Remote reading

- a reality in Helsinki

Since 2005, electricity and district heating meters in the city districts of Baggböle/Pakila and Berghäll/Kallio have been read remotely. The results have been positive, and Helsinki Energy expects to introduce remote reading throughout Helsinki within 10 years.

Political and market pressures to promote sustainable development in the energy sector are part of the reason for Helsinki Energy’s decision in principle taken in 2004 to switch gradually to remote reading of electricity and district heating.

 
The city districts of Baggböle/Pakila and Berghäll/Kallio, which primarily consist of selfcontained residences, were the first chosen for the project, and through 2005 remote reading has been installed with approx. 7,000 electricity customers and 1,500 district heating customers. The project has been well received by residents, and allows the electricity company to develop its invoicing and reporting services.

Radio system manages both elec. and district heating measurement

Using a solution from Kamstrup, electricity and district heating are both read automatically in the 8,500 or so households by the same system.

This system is based on data transfer via a radio network, this being well suited to the densely populated area of self-contained residences.

The obvious synergy benefits of combined reading were one decisive factor in Helsinki’s choice of Kamstrup as its system supplier.

Online service from Kamstrup

During the start-up phase, maintenance of the system is being done by
Kamstrup. Data is sent for analysis and testing from the installed meters to Kamstrup. On the basis of analysis results, Kamstrup submits proposals on which measuring locations require further measures to attain a stable connection with meters.

Kamstrup’s control programme is designed to manage many customers and large quantities of measurement data, and the programme also controls the residential district’s electricity and heating tariffs and heating load.

Once installation is complete, maintenance of the system will pass to Mitox OY, supplier of metering services to Helsinki Energy.

Remote reading is the solution of the future
Helsinki Energy has decided to introduce remote reading in one area at a time, in order to achieve a solution that is technically solid and financially viable, as seen from an overall costing perspective. In the short term, remote reading increases the network’s costs, but in the longer term there are savings to be made. 

The rewards of remote reading will be fully reaped once the whole of Helsinki has remote reading installed. According to current estimates, this will happen within 10 years.