Kamstrup strengthens smart metering solution with new electricity meter
August 23, 2021
With the introduction of the new OMNIA® e-meter, the company expands its offering to include a meter platform exclusively based on cellular IoT to complement the existing OMNIPOWER RF mesh-based meter platform.
Cellular IoT has been an emerging trend in smart metering for years – with Kamstrup among the first suppliers to start working with the technology – and now reality has finally caught up with the hype. The current level of technological maturity and widespread adoption has made it feasible to develop a meter solely based on cellular IoT while also facilitating deployment in scale. This means utilities will be able to reap the technology’s many benefits of its flexibility, capacity and cost structure.
The OMNIA® e-meter with integrated and automatic switching between different cellular IoT technologies is a strong addition to the full solution. Utilities now have full flexibility when it comes to their choice of communication technology. “It’s important to us to be able to cater to different needs, and with the new addition to our meter portfolio, it’s up to our customers to decide whether they want to jump the IoT train straight away or stick to the tried-and-tested RF solution, only gradually making the transition. Both have their benefits, so it’s really a matter of what suits the utilities’ individual needs.”, says Mikkel Winther Johansen, Product Manager.
The OMNIA® e-meter will, of course, be produced in Kamstrup’s automated factory in Denmark, ensuring the quality and security in supply that OMNIA® meters are known for.
From data to knowledge
By turning smart meter data into actionable insights, Kamstrup’s smart metering solution helps utilities handle the challenges of booming electrification and increasingly decentralised electricity production. This allows them to increase efficiency and support a more sustainable use of energy resources.
Designed with flexibility and future use cases in mind, the new OMNIA® e-meter is a cornerstone in Kamstrup’s solution. It enables advanced analysis and grid optimisation through its unrivalled measuring range and efficient frequency domain measurements, such as individual harmonic content.
Long-term value is key
As a long-term investment for the utility, the OMNIA® e-meter has the built-in capacity to support future firmware upgrades and accommodate yet to be seen application needs throughout its entire lifetime, e.g. within edge computing. And new developments like this play a central role in Kamstrup’s ambition to be a value-creating long-term partner to the utility industry.
“Continuous innovation helps our customers capitalise on their smart meter investment, also in the long term. A lot can happen in the lifetime of a smart metering solution, so by constantly incorporating new technologies and standards we ensure that the solution they buy remains relevant throughout the years and help them mitigate risk.”, Mikkel says.
