Electromagnetic Interference on Static Electricity Meters

Short Name: MeterEMI, Project Number: 17NRM02
Image showing a home energy smart meter
Home energy smart meter

Restoring customer confidence in smart meter readings


With a rollout of 200 million digital smart meters across Europe, the new wireless technology should give users real-time, accurate measurement of electricity consumption. Some meters, however, have been in error by hundreds of percent, with electrical interference identified as the cause of incorrect customer billing. Given that all such meters had passed inspection under the EU Measuring Instrument Directive (MID), there is a clear need to improve meter test methods, update existing standards and restore consumer confidence.

 

This project has developed methods to test the accuracy of smart meters for electricity consumption. Using high-precision measurements of real-world electrical disturbances, a testbed was built in order to assess meter performance under similar, recreated conditions. To help settle billing disputes, interference-immune meter designs were identified for on-site inspections; diagnostic algorithms were also developed for the identification of transient current types. Ultimately, the results will support European and international standards and help restore consumer confidence in smart meter usage.

 

Project website
Publications
Time Domain Analysis of Current Transducer Responses Using Impulsive Signals
2021

IEEE Letters on Electromagnetic Compatibility Practice and Applications

Time-Domain EMI Measurements using a Low Cost Digitizer to Optimize the Total Measurement Time for a Test Receiver
2020

2020 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE

Towards improved standardization of electricity meter testing
2020

2020 Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements (CPEM)

On-Site Efficiency Analysis of a Generator in the Millisecond Range
2020

2020 IEEE International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility & Signal/Power Integrity (EMCSI)

An AC Controlled-Current Load for Controllable Waveform Parameters to Quantify Static Energy Meter Errors
2020

2020 IEEE International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility & Signal/Power Integrity (EMCSI)

On-Site Waveform Survey in LV Distribution Network using a Photovoltaic Installation
2020

2020 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE

Unfairly Faulty Energy Meter Reading due to Inappropriate Use of the Blondel Theorem
2020

2020 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE

Fast Magnetic Emission Tests for Continuous Measurements Around an Equipment Under Test
2019

2019 ESA Workshop on Aerospace EMC (Aerospace EMC)

On-site Waveform Characterization at Static Meters Loaded with Electrical Vehicle Chargers
2019

2019 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE

Sensitivity of static energy meter reading errors to changes in non-sinusoidal load conditions
2019

2019 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE

Inclination of Fast Changing Currents Effect the Readings of Static Energy Meters
2019

2019 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE

A Testbed for Static Electricity Meter Testing with Conducted EMI
2019

2019 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE

Why Frequency Domain Tests Like IEC 61000-4-19 Are Not Valid; a Call for Time Domain Testing
2019

2019 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE

Detection Methods for Current Signals Causing Errors in Static Electricity Meters
2019

2019 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC EUROPE

Misreadings of Static Energy Meters due to Conducted EMI caused by Fast Changing Current
2019

2019 Joint International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Sapporo and Asia-Pacific International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC Sapporo/APEMC)

Current waveforms of household appliances for advanced meter testing
2019

2019 IEEE 10th International Workshop on Applied Measurements for Power Systems (AMPS)

Evaluation of EMI Effects on Static Electricity Meters
2018

2018 Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements (CPEM 2018)

Direct Sampling in Multi-channel Synchronous TDEMI Measurements
2018

2018 IEEE 4th Global Electromagnetic Compatibility Conference (GEMCCON)

Other Participants
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain)
Universiteit Twente (Netherlands)