Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NINA 2.0 (Changing the rules of domestic gas metering)
Reporting period: 2017-06-01 to 2017-11-30
The NINA 2.0 innovation project addresses the need of gas retailers for smart metering technologies enabling flexible billing architectures, next generation services, dynamic rates and offerings, while at the same time avoiding the negative economics of national-mandated roll outs.
Smart metering technologies constitute a priority in the European Energy Strategy for they contribute to a more efficient use of energy and empower consumers, making them more aware of their energy use and able to adjust it in response to price signal.
The SME Instrument Ph.1 project allowed ZenUp to pursue the objectives of analysing the vast array of wireless communication technologies and outline the specification of a complementary connectivity gateway for the NINA sensor; to investigate the state of advancement of the smart gas metering deployment in several EU countries, and to re-design the NINA 2.0 business plan according to the findings of these analyses.
Smart metering technologies constitute a priority in the European Energy Strategy for they contribute to a more efficient use of energy and empower consumers, making them more aware of their energy use and able to adjust it in response to price signal.
The SME Instrument Ph.1 project allowed ZenUp to pursue the objectives of analysing the vast array of wireless communication technologies and outline the specification of a complementary connectivity gateway for the NINA sensor; to investigate the state of advancement of the smart gas metering deployment in several EU countries, and to re-design the NINA 2.0 business plan according to the findings of these analyses.
Our study highlighted that the EU gas smart meters roll-out is moving forward, but slower than originally outlined. All programs are designed around intrusive and in all cases analysed the responsible party for the implementation are the DSOs.
For the ‘last mile’ communication issue no single connectivity arrangement emerged as the preferred solution to serve the specific needs of gas wireless metering case. At wider system infrastructure level 2 alternative approaches are being embraced: a completely independent communications infrastructure dedicated to gas meters (mono-utility), or a common communications infrastructure for both electricity and gas smart metering, potentially integrating also water metering (multi-utility). At present, the multi-utility approach seems favoured.
On these bases, and on the basis of the technology trials carried out by the R&D team, the NINA 2.0 project has been split into three autonomous project lines: (1) NINA, the wireless clamp-on GAS meter (2) PINTA, the wireless clamp-on WATER meter (3) MARIA, the wireless data gateway. The NINA and PINTA sensors leverage on MARIA for transmitting data.
For the ‘last mile’ communication issue no single connectivity arrangement emerged as the preferred solution to serve the specific needs of gas wireless metering case. At wider system infrastructure level 2 alternative approaches are being embraced: a completely independent communications infrastructure dedicated to gas meters (mono-utility), or a common communications infrastructure for both electricity and gas smart metering, potentially integrating also water metering (multi-utility). At present, the multi-utility approach seems favoured.
On these bases, and on the basis of the technology trials carried out by the R&D team, the NINA 2.0 project has been split into three autonomous project lines: (1) NINA, the wireless clamp-on GAS meter (2) PINTA, the wireless clamp-on WATER meter (3) MARIA, the wireless data gateway. The NINA and PINTA sensors leverage on MARIA for transmitting data.
The project highlighted the need for seamless technologies serving the multi-utility market to help utilities and citizens increasing resource and system efficiency while saving costs and wastes. The 3 Zenup products target the such market, i.e. the smart metering for domestic consumption monitoring and control, thus keeping up with the evolution trends of the utilities market Europe-wide.