Utilities & Metering
Smart Water
According to WWF, if water covers 70% of our planet – making us think that it will always be plentiful –, freshwater is, on the contrary, extremely rare: only 3% of the world’s water is freshwater of which two-thirds are kept in frozen glaciers or totally unavailable for use. Growing population, booming urbanization and industrialization, intensive agriculture (that uses 70% of the world’s freshwater, wasting some 60% with leaky irrigation systems and inefficient application methods), increasing pollution or inappropriate wastewater management (80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused[1]) are impacting freshwater resources.
These trends also accelerate climate change that, in return, changes patterns of weather and water around the world, leading to shortages and droughts in some areas and floods in some others[2]. At the same time, water utilities worldwide agree that around 20% of the freshwater produced is lost (difference between the water pumped, treated and supplied to the distribution system and what really reached end-users) and face increasing costs to maintain aging infrastructures. Cities are increasingly challenged by citizens to deliver water efficiently and to improve water resources conservation. Smart water management solutions, combined with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), are giving detailed insights on water consumption & use and are progressively transforming not only the way water is managed, but also people’s practices, culture, and attitudes towards water resources. The global smart water management market was valued at USD 7.73 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach USD 15.12 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 12.3%, during the period from 2021 to 2026[3].
So far, cities were using Automated Meter Reading (AMR) systems which were one-way automated meter readers that send water usage index back to the utility for invoicing. Cities and water utilities are now widely deploying Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) connecting smart water meters, using an IoT network, to the utility’s water management and information systems to enable a two-way solution to remotely collect precise usage data from the meter and to send instructions back to the meter and high-resolution consumption data to the end customer. Smart IoT sensors (to measure pressure, temperature, flow or quality) and smart valves (to shut them off in case of leak, broken pipe or other water-related problem) are also used by utilities to map the water usage and distribution throughout the entire supply chain. Smart water metering systems using IoT can be used for both residential, commercial and industrial freshwater transport and distribution. Using smart meters can help to identify heavy usage, forecast demand or anticipate billing, compare consumption trends with similar households or industries and track appliances performance. Smart water metering enables homeowners, property owners, industry operators and cities managers to get instant insights on their water consumption and raises consumers’ awareness on water usage. Smart sensors and valves can help utility operators to quickly identify, locate and fix leaks and to get real-time reports on water quality and water distribution, limiting the risk of waste of water.
Kerlink industrial-grade IoT solutions, powered by LoRaWAN technology, can bring the performant, robust and reliable IoT connectivity needed to connect lora-enabled smart water meters, smart water sensors and smart water valves. Because they are often located in basements, undergrounds, rooftops or ceilings, or hidden in remote areas, IoT water devices and connected equipment require carrier-grade best-in-class LPWA indoor connectivity able to deeply penetrate building materials and to offer strong signal strength, in any type of RF environment. Kerlink indoor and outdoor IoT LoRaWAN gateways and network management tools, designed for public and private IoT networks, bring the versatile coverage requested by water utilities to power smart water data collection and management in cities. Smart water management is more than simply measuring the flow from production to consumption or to simply connecting meter readers. Smart water management helps to get insights on every part of the water cycle – from sourcing, to treatment to delivery to consumption to invoicing and support – to optimize utility response time, reduce costs of manual labor and improve operator efficiency – by eliminating travel to remote locations and simplifying water network commissioning. Smart water management will, at the end, enhance water quality, diminish the waste of water and help conserve this precious resource, for the benefits of cities and their citizens.
[1] https://www.unwater.org
[2] https://www.worldwildlife.org
[3] https://www.mordorintelligence.com
Smart Gas
The use of natural gas as a primary necessity for residential, commercial and industrial needs is growing at a steady pace worldwide. Broad affordability, stable pricing and reliable distribution make natural gas a good choice for households, public services and industries for cooking, heating and hot water production. Gas keeps on improving the quality of life for both residents and businesses, and the global industry has a great opportunity to accelerate the adoption of the technological connectedness that is increasingly becoming the norm today in various vertical markets. In this trend, gas utilities and gas distribution companies are deploying advanced communication networks and smart connected meters that were initially applied to water and electricity markets.
New generation of open and versatile networks, like those using low-power and long-range technologies, brings the IoT connectivity required for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to get real-time insights on the gas distribution network and on the end-users’ consumption. Gas utilities can face multiple problems ranging from gas losses, irregular consumption reading and inaccurate invoicing, meters manipulations or usage limits overspending. Smart gas metering brings the relevant digitization of smart distribution grids and the optimization of network operations based on data measurement and analysis. The global smart gas meter is forecasted to reach USD 10.92 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 6.3% over the period 2019-2026[1].
Smart gas meters, smart index readers and IoT sensors can help to quickly deploy and operate an intelligent gas advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). Gas meters measure gas flow and records gas consumption. Index meter reading (IMR) walk-by systems – where indexes are collected using a radio device carried by an employee or installed in a vehicle – and automatic meter reading (AMR) systems – where telemetric devices are sending the index to the utility central system through a one-way communication network – are still widely used. They enable to get exact consumption but still need physical inspection but lack the flexibility of real-time information collection and end-user information. Smart gas meters, on their side, do not only measure gas flow through pipes in real-time, but they also connect to the IoT network to offer infrastructure maintenance (status of the meter, device calibration, system configuration), remote monitoring and instant index sharing for consumption monitoring and automatic billing. Smart gas meters also embed leakage and shock detection sensors that can detect abnormal or emergency situations, thus improving safety. Powered by batteries, smart gas meters can function for long periods of time and transmit data regularly. Smart sensors and IoT devices can also be used to monitor smart valves and gas pressure and detect gas leaks on the distribution grid. Changes in pressure, temperature, flow, methane levels or cathodic protection can be instantly identified for appropriate investigation, gas service interruption and fast response, to improve security and efficiency. Automated gas management can also be used for residential and industrial gas tanks, to ensure 24/7 remote monitoring, anticipate refill, get notification and monitor tank status.
Kerlink best in class industrial-grade IoT solutions, powered by LoRaWAN technology, can bring the performant, robust and reliable IoT network needed to connect smart gas meters to eliminate manual meter reading, avoid reading errors and improve gas distribution operations. Kerlink indoor and outdoor IoT LoRaWAN gateways and network management tools, designed for public and private IoT networks, bring the versatile and cost-efficient coverage required for timely insights and data on gas infrastructure conditions. Leveraging Kerlink carrier-grade IoT solutions helps to quickly detect abnormalities, potential leaks, equipment malfunctions or breakdowns to anticipate potentially dangerous situations before they arise to keep both employees and customers safe, while meeting increasing regulatory requirements. Smart gas metering helps to improve gas utilities efficiency and operations and delivers consumers the appropriate insights they need to access their real-time gas usage and improve their consumption patterns.