Smart metering implementation in Europe: A year on – ESMIG and EDSO EU Sustainable Energy Week conference
June 27th 2014, Brussels – ESMIG (European Smart Metering Industry Group) and EDSO (European Distribution System Operators for Smart Grids), in cooperation with the JRC (Joint Research Centre, the European Commission’s in-house science service) and the EU-funded Meter-ON project, hosted a High Level Policy Conference on the status of smart metering roll-outs across Europe and the benefits smart metering can bring to consumers.
The conference, part of EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), focused on the status of implementation of smart metering in Europe, recommendations for future roll-outs and the importance of addressing consumer awareness and engagement. The conference was opened by Manuel Sanchez-Jiménez of the European Commission’s Energy Directorate, who presented the policy context and highlights from the recently published Smart Metering Benchmarking report. The JRC, thanks to its expertise in cost benefit analyses of smart grids and smart metering, described the methodology developed to benchmark national smart metering roll-out plans. The report’s conclusions were complemented by the methods and final findings of the Meter-ON project: key-lessons learned and recommendations to support and foster smart metering in Europe.
ESMIG and EDSO gave a pre-launch presentation of their joint initiative, a website dedicated to raising awareness of the potential benefits of smart metering and smart grids among consumers. The audience, which included EU officials and energy regulators, actively participated in the debate, providing valuable input to the development of the project.
Per-Olof Granström (Secretary General of EDSO) commented, “The development of smart grids is critical if we are to reach the EU’s energy and climate objectives in a cost-efficient way. We have today addressed some of the key challenges to make this possible, highlighting knowledge sharing and consumer awareness. For member states planning to roll-out smart metering, it is obvious that the involvement of all stakeholders – governments (national and local), regulators, EU institutions, DSOs, etc., is essential for success.”
Maher Chebbo (President of ESMIG) said, “The EU’s ambitious 20-20-20 goals [*], and therefore the EU’s Sustainable Energy Week goals, depend on the reconfiguration of the European electricity grid into a “smart grid” always in combination with changes in consumers’ behaviour. Much of our energy demand is created by consumers, most of whom do not know or understand how to reduce demand by cutting or shifting it during the day. Smart metering is at the core of the strategy to meet these challenges.”
* [20% increase in energy efficiency, 20% reduction of CO2 emissions, and generating 20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020]
Presentations and a video reportage of the event are now available.
