Within smart metering management, Enel is an absolute global leader. Specifically, its smart metering project is considered a benchmark to be studied and copied, not only by developed countries, but also by developing ones.
Once again in 2010, for the second year in a row, Enel was granted the European Utility Awards, which selects the best projects promoted by European technological companies. Nevertheless, the most recent acknowledgement comes from much further away. Specifically from India, where Enel is set as an example of best practice at a global level.
When analysing the backwardness of the Indian grid, which loses one third of the energy it distributes, the “Times of India” (which has the largest circulation among all English-language newspapers in the world) asks for the Italian experience to be studied. Indeed, the latter is defined as “one of the very first smart grid applications” and “the world’s largest installation of electronic meters, which regarded 27 million customers between 2000 and 2005”.
Indeed, Enel started investing in this field at least 15 years ago, and in Italy electronic meters rose to 32 million in the meantime. Thanks to its smart metering project, Enel is therefore one of the very few electricity distribution companies in the world, and the only one of its size, that manages a device allowing it to communicate with its customers in real time. In fact, electronic meters not only allow remote consumption measurement. Indeed, customers can use them to monitor and manage their consumption on their own, and can therefore reduce their bills. In turn, the distribution company can not only remotely manage its contractual relationship with its customers, but can also monitor network loads and their trends in terms of time and place, thus improving its supplies. This is why smart metering projects like Enel’s are essential for the full development of smart grids. The consequence will be an advantage – not only in economic terms – for everyone, as recalled by the “Times of India”.
