Smart meter rollout: the wait is over - again!

The restart of the digitalisation of the energy transition seems to be within reach again since the announced amendment to the Metering Point Operation Act. With the new legislative package, an agile rollout is finally possible after many years of waiting. This means that the rollout, which has been delayed for years and was actually due to begin in 2020, will now actually take place.

Then things moved quickly: in October, Economics Minister Robert Habeck announced a planned amendment to the Metering Point Operation Act, which would, among other things, make it easier to store and transport smart meter gateways (SMGW); at the beginning of December, various media reported on the first details of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology's "Act to restart the digitalisation of the energy transition". In a nutshell, the aim is to make the processes around smart meters less bureaucratic, much simpler and more cost-effective for consumers.

Bureaucratic, (sometimes) non-transparent requirements and legal hurdles, an insufficient number of certified smart meter manufacturers - the list of failures in the process that began in Germany 15 years ago is long. Two years ago, when the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) issued a declaration of market availability, it was thought that the roll-out had begun. However, last year the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia ruled that this was 'probably illegal'. In May this year, the BSI itself revoked its general ruling shortly before the hearing in this case. The simple path to one of the key building blocks of energy system transformation looks different. And this year has shown more than clearly that there is no way around it. There is an urgent need to move away from fossil fuels, which are not only limited in supply but also harmful to the environment. Not only the accelerated development of renewable energies, but also digitalisation can help.

Exploiting opportunities through smart meter gateways

But why is an SMGW so important? Because it is much more than a digital metering infrastructure. It is the tool to combine climate protection with affordable housing - and thus to realise the living of the future. For example, the SMGW enables applications that increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. Thanks to smart meters, they can provide consumers with valuable information about their consumption patterns, creating transparency and promoting understanding: What are the energy guzzlers in my house? When is electricity from renewables particularly cheap? SMGWs can also be used to provide information on consumption throughout the year and comparisons with reference buildings, as well as advanced smart home applications that warn of mould or leaks in the home. In this way, smart metering can prevent costly renovations. All this and more is possible with the infrastructure that has to be installed anyway. Thanks to this networked information, the full optimisation potential of the building stock can be exploited - an important building block in the energy transition. Now we can finally get started - hopefully for good!