ria l

from the editor

Dear readers,
The future of the energy industry can be seen from
many different angles: for this issue of pathway, we
decided to look through the lenses of British photo‑
journalist Toby Smith. He battled tough conditions in
the Scottish Highlands to bring back some powerful
pictures that will change your perception of power
generation. Toby’s story is also one of how an energy
company embraced change in the way it presented
itself to its customers. He shares the story with us in
an exclusive interview.
One of the most important projects on the road to a
sustainable, future-proof society is the development
of a comprehensive smart grid. At Landis+Gyr, our
ambition is to help our utility customers go through
this change process as smoothly and intelligently as
possible. Smart metering is the stepping stone to
the smart grid and in this issue of pathway, we take a
closer look at how far along smart metering rollouts
have come.
Apart from the logistical challenge the sheer quantity
of devices pose, choosing the right kind of smart
metering solution is an important strategic decision
that utility companies need to take. At the same time,
an advanced metering infrastructure means a lot more
than just installing a new set of meters and software;
it’s the beginning of a transformational project affecting
the entire organization. We share our insights about
the issue in our strategy article and revert to it when
we look at IT integration.

Enjoy the read!
Jon Stretch
Executive Vice President EMEA, Landis+Gyr

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C o ntents

contents

STRATEGY
managing change

6

stepping stones on the path to a smart grid 10
getting integration right

12

a real-time system using aggregated data

14

REPORTS
mass rollout in the nordics

16

hiukkavaara – a living lab far up north

18

a smart grid pilot

20

deconstructing the process

22

FACTS AND FIGURES
smart metering – facts and figures
reader’s survey

4
26

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FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

18 %
270 m

2029
35 m

In the EU, 20/20/20 continues to be a major driver for
growth in advanced metering solutions.
Penetration for smart meters, providing more
comprehensive functionality than basic meter data
collections, was 18 percent at the end of 2011 in the
EU 27+2.
In 2012, the global installed base for communicating
electricity meters was estimated to be approximately
175 million, and is projected to grow to nearly 270
million by the end of 2017.
According to IHS, several countries have already
committed themselves to nationwide rollouts of
advanced meters, most notably the UK, France
and Spain. Italy and the Nordic region have, for the
most part, already implemented advanced metering
solutions and have some of the densest advanced
meter penetration rates of any of the sub-regions in
the world.

20/20/20
20.5 %

The installed base of smart electricity meters is
forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth
rate of 20.5 percent between 2011 and 2017, reaching
154.7 million units at the end of this period.
At the end of July 2013, results of the German Smart
Metering cost-benefit analysis (CBA) were made public.
The study foresees an annual installation rate of four
million meters (with and without communication)
until 2018, at which time 40 percent of Germany will
be covered. By 2022 there should be a 68 percent
coverage, and the national rollout will be completed
by 2029.
In October 2013, France kicks off the tender process
for the first phase of its national smart meter rollout
that will comprise a total of 35 million endpoints. Four
million smart meters are expected to be installed from
2015 to 2016. From 2017 onwards, in the second phase
of the rollout, the remaining meters will be deployed
at an installation rate of 5 to 7 million endpoints per
year. The entire rollout is expected to be completed
by 2021 at the latest.
Austria developed a regulatory roadmap in April 2012.
Sweden and Italy completed deployments at the end of
2009 and 2011 respectively and Finland will be ready
by the end of 2013, followed by Estonia and Norway in
2017. Spain has set a target date in 2018, while Austria,
Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK are aiming for
nationwide rollouts to be completed during 2019/2020.

smart metering
facts and figures
2019/20

In addition to this, the governments in Denmark and
Malta have put their countries on track for full smart
meter coverage by the end of the decade, supporting
rollouts by state-controlled electricity companies.
Cyprus, Poland, Portugal and Romania are leaning
towards regulation-driven smart meter rollouts too.

Sources:
IHS Smart Electricity Meters – World – 2013; Berg Insight Smart Metering Europe 2012;
Landis+Gyr AG. Terms and synonyms for smart meters used in this article originate from
the sources.

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S T R AT E G Y

managing
change
Smart metering and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) are
stepping stones on the path to a fully smart grid. Choosing the
right kind of smart metering solution − a solution which supports
future smart grid applications − is a crucial strategic decision for
utilities to take. At the same time, implementing an advanced
metering infrastructure means a lot more than just installing a new
set of devices and software; it is a transformation project that
will affect the entire utility. Effective, accessible communication
by governments, utilities and other stakeholders is particularly
important to take customers along on this journey.

Smart metering is the foundation of the smart grid, since
acute operational awareness is crucial to guaranteeing
grid stability. Without smart metering, it will not be
possible to reach a sufficient level of awareness.
The smart grid will be unable to meet the industry’s
high expectations if there is no comprehensive smart
metering coverage: distribution system operators will
need to increase operational awareness of distributed
generation, electric vehicles and consumer response
to demand management programs.
Modern smart meter penetration in the EU 27+2 was
18 percent at the end of 2011. By 2017, Berg Insight
projects “that the rate will increase to 56 percent.” As
a result of the massive replacements, smart meters will

come to dominate the European electricity metering
market, eventually accounting for over 95 percent of
the total volume. In many parts of Europe however, a
more extensive smart metering coverage is needed
before smart grids become operational.
TREE HIDING THE FOREST
Xavier Ringot, VP Smart Metering Solutions Center
EMEA, Landis+Gyr, describes the process that small‑
to medium-sized utilities usually go through when they
decide to install a smart metering solution. The risk he
says, is to see a smart meter rollout as a necessary
suffering, limited to comply with the regulations, without
considering whether the solution is future-proof and
can easily be upgraded and extended to support

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S T R AT E G Y

smart grid applications, especially data analytics.
Landis+Gyr’s Gridstream solution is designed to enable
this modular and scalable approach and ensures that
additions can be made.
Another important aspect for a successful rollout is to
keep the big picture in mind. If the focus is too narrow
and technical, purely on the meter and its functionality,
it becomes the tree which hides the forest. Utilities that
enter into smart metering have a large transformation
project ahead of them. Beyond managing the rollout,
which is a complex logistical challenge in itself, utilities
need to decide on a choice of business model. This
decision boils down to two basic questions: What
will I do myself? What will I have others do for me?
In the pioneering Nordic countries for example, the
majority of smart meter rollouts were handled by one
main supplier, whereas in other parts of Europe most
utilities decided to go with a number of suppliers
and took on responsibility to integrate the entire
solution themselves (see report on page 16 for a
turnkey solution in Finland). When several suppliers
are involved, they tend to carve up responsibilities
amongst themselves and there is a risk that none of
them takes on final accountability for the end-to-end
performance of the smart metering solution. The right
business model depends on whether the utility has
the necessary resources and in-house expertise to
manage such a process; Landis+Gyr has successfully
supported customers with the execution of all kinds
of business models.
SOFTWARE TAKING THE SPOTLIGHT
Up to now, the primary benefit of smart metering
realized by utilities has largely been the reduction
of operating expenses through automation of meter
reading and billing processes. Smart meters are
capable of monitoring, recording and communicating
multiple parameters − the kind of data that can provide
insights into both the status of the distribution network
as well as consumer behavior. In other words, a smart
metering solution is the necessary foundation for an
advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), an integrated
system of smart meters, communications networks,
and data management systems that enables two-way
communication between utilities and their customers.
There is usually a one to three-year delay until softwarebased analytic solutions are adopted, since there is
an unavoidable transition period between installing,
provisioning, and updating the billing process
from manual to automated reads on the utiliy side.
Implementing integrated and advanced analytic
software can take significantly longer. “What we see

is that when our customers first install smart metering,
the initial focus is logically on implementing their main
processes around contract and billing. Afterwards, we
implement additional functions. Of course when you
select your smart metering technology and choose
a very basic smart metering system, it might be
impossible to upgrade it. This becomes a problem
when you want to go all the way to a near real-time
smart grid,” Ringot explains.
In the “Utility AMI Analytics for the Smart Grid 20132020” study published by GTM Research, analyst
Zach Pollock states: “In isolation, however, smart
meter data rarely provides measurable benefits. It is
only through the implementation of software solutions
which can provide additional context that the true value
of advanced metering infrastructure can be realized.”
When the high penetration of smart metering that Berg
Insight predicts is finally realized, the focus will shift to
software that allows utilities to use big data analytics
to track, visualize and predict.
LEVERAGING GOOD WILL
A successful, comprehensive transition to intelligent
automated transmission and distribution of energy,
allowing for decentralized production and integration
of renewables, is however only one part of the equation
to make the energy supply of the future work. Energy
consumers, both industrial and residential, also have
a crucial role to play and they stand to benefit from
smart grid applications that improve reliability, enable
enhanced energy efficiency, demand response and
the integration of distributed energy resources such
as solar rooftops and electric vehicles. While there
is general support among residential customers for
the idea of energy efficiency, there still is a lack of
education when it comes to the nitty-gritty of it and
how to go about it.
Even though smart meters are a tangible symbol of the
change that is underway and one which most people
will end up having in their house, a study carried out in
2012 for Telefonica in the UK found that 63% of British
energy consumers did not know what a smart meter
was. 75% were not aware of the Government’s smart
metering program but 60% were in favor of the smart
meter rollout when it was explained. 75% supported
increased visibility of energy usage.
These figures indicate that there is a knowledge
gap of a fundamentally sympathetic majority. This
is an opportunity which governments and industry
stakeholders could seize to engage especially
residential customers through increased public
information campaigns and demand response

data
management

asset
management

audit
management

smart
grid

geospatial
data
management

Strategic fields of action in a smart enviroment

programs. Even though data privacy is an important
concern in Europe, there is less of the hostility that
smart meter rollouts have encountered in some regions
of the US, for example.
Increased electricity prices are already being felt
by a number of customers throughout Europe and
they create an economic incentive to become more
conscious of energy usage. Smart meters and device‑
level visibility through end consumer feedback portals
put an end to estimated billing and could be presented
as tools allowing customers to actively take part in
how they use energy. The economic incentive alone
might not be sufficient for all income levels but the
broader message of using resources consciously will
probably resonate with all strata of society.
A minimum of customer buy-in and education is
also important to keep the costs of the actual rollout
process low. Very simply, if people don’t know why
this is important, they might well reject it and just
not be home when the installer comes round. If this
happens frequently, it will incur high additional cost.

NEW QUESTIONS TO GUIDE STRATEGY
ERDF’s experience during the pilot rollout in France
shows how important it is to take customers along.
Initially, the customer’s association rejected the
installation of smart meters. It was only when ERDF
recognized the need to step up its communication
efforts and customers were informed about the benefits
of smart metering that the prevailing attitude changed.

It seems that customers are interested and that they
do listen, but they need to hear the message from a
variety of sources in order to take it seriously.
It seems as if the utility industry is approaching an
inflection point and has the opportunity to reconsider
their use of information. This could fundamentally alter
the way in which business is conducted. If customers
can be got on board and smart metering becomes more
prevalent, new strategic fields of action will present
themselves to enterprises including management in
the areas of assets, maintenance and modernization
for ‘smart’ infrastructure. This will be supplemented
by geospatial and data management for the purpose
of using grid information for faster and more effective
processes. Last but not least, audit management will
have to deal with a multitude of new technical devices
with associated diverse hard and software that will
need recording and documenting.
In Europe, the political will for fundamental change
in securing the EU’s energy supply and the larger
trend towards digitalization that has finally reached
the energy industry, coincide and are driving smart
grid development. Many utilities are in the process of
becoming more proactive in their decision-making,
trying to capitalize on the smart grid technologies
which are being deployed. Predictive analytics,
capable of managing intermittent loads, renewables,
rapidly changing weather patterns and other grid
conditions all represent the ultimate goal for smart
grid capabilities.

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S T R AT E G Y

stepping stones on the
path to a smart grid
A conversation with Frits Verheij, Director Smart Energy
DNV KEMA and Richard Haagensen, Head of Smart Grid and
Business Strategy, Smart Energy Solutions EMEA, Landis+Gyr.

Frits Verheij has been working in the renewable energy
business since the start of his career in 1987. He
provides policy advice to governments and frequently
works with utilities and grid operators to support them
in defining innovation strategies. DNV KEMA Energy
and Sustainability is part of DNV, a global provider
of services for managing risk with more than 10,000
employees in over 100 countries. As an objective and
impartial knowledge-based company, DNV KEMA
provides innovative solutions in the fields of business
and technical consultancy, testing, inspections and
certification, risk management, and verification advice
and support to organizations along the entire energy
value chain: producers, suppliers and end-users of
energy, equipment manufacturers.
Richard Haagensen is Head of Smart Grid and
Business Strategy, Smart Energy Solutions EMEA at
Landis+Gyr. He manages Landis+Gyr’s smart grid
portfolio and business development in EMEA and
coordinates the joint portfolio activities with Toshiba.
Richard is also a member of Landis+Gyr’s global
Software Architecture Board as well as the European
Smart Metering Industry Group (ESMIG).
pathway: Could you explain in what way smart metering
is the stepping stone to a smart grid?

“All customers
need to become
more aware of the
energy system.”
Frits Verheij

Haagensen: Meters and sensors for measuring and
detecting are the basic components of a smart grid.
They enable the different stakeholders to monitor and
exchange data; they also enable the control of all kinds
of devices, eventually encompassing the complete grid.
With the introduction of renewable energy sources like
PV-solar in the grid and new technologies like electric
vehicles entering the picture, the ability to measure
precisely and detect in real time is becoming more
and more important. At the same time, market players
like data aggregators need data to provide services
in a smart grid environment. At Landis+Gyr we are
currently looking at two main segments: the traditional
grid operators providing, securing and optimizing
electricity capacity for core smart grid opportunities.
This is the technical side of things, if you like. We have

numerous projects in which we support such smart
grid initiatives such as with ACEA in Italy, the Lyon
Confluence project in France, or EKZ in Zurich. Then
there is the energy trade and market selling, providing
services and producing/consuming energy for smart
market opportunities.
pathway: The EU has set ambitious energy efficiency
goals and mandates for smart meter rollouts. Is that
enough or is there a need for further, more specific
legislation and regulation to move towards smart
grids?
Haagensen: As long as the level of renewables stays
under 20%, there will only be serious problems
in cer tain areas where these renewables are
introduced, islands of problems if you like, which
can be managed locally, typically with traditional
non-smart solutions – thus there is currently no
major drive for smart grid solution in the market.
Apart from that, the DNOs are neither incentivized
to enable smart grid solutions and applications and
here is a lack of regulation to enable DNOs to recoup
their investments; this is a problem across Europe.
The situation in the USA is different, for example,
because most US energy companies remain bundled,
they see the incentives for energy efficiency. The

Frits Verheij, Director Smart Energy
DNV KEMA

EU has set energy efficiency goals and legislated
that smart metering needs to be rolled out, but for
the smart grid there is no incentive, there is nothing
really in terms of energy efficiency and how to enable it.
Verheij: If you look at the present system, you see that
it is a centralized, top-down one which has remained
unchanged for a very long time. However, if you look at
most of the developments, apart from large wind farms
and some high-voltage technologies maybe, they are
decentralized. Neither the grid nor the market is designed
to deal with that, so regulation needs to be adapted and
adjusted further. There are working groups dealing with
these issues in Brussels, however, so things are moving
forward. This is also true at national levels: the energy law in
the Netherlands, for example, has recently been amended;
it now allows stepping away from present regulation in
specific pilot projects and provides more freedom to
introduce and experiment with time-of-use rates.
pathway: Data privacy is a major issue that needs to
be solved before you can really leverage the benefits
of smart grids and intelligent energy management.
What is the current status of ensuring data privacy?
Verheij: It would be best to come up with solutions which
are applicable internationally, that’s the ideal situation.
As far as I know, there are no international standards but
there are companies and consortia working on it. We call
this security by design; it should be incorporated in all
kinds of technology developments and solutions, whether
it’s a smart meter or any other device in the smart grid.
Haagensen: I agree with Frits that there should be
internationally applicable standards but there will always
be country and technology-specific elements when it
comes to security. Today, there are limitations at the low
end of the solution. If you talk about smart meters, smart
devices and the communication between them, it very
much depends on what is the preferred communication
technology, whether it’s radio-based like in the US or
PLC based like in Europe, for example. So, it depends
on the communication technology and there can be
significant differences, not only between countries but
also between different regions in the same country.
At the same time, there are different levels of security.
When you build up a solution, you have to consider how
to enable security from end to end, that means that all
the building blocks have to address security on different
levels. Landis+Gyr is working very intensively on this topic.
Together with industry associations, standards bodies
and an internationally proven supplier of secure systems,
we developed an energy management system that
guarantees the security of information passing through
the networks used for smart meter communications. In
the near future, we’re planning to release our end-to-end
Gridstream solution with encrypted data communication
channels between the smart meter and head-end-system.
In addition to this, there is also the challenge of dealing
with the market communication within each country.
Here it depends very much on the country’s regulator.

Richard Haagensen, Head of Smart Grid and
Business Strategy, Smart Energy Solutions EMEA,
Landis+Gyr
For example in Denmark and in the UK, the idea is
to build a large-data hub that can be accessed by
various players in the market.
pathway: While there is a lot of talk about electric
vehicles and smart homes, the level of customer
interest has been fairly low up to now. What is your
take on this?
Verheij: First of all, you have to make a distinction
between the industrial and commercial and the
residential segment. From a business perspective,
commercial and industrial companies have a stronger
incentive to be early adopters because energy is often
an important cost factor to them. At the same time, if
you look at the enormous amount of what we call local
initiatives, there are 800 in Germany and more than 300
in the Netherlands. We see a lot of those local initiatives
in Denmark and in England too. So, local energy
communities using all kinds of smart grid applications,
this is something which is growing and will continue to
grow in the next years. In the end, these initiatives need
to have some common grounds to get widely spread.
pathway: In a similar vein, despite pilots and large
rollouts all over Europe, the majority of the population
isn’t aware of smart metering or the smart grid.
Some level of end customer knowledge and buy-in
is necessary. What can be done?
Verheij: I think first of all customers need to become
more aware of the energy system, most people don’t
know how to read their annual energy bill, for example.
It’s important to deliver value for customers showing
information about their energy status, showing them
how they can save energy and money. I believe that
the retailers, the ones who provide energy to the
consumers are the ones that need to inform customers,
but governments can help too. In the end, it will
probably spread and become popular when new
cost-saving services are offered to customers. You
can compare it to the rise of the internet: it has been
around for a long time but it took several years to really
take off and reach the mainstream.

“Meters and sensors
for measuring and
detecting are the
basic components of
a smart grid.”
Richard Haagensen

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getting
integration
right

Successfully integrating a smart metering solution is a
task that actually warrants that over-used expression:
“it’s a challenge.” The prize is the shift from the
traditional forecasting model to a near to real-time
system which makes use of aggregated data. In order
to engineer this transition, a successful integration of
new technology with the utilities’ IT systems is crucial.
Utilities need to link new hardware and applications like
smart meters, smart appliances and thermostats to
equally new business processes, like the integration of
renewables and altered network operations. The best
approach is joining the two layers by means of futureproof solution architecture using standardized, proven
solutions since they hedge the significant investments.
The rapid innovation in business applications makes
it necessary to separate the data model from the
AMI. It is useful to hide the details of the underlying
communication and data acquisition machinery to
provide a logical model which the business applications
can then leverage. Choosing the standards for
enterprise system communications can be more
challenging than the device-level standards.
A UNIFIED WAY TO STORE DATA
A future-proof reference architecture consists of several
layers: the foundation consists of the smart devices
connected to a head-end-system (HES), which in turn
is integrated into a meter data management (MDM)
system. The MDM itself is integrated into the utility’s
advanced business applications. In order to ensure an
effective implementation of the solution architecture,
there are a number of requirements. First of all, systems
need clearly defined functional boundaries and a limited
number of applicable standards at the interface points.
What is also required is a common semantic model for
all interfaces and systems, as well as communicating
and storing data in a unified way.
Software plays a critical role in the successful
integration of legacy and state-of-the-art utility
syste m s. A str u c tu re with str a ight fo r wa rd
interoperability ensures ma ximized return on
investment for the utility while standard-based
development minimizes risk and provides consistent
end-to-end results. There is, however, a broad set
of standards. What is important for utilities is to
choose the right mix of standards and an efficient
strategy in the pre-integration phase: the industry
focus for software and IT systems is the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61968 series of
standards. The Common Information Model, which
the IEC maintains, underlies the 61968 series and
has been widely adopted in the utilities industry.
FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNER
Mistakes are often made at the very outset of the
journey, during the selection process. It is crucial
to choose a provider and a solution with a proven

track record of deployment and integration. Utility
customers sometimes overlook that many providers
have limited experience with successfully handling
such large-scale solution and integration projects.
The rollout and IT integration of AMM solutions often
involve multiple parties; not properly defining and
agreeing on the responsibilities is another potential
source of problems.
The consequence of this is that when utilities
select a solution, they should focus on both
the solution and the provider. From the solution
perspective, selection criteria should be flexibility,
interoperability and standardization.
From a provider assessment perspective, selecting
providers with a strong-proven background in
complex integration projects is a necessity. Utilities
executives from different companies should share
experience and compare notes with each other to
profit from lessons learned. In the end, the utility
should be looking for committed trusted partners
who are open about the difficulties and are also
able to explain how they can be overcome and how
they will work together with the utility to ensure
joint success.
LEVERAGING UNIQUE EXPERTISE
Landis+Gyr has long recognized that solution
integration is of paramount importance and as such,
it’s a key consideration in the solution portfolio
customers can choose from. Using this approach,
Landis+Gyr is at the forefront of pushing open
standards and published interfaces. Landis+Gyr
considers the use case requirements for the utility’s
business, not just the AMI components. Just one
example of this in action is the Gridstream MDUS
(Meter Data Unification and Synchronization) solution
that enables end-to-end business processes by
connecting smart metering landscapes to SAP ®
for Utilities.
Due to the complexity of AMI technology, there
is a clear need for strong project management
skills and experience. The integration teams need
extensive operational knowledge to guide them
through the process. It might sound simple, but
a clearly defined and agreed scope, clear areas
of responsibility, stringent success criteria and
addressing business readiness early on are the
most important factors for a successful integration
project. Landis+Gyr is in the fortunate position to
leverage the experience and skill from its global
organization to define proven software-solution
delivery and integration processes, building on
foundations of its unique experience and expertise
in all relevant areas.

Selecting providers
with a strong-proven
background in
complex integration
projects is a
necessity.

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S T R AT E G Y

a real-time system using
aggregated data
A conversation with Neha Vikash, Senior Research Analyst, Energy &
Environment – Europe at Frost & Sullivan. Frost & Sullivan, the Growth
Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage
visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth
opportunities that will make or break today‘s market participants. Neha
recently published an article titled “Looking into the future of smart grids.”

pathway: Where do we stand with the smart grid and
what role do smart meters play in it?
Neha Vikash: I think smart meters are the cornerstone
for smart grids – used directly or indirectly. It is crucial
that countries create economic incentives to change
behavior so smart meters are implemented. This will
also enable load shifts and peak balancing.
pathway: The smart meter wave is rolling but there
have been some delays. Which countries specifically
are lagging behind and why?
Neha Vikash: In contrast to Finland, Denmark and
now Spain, a lot of countries are falling behind, most
of them in Central Europe like Latvia, Lithuania and
Hungary for example. When you look at the hotspots
like France and the UK, they have timelines in place
but they are not being adhered to. To some extent,
smart meter implementation has been delayed across
the European Union. The reason for this setback,
especially in the Central European region is a lack of
tenders. The causes tend to vary – they can also be
political or technical in nature. Legal specifications
and government regulation are the major drivers,
and everybody is waiting for these to emerge. Also
when it comes to owning a meter, there are a lot of

strings attached. In some countries like the UK and
the Netherlands it’s retailer driven, but in others it’s
the DSO that owns the meter. It is very important as
a part of regulation to clarify those issues between
the different stakeholders.
pathway: In your article, you point to interoperability
as an important problem to solve. How do you see
the role of leading manufacturers like Landis+Gyr?

“Leading manufacturers must
ensure that open standards are
available for utilities and that their
products are interoperable.”
Neha Vikash: There are several international standards
in the market. The solution basically needs to be
defined in very different ways for differing markets;
emerging markets probably require more options than
the others. When it comes to leading manufacturers,
they must ensure that the open standards are available
for utilities and that their products are interoperable.
They should guarantee future-proof investments for

NEHA VIKASH
Neha Vikash started her professional career in market research as
an associate analyst with The Datamonitor Group. Currently working
as Senior Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, she tracks the Smart
Energy sector with industrial expertise in the Smart Metering and
Advanced Metering Infrastructure markets. She holds a Masters degree in
International Business from Brunel University, London, UK and a
Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication from
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, India.

their customers. Defining these standards is not
such a big deal, but proving them and making them
operable is something which is very important. I see
interoperability and standards more at regional level;
different regions put standards into practice in different
ways. In the UK for example, a lot is happening; they
are defining standards and issuing licenses.

“To some extent, smart meter
implementation has been delayed
across the European Union.”
pathway: You also talked about the fact that IT
integration is going to play a more prominent, if not
dominant role in making smart grids a reality. What
do utilities need to keep in mind when planning their
AMI solutions?
Neha Vikash: I believe the bridge between the Meter
Data Management system and the utility´s applications
is the key. The MDM has to be integrated into the
enterprise’s application, the customer relationship
management system and other applications like

outage management, distribution planning and
demand forecasting. Back-office integration and
enterprise architecture is integral for an AMI and a
smart grid is only possible with the help of strategic
integration architecture. Different data sets, from
the smart meters and operational data from SCADA
system for example, play a major role and need to be
integrated. What then becomes important is how to
make use of data analytics, how to make use of the
information in the running of the business and how
to move away from the traditional forecasting model
to a real-time system using aggregated data. Utilities
have never experienced such data volumes to date
and often don’t really know how to make use of that
data or to turn accessible data into actionable data.
There is also something of a trend towards AMI as a
service, using private cloud-based solutions to deal
with the large data volumes.

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REPORT

mass rollout in
the nordics: smart
game changer
Oulu in central Finland is not only Europe’s largest northernmost city with a
population of over 190,000, it’s a technological boomtown. Well known for its
science parks, research institutes and universities, its inhabitants are savvy with
ubiquitous computing in nearly all facets of everyday life. Oulu is also home to
the Finnish-owned Oulun Energia utility, which together with Landis+Gyr, has
rolled out more than 60,000 smart meters in one and a half years.

Oulun Energia Siirto ja Jakelu Oy, part of the Oulun
Energia Group, delivers services spanning the entire
energy supply chain from production at Oulun’s
locally operating Toppila 190 MW Power Station to
transmission and distribution in large areas of Oulu.
This is realized by a team of 44 employees using a
network of more than 2,500 km of power lines. Its
lean organisation promises to remain highly efficient
in the future thanks to Landis+Gyr’s extensive turnkey
solution including maintenance and operating services
as well as reading services. This will enable Oulun
Energia to focus on utilizing metering data for billing
and network monitoring.
EXCEEDING MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS
As with all Finnish energy companies, Oulun Energia
has been obligated to make sure 80% of its 90,000
metering points are remotely readable by the end of the
year 2013. In 2011, as part of a successful pilot scheme,
some 28,000 customers were already using Landis+Gyr
electricity smart meters. Landis+Gyr then developed
a comprehensive solution including the delivery of
a further 62,000 meters, the merger of the existing
metering infrastructure as well as communications
technology. The hardware installation was carried
out by a trusted external partner, supported by the
Landis+Gyr Site Manager application for managing the
installation and field maintenance operations of smart
meters. This mass rollout was concluded in May this
year well before the obligatory deadline, exceeding
mandatory requirements by 18,000 units. This was
facilitated by a smooth implementation process during
operations, thanks to the close cooperation between
all participants involved in the project. The DSO’s
Development Manager Mikko Rasi reported that “As
our long-term partner, Landis+Gyr contributed not only
as a technical expert and system integrator, but also
with a deep understanding of our business processes
which turned out to be valuable in the planning phase.”
BENEFITS FOR BOTH CUSTOMER AND OPERATOR
Due to its strong focus on customer services, Oulun
Energia was ranked among the three best electricity
utility suppliers in a customer survey commissioned
by the Finnish Energy Industries in 2012. Besides
other innovative services, Oulun Energia runs onlinereporting feedback systems, enabling customers to
monitor their energy consumption. This was met with
great acceptance. More than 30,000 customers already
registered for the web based Energiatili platform that
provides an hour-by-hour consumption history. But it
also sheds light on the specific characteristics of the
Nordic market: “It can cause upsets in wintertime, when
the electric heating is reflected on the bill,” comments
Mikko Rasi. “But beyond that, the need for real-time
monitoring and immediate feedback is undisputable.”

Based on Landis+Gyr’s solution, Oulun Energia is able
to streamline its processes, leading to greater cost
efficiency and improved customer services. This is
added value, sourced from the meter data which is
collected, validated and delivered by Landis+Gyr. “The
high quality of the data allows network management
functionalities like alerts, fault location and anticipation
of malfunctions,” is how Tuukka Toivonen, Head of
Service Delivery Landis+Gyr Finland, describes some
of the benefits.
AN EVOLUTION OVER TIME
Oulun Energia’s successful rollout is an important
milestone on the path to the smart grid. Yet there is
still plenty of room for further development – not only
in the visionary smart city project of Hiukkavaara in
the Oulu district (see report in this issue), but also
for day-to-day operations. ”A smart multi-energy
solution that can be used for heat and water as the
next logical step is in reach,” Toivonen points out. “But
we also have a strong interest in more sophisticated
forms of network management and smart grids.” This
however, is more than a technical issue. According to
the expert, the Finnish market is in a state of waiting,
looking for an appropriate business case. From his
perspective, load control – which is subject of a
current pilot project being run in cooperation with
Landis+Gyr – and distributed generation could be
driving the next steps. “The transition from distribution
networks into smart grids is an evolution over time,” he
states. And Oulun Energia is ready for this evolution.
Given Finland’s lead together with Sweden in the use
of smart meters, it will be well worth monitoring Oulun
Energia’s progress in the coming years: the forwardthinking Nordic attitude towards new technological
ideas has the potential to produce a game changer.

THE FINNISH
MARKET IN BRIEF
Finland’s total energy consumption in the first
quarter of 2013 amounted to around 392 petajoule,
the consumption of electricity to 24.6 terawatt
hours. The average electric power consumtion
is among the highest in Europe, partly due to the
fact that electric heating is the most popular form
of heating. Energy distribution and meter reading
are challenging in this country with vast lakelands
and the third lowest population density in the EU.

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REPORT

hiukkavaara – a living
lab far up north

Some of the award-winning proposals for the Hiukkavaara design competition
(Arkkitehtuuritoimisto Bruun & Murole Oy and Arkkitehdit Anttila & Rusanen Oy)

10 years ago, Hiukkavaara was little other than a woodland region some 15 kilometers
inland from the west Finnish coast. Known for its military barracks, the area was targeted
by winter sports, hunting and fishing enthusiasts. Back in 2006, an outline plan was
proposed for the vicinity. In March 2013, a 1.8 billion Euro investment plan was launched
to build a sustainable arctic smart city, which is to be a model for environmental design
in the northern hemisphere.

The arctic smart city is an ambitious project. Building
in subarctic and arctic zones requires special skills
and technology. To create an energy-efficient, climatefriendly and user-aligned winter municipality with
innovative services and logistic processes is even more
challenging. The future-oriented urban district covering
1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) intends to house 20,000
people in 10,000 homes and to create 1,800 workplaces
by 2035. Furthermore, it will provide smart services
to 40,000 consumers at any one time. Development
themes in tomorrow’s Hiukkavaara will include energyefficient city living with smart grids, alternative and
renewable forms of energy, an ecological water system
and centralized waste management. As a district of
Oulu City, which was rated Europe’s most intelligent
community by the Intelligent Community Forum ICF
in 2012, it will provide smart city services, functional
public transportation and safe wintertime cycling.
PIONEERING THE FUTURE
Hiukkavaara is to be the hub of Finland’s fastestgrowing technological region and is being targeted as
an important investment area – not only financially but
also at an interest level. The smart city will combine
numerous single technologies already in existence,
including virtually zero-energy consumption in all
new buildings as required by Finnish law by 2021.
Microgrid services will be used for energy storage, the
distribution of produced energy including renewables
as well as off-grid implementation for macro-scale
demand response. Utility and distribution services
will be employed for the large-scale control of energy
consumption as well as supporting new innovations in
electricity distribution and new business models for
the value chain. The Finnish WintEVE consortium will
also use Hiukkavaara as a test bed for various electric
vehicle projects, including intelligent charging. The
accent being set for this smart city is that it should
be people-driven, self-initiated and age independent
with a city center comprising single-family houses. Its

transport is to offer protected interior thoroughfares
for bad weather and “nature” routes for good weather.
TECHNOLOGY FOR A NEW ENERGY SYSTEM
The regional network operator, Oulun Energia Siirto ja
Jakelu Oy (see report on page 16) is responsible for
electricity transmission and distribution in Hiukkavaara.
According to their Development Manager Mikko Rasi,
the smart city will be exemplary for demonstrating load
control technologies and demand side management
applications that will find their way into everyday life
in future : “It serves as a living lab for energy-efficient
concepts and solutions.” Together with Oulun Energia
and Toshiba, Landis+Gyr is contributing to several
projects in this smart city. SEAS – Smart Energy Aware
Systems – for example are part of the Hiukkavaara
theme “Utility and distribution services.” Started
at the end of 2012, SEAS will in future enable the
operator to co-control subsystems and devices in
on-site and independent grids. They will also allow
reactive and proactive adaption of the system behavior
by monitoring and prediction. “Enerficiency”, part
of the Smart Home theme which is another project
Landis+Gyr is involved in, will soon enable user-led
energy efficiency management.
EVALUATING THE EVOLUTION
While Scotland’s Findhorn Ecovillage, which received
the UN Habitat Best Practice Designation in 1998,
is one of few worldwide examples of genuine longterm sustainability, this smart city promises to test
the limitations of many of today’s new technologies
in the attempt to harmonize better with the harsh
local environment for tomorrow. During its evolution,
Hiukkavaara will monitor development using an
Ecocity Evaluator – a software that assesses energy
consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and costs.
Assessment will take into account building, traffic,
energy production, industry, agriculture and carbon
sinks and can be compared with other cities.

Hiukkavaara is to be
the hub of Finland’s
fastest-growing
technological region.

PA G E 2 0

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REPORT

a smart grid pilot:

tracking transformer stations
and street lights
Dutch energy company Stedin consolidates its smart grid infrastructure with a street
lighting solution: the approach is providing a blueprint for further efficient and costeffective rollouts. With subsidiaries in Rotterdam, Utrecht and Delft serving 2.1 million
customers (equating to almost four million electricity and gas meters in total), Stedin
is one of the main distribution system operators in the Netherlands.

Stedin chose a comprehensive, cutting-edge solution
to replace their out-dated centralized control system
(CS) and installed two Landis+Gyr S650 Smart Grid
Terminals in each of the 75 transformer stations in
the Houten area. Prior to the decision to roll out the
terminals in all transformer stations, another distribution
system operator ENEXIS and Landis+Gyr successfully
completed a smart grid pilot which demonstrated how
the Landis+Gyr technology facilitates tracking and
monitoring of transformer stations and street lights.
The S650 Smart Grid Terminal collects data from the
transformer station and switches the tariffs for meters
that are not remotely readable yet.
The positive effects of replacing the rather oldfashioned, centralized system with a modern,
decentralized infrastructure became immediately
apparent during the first installation phase. ”It had
a huge impact on customer satisfaction,“ says Henk
Fidder, Expert Asset Manager at Stedin. “With the CS,
any defect would affect a large area and we received
too many complaints. Now we receive information
about problems a lot more quickly and are able to
respond much faster. System reliability increased
significantly.” He also points to an increased need
to integrate renewable energy, especially solar, as a
driver for the update of Stedin’s technology. “Now,
we need to know what’s happening in the low voltage

network and the old system simply can’t supply this
information.”
CONCURRENT OPERATION – PARALLEL COSTS
In the past, tariffs for electricity consumption were
switched by a centralized system (CS). The use of smart
meters – 80 per cent coverage will be mandatory in
the Netherlands by 2020 – now eliminates the need
for a CS. The parallel operation of a CS and a smart
system is inefficient and expensive. “Beyond the
technical level, it is also a question of accounting,”
says Tjakko Kruit, Landis+Gyr’s Commercial Director
in the Netherlands. The operational costs of the CS
have to be allocated to the remaining applications
that make use of it – first and foremost public street
lighting, besides very few niche applications. On the
other hand, since street light can act as a valuable,
integrated part of a smart grid, rolling out a combined
smart infrastructure for street light and transformer
monitoring is highly productive and cost-efficient.
METERING, LIGHTING, CONTROLLING: THE
TRIPLE PLAY OF THE TRANSFORMER STATION
The two S650 devices are installed in the transformer
stations in one fitting, keeping installation costs to a
necessary minimum. The Smart Grid Terminal comes
equipped with an on-board astronomic clock that
enables geographical position settings and allow for

accurate sunset and sunrise trigger signals to switch
the street light. One S650 controls and measures
the street light application while the other monitors
the transformer station; both devices use the same
communication channel. This efficient approach keeps
data transmission costs low.
Using the Smart Grid Terminal, the Dutch energy
provider has an easy way to track street lighting energy
consumption. “In the past, we had to count the number
of street lights and estimated consumption,” explains
Fidder. The S650 also optimizes energy consumption
and facilitates maintenance as well as relamping. Both
the data collected from the households and from
the streetlight are used for network monitoring. This
combination provides a valid database to calculate
net losses. Malfunctions can immediately be detected
and any significant disturbances are tracable.
BLUEPRINT FOR MASS ROLLOUT
Landis+Gyr and Stedin are realizing a combined stepby-step rollout and review the process thoroughly after
completion of each milestone. Successful collaboration
and the large scale rollout is the result of thorough
preparation and extensive testing under laboratory
conditions. Ten devices were tested for a two-month
period before the first installation phase started. “As
trusted partner, we wanted to deliver an innovative,

tailor-made solution based on our proven technology,”
says Kruit. Following the experience of the Houten
combined rollout, a smart grid solution and smart
street lighting is planned in the Hoeksewaard area in
2014. 200 transformer stations will be equipped with
the S650 Smart Grid Terminals and 40,000 smart
meters will be installed in local homes.

THE DUTCH
MARKET IN BRIEF
The Dutch energy industry is responsible for a
good 6% of the country’s GDP, or 36 billion euros
per year. The sector currently employs 100,000
people and the Netherlands is among the largest
importers and exporters of oil and oil products
in the world, and has a highly developed gas
industry. A gradual transition to green energy
should enable Dutch energy companies and
institutions to become a top economic sector.
source: Government.nl

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REPORT

deconstructing
the process

Teasing out the raw beauty and arcane power of
energy production sites is a task that few have
mastered like British photojournalist Toby Smith.
His unprejudiced curiosity and sound scientific
understanding of the subject matter are the
cornerstones of his unique approach. Working together
with Landis+Gyr customer SSE, he took breathtaking
images of hydro-electric plants in the Scottish
Highlands that have found their way into SSE’s brand
imagery.

PA G E 2 4

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REPORT

pathway: What is it about energy production that
fascinates you so much?
Toby Smith: In all the industrial landscapes I work with,
I like to visually deconstruct the flow of the raw material
and the production process. With energy production, it’s
especially interesting because electricity is intangible.
With SSE’s hydro plants in particular, it was fascinating
to see how these raw and historically important plants
function. At the same time, it’s a technology that is
designed very organically within the landscape. It was
amazing capturing the harsh weather, the raw conditions
of the Scottish landscape and turning them into humming
cables. Hydro is ideal in that it builds up this enormous
potential energy. It also fascinates me how a rainstorm
on a Scottish glen links back to consumers and everyday
activities like boiling a cup of tea.
pathway: And when it comes to personal motivation,
what is it that keeps taking you back to this kind of
demanding project?
Toby Smith: Curiosity, be it scientific or visual. I do
a lot of research on projects that never take shape
because I feel that there is enough information, enough
imagery out there and I have learned all I want to about
them. The most interesting projects are the ones when
I get frustrated after a certain amount of research and
can’t find enough or any original visual representation.
Sometimes there are only a few images and they are
used over and over again; you find them everywhere.
That motivates me to go out there and shoot my own.
I like to add to the visual index of a subject in this way.
Something else that drives me is the desire to make
subject matter transparent and give people the chance
to make up their own minds about it. I care about
sustainability and nature but I think typical advocacy
projects can be ineffective, because they essentially
tell people what to think. I prefer to make my own
journey when it comes to transparency in my work; I

ABOUT SSE
SSE is one of the UK’s largest electricity producers
with over 13,000 MW of capacity (UK and Ireland)
from the most diverse portfolio of power stations.
It is the leading generator of electricity from
renewable resources, with a total generation
capacity of 3,200 MW.
Through its renewable development division, SSE
Renewables, it is involved in the development of
new renewable energy projects covering wind,
wave, tide and hydro electricity.

think that’s a more honest approach and a better way
to connect with your audience.
pathway: How did your cooperation with SSE come
about?
Toby Smith: I reached out to them because I wanted
a sequel to my previous projects about thermal
power plants in the UK. This time I wanted to focus on
renewable energy across Britain and I got hooked on
the story of hydro power generation across Scotland. It
was surprisingly easy to get in touch with SSE; we had
a great initial discussion on the phone and a week later
I had to be on another shoot in Scotland anyway. So I
just took my portfolio to a meeting with them and it went
extremely well. I wish I could pitch into energy clients
as easily as that every year! I think what impressed
them was that I had really got my head around what
they were doing up there. They had never worked with
a photographer in that way before and I think they
became curious to see the story I was going to tell.
pathway: Your images ended up having an impact on
SSE branding. What happened?
Toby Smith: Up to that point in time their brand imagery
was more consumer and employee led. I felt that
it trickled down from the retail end, very colorfully,
emotively, and in a safe kind of way. I deliberately
wanted to break down that stereotype. I wanted to
look at the challenges of the work they were doing
and the remoteness of their locations. For me it was
fascinating to tell a story about the tough conditions and
the challenges they have to overcome to do their job
well. This gritting one’s teeth approach is not something
that energy companies in the UK usually go for in their
branding; it’s more common in Scandinavia or the US.
In the UK, energy companies have normally avoided the
challenging aspect and prefer to focus on safety. But
in the end, SSE really got behind the project and the
idea of mastering tough challenges and successfully
managing risk. A good example of how it played out
is how hard it initially was to get access to a wind
turbine in winter where I would shoot from a perceivably
dangerous location high up. It was difficult to justify this
location at SSE because photography is operationally
not essential. In the end, the resulting picture became
the wrap-around photo for their annual financial report
and it did very well in the editorial media.
pathway: You took many of your images in Scotland
in difficult physical conditions. You were shooting at
low temperatures, without any energy back ups. Which
was the most difficult image to take?
Toby Smith: The problem with the best vantage points
is that they are often the most exposed. I did quite a few
of the shoots from the top of the dams and even though
you are not in any real physical danger, you are at the
hand of the elements. You are effectively located at the

end of a lake, in the middle of a valley at an artificially
raised point; it’s a funnel for the wind in the entire valley.
And because it’s so exposed, it’s just freezing. I had
to change the grease on some of my camera gear for
example, because some lubricants just don’t work at
minus 10 degrees. Film needs a far longer exposure
too, and you have to keep it warm before you expose it.
Another thing is, the more challenging the conditions,
the harder it is to find enough time to actually take the
pictures you want. If you are in pleasant conditions
and don’t have to worry about cooking and where are
you going to sleep, you can spend 45 minutes out of
every hour shooting. Doing night photography in these
kinds of conditions, you have to deal with basic needs
and it puts a lot more pressure on you when it comes
to the time you can devote to the job itself. And I did
it by myself too; I’ve learned that there are economies
of scale when somebody else is there to help with the
expedition aspect of it. On the other hand, you are much
more motivated to go and get it done when you are on
your own. When there are two people, there is more
temptation to just chat and pass the time.
pathway: Once you get a deeper insight into renewable
energy projects, how would you define the ubiquitous
term, “sustainability”?
Toby Smith: What I learned about sustainability is
that if it’s not going to be sustainable financially, it’s
not going to be sustainable at all. You see some types
of sustainable energy production where you know
instantly that this technology is never going to have any
significant effect, because the commercial application
isn’t there. At the same time, I believe that there won’t
be any significant progress without dreaming, without
taking a risk, which also means investing in projects
that may not pay off in the end. I think it’s important
that there is an innovative, risk-friendly spirit and that
more daring projects get the necessary financing.

TOBY SMITH
Smith is an award-winning
c o n te m p o r a r y r e p o r t a g e
photographer specializing in
landscape, environment and
energy. His stills and video work
have been assigned and published
by clients such as National
Geographic, GEO, The Sunday
Telegraph, The Sunday Times, The
Guardian, Fortune, TIME, The New
York Times, BBC and Sky News.
www.shootunit.com

PA G E 2 6

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F acts an d F igures

reader’s survey
With the last edition in spring we set off on a fact-finding mission to discover
how our readers rate pathway. Either a hard-copy or online questionnaire was
sent to our international readers asking for feedback.
2,600 customers and business partners were asked to
participate in this survey where we offered a Toshiba
tablet as a participation incentive. The answers enabled
us to get a clear picture. Thank you very much for
participating!
pathway’s average reader stems from middle or senior
management on the customer side (75.5 %) holding a
highly technical role in the company they work for and
predominantly in the metering department. Nearly 60%
of those who replied had read either one or both issues
previous to edition 03. Interestingly, 17 % of respondents
read all the articles, almost 30 % four to seven articles.

On behalf of Landis+Gyr, Martin Herzog, Key Account Manager
Switzerland, handed over the Toshiba tablet to our reader Markus Flatt,
Head of Meter Calibration Center of the Swiss utility EWZ

Almost 95 % of our readers considered that the articles
in pathway present interesting approaches to important
industry topics. Some 85.5 % of those consulted rated
the articles to be of high quality on relevant topics as
well as being written in an intelligible way. Over 57
%
saw pathway as partly strengthening their picture of
Landis+Gyr as a forward-thinking business partner.
A similar number of those asked were of the opinion
that pathway enhanced their view of Landis+Gyr as a
customer-oriented company.
The survey also showed that pathway is well-designed
with good illustrations. Additionally the articles came
across as agreeable to read and not too long. Perhaps
the best news was that 100 % of all respondents would
recommend pathway. Obviously we are on the right
track!

Issue 4, October 2013
pathway is published by
Landis+Gyr AG
Theilerstrasse 1, 6301 Zug, Switzerland
pathway.emea@landisgyr.com
www.landisgyr.eu
Photography:
© iStock; 1xpert (page 4-5)
© iStock; chinaface (page 9)
© iStock; Eraxion (page 12)
Frost & Sullivan (page 15)
www.rodeo.fi (page 16)
Oulu City (Page 18)
© iStock; shaman1006 (page 21)
Toby Smith: www.shootunit.com; toby@shootunit.com (cover, pages 3, 6, 22, 24, 25)
Additional photos by Landis+Gyr/Seidl PR & Marketing GmbH
Editorial and layout:
Landis+Gyr AG
Seidl PR & Marketing GmbH, 45131 Essen, Germany

Landis+Gyr AG
Theilerstrasse 1, 6301 Zug, Switzerland
pathway.emea@landisgyr.com
www.landisgyr.eu

Smart metering – the stepping stone to a smart grid

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