News

Methods under development to test the accuracy of smart meters were presented and discussed

The project
EMPIR project Electromagnetic Interference on Static Electricity Meters (17NRM02, MeterEMI) is working to develop methods to test the accuracy of smart meters for electricity consumption. Some meters have been in error by hundreds of percent, when exposed to electrical interference related to fast transient currents.

Using high-precision measurements of real-world electrical disturbances, a new testbed is being built in order to assess meter performance under similar, recreated conditions. To help settle billing disputes, interference-immune meter designs will be identified for on-site inspections; diagnostic algorithms will also be developed for the identification of transient current types. Ultimately, the results will support European and international standards and help assure consumer confidence in smart meter usage.

The workshop

Members of the project consortium ran a workshop entitled ‘Electromagnetic interference on static electricity meters’ at the major European conference on Electromagnetic Compatibility EMC Europe in Barcelona in September 2019. Over 30 delegates, including academics, test houses, EMC compliance engineers, EMC consultants and instrumentation manufacturers, attended. Challenges and results from the EMPIR project were presented and discussed.

The presentations given at the workshop were:

• Introduction and background to the project

Capturing real-world waveforms for meter testing:

• Equipment to digitalise waveforms, demonstration of measurement equipment and data capture and analysis software
• Current waveforms of household appliances disturbing static electricity meters
• Waveform capture on-site

Signal analysis techniques to unambiguously specify complex waveforms:

• Triggering and analysis
• Statistical characterisation of (current) waveform parameters

Test beds for approval of meters:

• Testbed for normative approval of static electricity meters based on phantom power

Meter performance

• Latest findings on meter performance

This EMPIR project is co-funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the EMPIR Participating States.

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