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TAXERNET

Introduction
Structure
The goal
Customers

Introduction
Ektaco possesses for a long time know how (since the middle of 1980'ies) to design remote data reading systems for energy vendors. The cooperation with Estonian Energy started in 1995, when the semi-automatic system for data acquisition from 5 apartment houses in Tallinn was developed.
Currently this system has expanded all over the city and is named as remote meter reading system TAXERNET. The data acquisition system bases on Cable TV (CATV) and GSM networks and there are 16838 energy meters binded into it today. The usage of CATV networks offers online connection with its advantages. Since the summer of 2002 the readings from over 15000 meters in Tallinn have been passed to Estonian Energy through networks of 2 CATV operators.
There, during the same period, energy measuring systems for several companies have been developed, but also tested the remote data reading possibilities at heating and water supplying networks.
In 2004 with the aid from the Enterprise Estonia a great further development of TAXERNET took place. Several additional user capabilities have been included and needed changes according to international standards have been covered.

The goal for using Remote Meter Reading Systems
The modern industry must reflect the market's needs and must be flexible and economical. This arises also the need for flexible sales system. It as the result presumes more detailed and quicker information about the sold resources. The traditional old methods of collecting meter readings are very hardworking and expensive. The need to receive more detailed information will rise the expenses in addition and would be sometimes even impossible.
In comparison we can refer to today's financial sector that could not exist efficiently without e-banking any more.
In conclusion, it creates the need for developing remote data reading systems. Similar systems for servicing larger consumers have being existing already for a long time. With the opening of the energy market the need for such systems has spread to smaller clients too.
The main goal of TAXERNET is to offer the possibilities of suitable remote meter reading for small customers besides the larger clients. Remote reading is not as an aim in itself, but as rearranging the system in total to reduce energy losses with means of information technology.

Implied customers and benefits of introducing remote reading systems

The interested customers may be:

• the distribution networks of energy supply
• heat producers for central heating
• companies dealing with water and sewage
• gas vendors
• resellers of energy and water

The main goal of meter reading for all of them is:

• to reduce the data error rate and need for a work
• to introduce the more precise energy measuring systems
• to reduce and manage the vendor's losses and losses on technical reasons

At the same time these data acquisition systems enable the customers to get more detailed overlook of their expenses and avoid excessive outgo. As the best result basing on accurate relations, such systems will give benefits to both parties.
Decreasing the laborious work during collecting meter readings is the obvious benefit, because these expenses are rising quickly. There will be no need to visit customers for meter readings during the certain time intervals. But it is sure, that in addition to assembling costs, there will be costs for network usage and also maintenance of the whole system.
We can't bypass remote data reading systems, if the need for readings is more frequent than once per day or even per hour. For smaller clients, the needed time interval is usually once per month or even only once per year. In such cases the efficiency of remote readings from cost of labor is not available.
Introducing the remote meter reading systems enables to change the selling-strategy that leads to changes of consumption habits of consumers, so it is possible to use more effective energy production. Systems like this allow to use different tariff rates and benefits, but also limit consumption energy, etc. Such approach is widely spread and common already in banking and telecommunication companies. When applied smartly, it can also give good results in energy market. Reducing the time intervals and increasing the data quantum do not lead to rising of operating costs of the system.
In energy management and resells the problems of different losses are very important. Using smart remote meter reading systems covers already itself some introducing and maintenance costs of the system by the means of reducing losses. There is the possibility to define the such balance meters or install additional balance meters.

Observing constantly balances and error messages enables to locate:

• Faulty meters
• Wrong installed meters
• Thefts
• Energy, bypassing measuring equipment

By this information, the servicing team can concentrate their work to parts of energy system having faults or great losses. No doubt, the remote reading systems itself do not reduce the losses, but give us the useful information for acting.
The design of these systems presumes to take into account all of these parameters and to estimate the possible receiving effects.
As an example lets follow to an experience of installing and maintaining the remote electricity-meter reading system of the apartment houses in Tallinn.

The developing process consisted of the following phases:

• replacement of most old type meters with the newer static meters with pulse output options
• upgrading the suitable older dynamic meters with pulse transmitters (in small extent only)
• fixing up the in-house wiring of measurement and distribution circuits
• installing a main meter to each apartment house brings also the function of a balance meter
• installing of other in-house components for remote reading system
• binding the local meter reading network with CATV to achieve the functioning remote reading system
• appliance of the system for monthly billing of the customers

Benefits from introducing the remote meter reading system

Benefits obtained from developing
the remote meter reading system are:

• replacing all the technically old and low precision meters with better and newer ones lowered also the in-house losses
• eliminating not measured circuits, thefts, wrong wirings etc
• eliminating mismatches in resells. There have been cases where the information about the measuring system in vendor's database was not in reality. It was often unclear if the billing was directly with energy vendor or through the co-operative of the house. Matching the agreements reduced the reselling costs.
• installing the balance meter of the house enabled to measure the real losses to find still not measured circuits or failing meters before the result could be considered as normal

Benefits of using the remote meter reading system:

• reduction of the expenses of work for collecting data and making bills
• with automated transfer of the readings decreased the error rate due to manual factor
• shorter time of delivering bills and for the customer service
• automated daily readings enabled quick fix of failed, vandalized or stolen equipment and to start immediate repair
• relevant running information about changes in loss grade enables to find greater thefts and to act according to it
• check quickly the validity of the clients' claim reports and so decrease the number of causeless calls
• prevent the possible clients' claim reports with detecting and repairing failed equipment quickly

The methods for decreasing the technical losses are different in different spheres and sectors.

In central heating sector, the remote meter reading enables in addition to monitore:

• the water temperatures of forward and return pipelines
• find out failures of circulation pumps
• find out possible leakages

In water measuring networks our system enables to locate pipe breaks and failed meters.
It may be attractive for the energy resellers and managers of real estate to know that it is possible to build common data acquisition systems that cover all these different fields and assure to receive all the readings in time.

The common system of remote meter reading may consist of the following equipment:

• electricity meters
• heat meters
• gas volume calculators (meters)
• water meters

So it will be possible to save money from avoiding building excessive communication systems. The managing companies can even better develop such systems, because they are independent from energy producers or market pressure.

Directed by

Aivar Möll

Phone +372 639 7933
GSM +372 50 63 126
e-mail aivar@ektaco.ee