H2020 SMART.MET Project: PCP for Smart Water Metering
- Type Project
- Status Filled
- Execution 2017 -2022
- Assigned Budget 3.989.643,75 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing H2020
- Project website Proyecto SMART.MET
The European water utility sector is facing a context that addresses global problems such as water scarcity and technical and economic aspects such as aging infrastructure.
Drinking water supply management faces key challenges, partly related to traditional meters, such as managing capital and operating costs; water losses (also known as non-revenue water) due to leaks and other system failures; and water scarcity and conservation. The key to the solution lies in the renewed access to and use of accurate data that Smart Water Metering can provide to reduce operating costs, identify performance issues, improve customer service, and better prioritize infrastructure investments. SMART.MET lays the foundation for more efficient management, offering, for example, automatic household meter reading and billing, real-time assessment of the water balance for leak detection, identification of anomalous behavior and awareness, and the ability to identify faults in user meters. However, the lack of common European standards and open technology platforms, coupled with high transaction costs for demand, creates a situation of market lock-in and determines a long-term dependence of water operators on technology providers. This generates high average operating costs for water operators and users, as well as collective inefficiencies related to the proliferation of different proprietary solutions on offer. The objective of the proposal is, therefore, to promote the development of new technologies for managing smart metering data collection and management, driven by a group of seven water companies through a joint Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP).
They are supported by six expert organizations to evaluate the technologies, implement new procurement procedures, and disseminate the project results to other water utilities and solution providers. The project duration is 48 months.
During the 61 months of the SMART.MET project, the following results have been achieved:
- The Project Management Manual has been published and used as a guide for implementation. It relies on a Steering Committee comprised of all partners for strategic decisions and project oversight; and a Technical Evaluation Committee that includes experts from all partners, as well as a group of buyers.
- Preparation and Design: A thorough analysis of the water utility needs was conducted and shared with the industry (Open Market Consultation with 95 utilities in Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Hungary). The needs were translated into functional requirements and prioritized based on a state-of-the-art analysis. The needs could not be met with existing solutions. A brief summary of the challenge and a description of the identified functionalities were prepared, and a Prior Information Notice was published.
- PCP Execution: All 3 phases were successfully carried out by a lead buyer, acting on behalf of the 7 water companies.
- PCP Assessment: A dual assessment of functional requirements was conducted: a self-assessment by the suppliers and an assessment by the buyers. The PCP process was deemed relevant and effective for developing solutions that met buyers' needs. The features provided allowed for the evaluation of advanced capabilities and allowed buyers to better understand the technical limitations of some functionalities not adequately covered by the suppliers (e.g., automatic on-site detection of measurement errors).
- Dissemination and communication activities have been effectively implemented. A wide range of materials, both print and digital, have been developed. Partners disseminated the results at more than 20 events. A training program on the PCP process was organized, and the final conference attracted more than 140 people.
- Documentation on ethical requirements was completed in 2017. The PCP enabled buyers to collaborate on a common problem, defining a set of common requirements, cooperating during the procurement and testing phase, and enabling companies to develop advanced capabilities for water metering technologies.
The key advantages of smart water metering solutions include accurate leak detection after the meter (i.e., in the user's network); reverse flow detection; high performance for the data collection platform; stable two-way communication with the meters; and simplified installation thanks to meter-integrated communication devices.
This will result in greater independence for buyers from technology providers, providing consumers with personalized information on their water bills, and ultimately protecting water resources through reduced water withdrawals for drinking water supplies. Buyers have exercised the option to extend the testing duration of solutions developed by contractors beyond the duration of the PCP to gain more insight into these solutions and prepare for their subsequent implementation, possibly by launching a PPI. Furthermore, participation in the PCP process allowed utilities to increase their technical knowledge, communication networks, and required functionalities, which will allow them to find solutions tailored to their needs and better negotiate potential contracts with these or other providers. Likewise, the PCP enabled utilities to better understand the needs of their target customers and prepare for a new generation of smart meters.
They developed communication around smart water meters and began marketing these products beyond the buyer group involved with Smart.Met, presenting their development at trade shows and publishing in technical journals. Thanks to Smart.Met, they also began collaborating with other companies and research organizations, launched several patent investigations, and developed a marketing strategy to expand their business.
European water utilities operate in a context facing socio-environmental issues such as water scarcity and technical and economic challenges such as aging infrastructure. Furthermore, drinking water supply management faces additional challenges, such as managing capital and operating costs; water losses (also known as non-revenue water) due to leaks and other system failures; and water scarcity and conservation. Traditional water meters have limited capacity to help utilities address these challenges. The key to the solution lies in the ability to generate, access, and utilize accurate data that Smart Water Metering can provide to reduce operating costs, identify performance issues, improve customer service, and better prioritize infrastructure investments. SMART.MET lays the foundation for more efficient and effective drinking water management, offering, for example, automatic household meter reading and billing, real-time assessment of water balances for leak detection, identification of anomalous behavior and awareness, and the ability to identify faults in user meters, among other features.
However, the lack of common European standards and open technology platforms, coupled with high demand-side transaction costs, creates a situation of market lock-in and determines a long-term dependence of water operators on technology providers. This generates high average operating costs for operators and users, as well as collective inefficiencies related to the proliferation of different proprietary solutions on offer. The objective of the SMART.MET project, led by a group of seven water utilities, is to promote the development of new technologies for smart metering data collection and management through joint Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP). The utilities are supported by six expert organizations to evaluate the technologies, implement the new procurement procedures, and disseminate the project results to other utilities and solution providers. Smart water metering is presented as an effective solution to the challenges currently facing most European water utilities. In fact, providing access to accurate, real-time data can help reduce operating costs and prioritize infrastructure investments, while improving daily network management and customer service. By launching a PCP procedure, the utilities involved seek to promote demand-driven research into new, innovative smart meter solutions that fully meet utility needs.
The European water utility industry is immersed in a context that addresses global issues such as water scarcity and technical and economic issues such as aging infrastructure. Drinking water supply management faces key challenges related in part to traditional water meters, such as managing operating and capital costs; water loss (also known as non-revenue water) due to leaks and other system failures; and water scarcity/conservation.
The core of the solution lies in the renewed access to and use of accurate data that Smart Water Metering can provide to reduce operating costs, identify performance issues, improve customer service, and better prioritize infrastructure investments. SMART.MET paves the way for more efficient management by providing, for example, automated household meter reading and billing, real-time assessment of the water balance for leak detection, identification of abnormal behavior and awareness, and the ability to identify faults in user meters. However, the lack of common European standards and the absence of "open technology platforms" combined with high transaction costs on the demand side create a market lock-in and lead to long-term dependence of water operators on technology providers. This results in high average operating costs for water operators and users, as well as collective inefficiency related to the multiplication of different proprietary solutions on the supply side.
Therefore, the objective of the proposal is to promote the development of new technologies for managing smart metering data collection and management, driven by a group of seven water utilities through a joint pre-commercial procurement (PCP). They will be supported by six expert organizations to evaluate the technologies, implement the new procurement procedures, and disseminate the project results to other utilities and solution providers. The project duration is 48 months.
By offering accurate consumption information, smart water metering is an optimal tool for water management. Innovative solutions now exist for both households and water providers. Smart water metering is presented as an effective solution to the challenges most European water utilities face today, from extreme events induced by climate change to the need to replace aging infrastructure. Providing access to accurate, real-time data can help reduce operating costs and prioritize infrastructure investments, while improving day-to-day network management and customer services. The EU-funded SMART.MET project introduced innovative new smart water metering solutions that fully meet the needs of water utilities in terms of readability, battery life, interoperability, and cost. SMART.MET has resulted in tangible innovation related to the integration of advanced features to achieve a high level of smart metering data collection. Also achieved were improved network leak detection, stable communication in real-world conditions (even in rural areas or under adverse conditions, e.g., basements, underground garages), and the elimination of data transfer gateways for a very high level of performance on the data collection platform.
Connecting Water Demand with Supply Participation in the pre-commercial contracting process allowed water utilities to expand their technical knowledge of smart meters, communication networks, and necessary functionalities, enabling them to find solutions tailored to their needs and better negotiate potential contracts with suppliers. At the same time, the utilities had the opportunity to better understand the needs of their target customers and prepare a new generation of smart meters. They developed communication skills and began marketing these products beyond the group of buyers involved in the project, presenting their development at trade shows and publishing in technical journals. Thanks to SMART.MET, they also initiated collaborations with other companies and research organizations, launched several patent investigations, and prepared a marketing strategy to expand their business. The COVID-19 pandemic posed a real challenge for the installation of smart meters in homes in five different European cities (approximately 3,000 meters in total). "Due to travel restrictions, all installations were carried out by water operators rather than suppliers, and the installation process was much longer due to safety regulations," says Eric Mino, project coordinator on behalf of the International Office for Water in France.
The entry into force of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 also posed a challenge, as smart meters collect data from households, adds Eric Mino. Data security was already a key aspect of smart meters, but GDPR compliance needed to be achieved in every home where new meters would be installed. This limitation became an opportunity for a communication and awareness campaign. Paving the way for the water management of the future The five water utilities involved in the real-world testing phase have examined the possibility of extending the testing duration of the solutions developed by the contractors beyond the duration of SMART.MET in order to gain more insight into them and possibly launch a public call for innovation. “Beyond the project partners, the results have been widely disseminated among European water utilities facing similar challenges,” concludes Eric Mino. "We also anticipate that some of the collected data can be aggregated and made available for further exploitation in digital twins and smart city applications."
Smart metering enables data processing, transfer, and management, as well as providing timely information on consumption in a highly disaggregated and detailed manner. This facilitates the management of the resources involved, both on the supply side (water suppliers) and the demand side (users).
In the water sector, smart metering can lead to more efficient management through automatic meter reading and billing, real-time leak detection, identification of abnormal consumption patterns, and detection of faults in users' meters. Non-technical benefits for water utilities and technical partners include: cooperation and experience sharing; improved understanding of smart metering challenges.
The expected impacts of public sector modernization include: reliable, near-real-time meter management; improved service to households (leak alarms, more accurate billing systems); and environmental protection through reduced freshwater extraction.
- OFFICE INTERNATIONAL DE L'EAU (OIEAU)
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