Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine 26-4 - 24

measurement
andapplications continued
pervades the operation of
every single appliance or
complex system, according
to the authors of [32], the
use of smart meters offers
consumers the possibility of
obtaining useful information
to profile loads, assess
their state of health and efficiency,
and monitor how
their consumption evolves
over time. To be considered
" smart, " such meters must
meet minimum requirements
for measurement,
processing, operation and
control [33] (2012/148/EU).
Furthermore, the EuFig.
4. Example of a distributed smart meter network.
Distributed Measurement Systems in Smart
Monitoring Applications
Over the last few decades, the metering sector applied to
energy monitoring systems has undergone considerable development
thanks to increased investment by states, authorities
and companies. In particular, the spread of smart metering systems
is currently enjoying great success in Europe, especially
thanks to legislation in many countries that promotes or even
requires the replacement of old metering devices with modern
smart meters. In fact, most EU Member States have legislation
in place (Directive 2009/72/EC) which provides a legal framework
for the installation and regulation of new smart meters, of
which there are now over 200 million. However, the success of
smart meters is not only due to national and international policies
triggered by the energy and climate crisis, but above all it
is linked to the multitude of advantages and opportunities that
these devices now offer in every application.
As shown in Fig. 4, smart monitoring can be applied to multiple
scenarios: residential, industrial and electricity distribution
and transmission. For each application, the process is always
aimed at satisfying objectives in terms of monitoring, analysis,
efficiency, diagnosis and cost savings. For example, according
to [31], smart meters are electronic metering devices capable
of providing information regarding the consumption, billing
and operation of electrical, water, gas and heating systems and,
eventually, applying suitable countermeasures to unwanted
events. Furthermore, since energy consumption in all its forms
24
ropean Smart Meters
Industry Group (ESMIG)
highlights the minimum
characteristics of a smart
meter: remote reading;
two-way communication
protocols; support of tariff
systems; and remote control over energy supply. Thus, there
is no complete standardization in this regard; however, we can
state that the effectiveness and efficiency of a network of metering
and sub-metering systems are closely related to both
the quality of the measurement information collected from
the field and the ability to convey the system's information
quickly (with respect to the dynamics of the application) and
reliably. That is, success depends to a large extent on the choice
of communication technology employed.
Smart metering applications typically favor communication
technologies that have particular aptitudes for operating
in industrial environments, with good robustness to withstand
electromagnetic interference, and that are also characterized
by ease of installation, integration with other industrial devices,
and above all are inexpensive to implement. For these
reasons, despite the advantages of wireless solutions, in industrial
environments the choice typically falls on systems
based on wired technologies. In addition, whenever possible,
attempts are made to exploit existing communication
infrastructures; some of those most frequently used in smart
monitoring are briefly described below.
For example, in energy distribution networks, when there
is no ad-hoc network for communication and little data to exchange,
smart meters implement power line communication
(PLC) technology. That is, a much higher frequency carrier signal
is superimposed on the electrical current of the distribution
system, which can then be easily separated using filters. In this
IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine
June 2023
Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine 26-4

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