One million energy-intensive households and commercial units in Tehran will be equipped with smart electricity meters in the second phase of the National Smart Metering Program (known as Faham in Persian), said the plan’s director.
According to estimates, the second phase requires $70 million and talks are underway with the private sector to invest in the project expected to start in the next fiscal (March 2019), Hadi Modaqeq said.
The first phase that included developing infrastructure and equipping 450,000 agricultural subscribers, is being carried out by Iran Power Generation and Transmission Company (Tavanir) with government funding. “It was decided that the second phase not solicit state funds,” ISNA quoted Modaqeq as saying.
As part of the first phase, 350,000 old electricity meters have been replaced with smart meters and the rest 100,000 will be substituted within six months. The official said there is no problem in manufacturing smart meters domestically and called for removing financial barriers to the timely implementation of the project.
A smart meter is a modern electricity meter that digitally sends meter readings to energy suppliers. It ensures more accurate energy bills. Smart meters also come with monitors, so users can better understand their energy usage.
"Smart metering systems put an end to the manual meter reading, which is prone to technical error and loss," Modaqeq said. Thanks to the new system, subscribers can be informed about their daily use be notified in case of excessive consumption.
Utilities in many developed and developing countries are promoting the advanced electricity meters for a variety of economic and environmental reasons, namely to cut costs and reduce consumption.
Modaqeq said the new meters helped save 1,000 megawatt of electricity in the past fiscal that ended in March.
