The adoption of more advanced metering technologies means more data&#;and the need to better manage it. Whether a water utility is using automated meter reading (AMR) advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) or a mix of the two, there are solutions that can do much more with metering data than just send bills.
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Software as a Service (SaaS) technologies for meter data management (MDM) offer opportunities to do exactly that. But before choosing a provider, utilities first need to understand their options. Here are a few questions utilities should ask a potential provider during the evaluation process:
There are many ways that a utility can collect its metering data, and the right SaaS should work seamlessly with that technology or method, whether it&#;s AMR, AMI or a combination of technologies. For small or mid-sized utilities, budgets may be tight&#;and replacing incompatible meters is expensive. Ensuring that the SaaS system will work with the existing meters and communications network is an essential first step to determining if the solution is right.
The basic premise of MDM is that it can quickly and accurately show water usage data for an endpoint or service area&#;but it's capable of so much more than just generating bills. Utilities should consider whether the SaaS offers all, or most, of the following:
Many SaaS solutions offer hourly data displays. This is much more insightful than monthly reads, but it may not show enough granular detail for utilities that need to right-size their revenue or meet conservation goals. Additional data intervals provide more accurate mathematical averages, as well as more precise timelines of flow rate changes. For example, utilities can observe if a change in usage during evening or dinner hours is sudden and abrupt or if it increases gradually.
Nearly all the features mentioned above&#;from leak detection to reduction goal setting&#;are key to ensuring that any utility can meet necessary conservation targets. In addition, the right SaaS should allow users to sort or filter by the largest demand endpoints and regions in order to target them for communication or other action.
Water conservation isn&#;t limited to drought-stricken areas. Many utilities are tasked with reducing water usage for a variety of reasons, including mitigating stress on distribution or wastewater infrastructure. Therefore, any SaaS should have conservation tools that are accessible and meaningful for users in any circumstance.
One major concern for many utilities is cybersecurity. As a web-based platform, any SaaS must show that its security features are on par with, or better than, a locally run software solution. For the most part, SaaS providers are highly motivated to ensure they are using the best available security protocols, as a breach could potentially impact any or all of their customers. Teaming with reliable cloud-server partners, such as Amazon Web Services, is one way of demonstrating this commitment.
Metering data solutions are important investments, so it&#;s critical that utilities ask the right questions when vetting possible providers. Finding a solution that is compatible with the existing technologies and features a comprehensive set of data management tools can help a utility reduce costs and achieve maintenance and conservation goals.
In This Post
01 Why are smart water meters becoming more and more popular?
In recent years, with the advancement of science and technology and the continuous popularization of environmental protection concepts, smart water meters have gradually become popular. More and more people are beginning to use smart water meters, which is not only a move that benefits individuals and the environment but is also a reflection of modern lifestyle.
Although mechanical water meters once installed in every home can record water consumption, they have many disadvantages. The management department cannot obtain real-time water consumption data from water meters, so manual meter reading is inefficient and cannot analyze residents' water usage habits. With the emergence of smart water meters, all these problems have been effectively solved.
Smart water meter VS mechanical water meter
High precision and high reliability
Longer service life and lower maintenance costs
Avoid problems such as water leakage and data tampering
Scientific supervision and water monitoring
Remote meter reading, remote control
Real-time monitoring and analysis of water usage behavior
In addition, as smart water meters become more and more popular among users, correspondingly, test benches and water meter boxes have also become indispensable components of smart water meter systems.
The water meter test bench is a device for testing the performance of smart water meters. Through testing, you can directly understand the working conditions of smart water meters, such as accuracy, stability, etc. The water meter box is the installation location of the smart water meter, which can protect the water meter from the influence of the external environment and enable it to work stably and efficiently.
The smart water meter, water meter test bench, and water meter box are interrelated and together form a complete smart water meter system. The emergence of this system not only provides convenience to users and reduces management costs, but also plays a positive role in the rational utilization of water resources.
02 How do smart water meters develop?
The development process of smart water meters can be summarized as the following stages:
Phase One: Data Collection
Early smart water meters were mainly based on data collection technology. This type of water meter can more accurately record users' water usage and provide users with fairness and efficiency in water pricing. At the same time, this kind of water meter can also detect water leakage in pipelines, which can greatly reduce the waste of water resources.
Phase Two: Intelligent Support
On the basis of the first stage, smart water meters have been gradually improved in terms of functions, including automatic billing, early warning reminders, automated maintenance, and other functions. At the same time, smart water meters also support remote intelligent control, which provides efficient and convenient pipeline maintenance services for operation and maintenance personnel, and also improves the effective management of water resources for society.
Phase Three: Big data application
Since smart water meters can generate various reports and analyses after monthly data upload, in the third stage, smart water meters are also closely integrated with big data technology. The results of data analysis can provide effective support in water use planning and arrangement. As a result, smart water meters are also widely used in water resources assessment, extension, and protection.
With the increasing maturity of Internet of Things technology, the development of smart water meters has entered a new stage. Smart water meters combined with the Internet of Things can monitor, manage, and operate water resources in real-time. Smart water meters can collect water meter data in real-time through sensors and transmit the data to the cloud server, thereby generating data with analytical value and enabling remote control and monitoring.
The development of smart water meters also benefits from the advancement of smart hardware technology. At present, in addition to digital display and remote control functions, smart water meters have also greatly increased intelligent features, such as AI intelligence analysis, adaptive learning, and self-development capabilities. This improves the accuracy and efficiency of smart water meters.
With the gradual popularization of smart water meters, water resources management in many cities is developing in a more intelligent direction. Taking China as an example, water supply companies in many cities have begun to use smart water meters to manage water resources, such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing and other large cities. Smart water meters have been widely used in China and have become an important means of water resource management in Chinese cities.
03 What are the categories of smart water meters?
With the development of intelligent water meter technology, intelligent water meters have also become more specialized. According to the needs of users, there are currently two main types of intelligent water meters on the market, namely prepaid water meters and remote transmission water meters.
The prepaid water meter is a new type of water meter that uses modern microelectronics technology, modern sensing technology, and smart stored value card technology to measure water consumption, transmit water data, and settle transactions. It is a traditional mechanical water meter that is equipped with electricity. A new type of intelligent metering instrument manufactured with control modules and electronically controlled valves. Prepaid water meters are divided into IC card water meters and STS prepaid water meters (also called code prepaid water meters) according to stored value card technology.
Remote transmission water meters and intelligent centralized meter reading systems are new smart water meters that use microelectronics technology, automatic control technology, communication technology, and network technology to measure water consumption transmit water data, and settle transactions. According to the transmission method between the water meter and the management center, it is divided into wired remote transmission water meters and wireless remote transmission water meters.
The common wired remote water meter is the photoelectric direct-reading 485 water meter, which uses microcomputer control technology to realize automatic meter readings. This kind of water meter can accurately count water consumption and update data in real-time, avoiding the tediousness and errors of manual meter reading. Wireless remote water meters include GPRS remote water meters, LORA/LORAWAN remote water meters, and other Internet of Things water meters like NB-IOT.
04 What are the precautions when using smart water meters?
Pay attention to the installation position of the water meter. The installation location of the smart water meter needs to meet the corresponding technical standards. The installation location should be carefully selected according to the on-site conditions. Do not install the water meter in a humid, dirty, or heated environment.
Be careful to prevent freezing, direct sunlight, and corrosion, otherwise, the measurement accuracy will be affected.
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Keep the area around the water meter clean and hygienic. Debris and dirt around the water meter need to be cleaned frequently to avoid excessive accumulation that affects the water meter reading.
Check water meter readings regularly. It is recommended that users check the water meter every six months to one year or so, and replace the water meter battery in a timely manner to ensure long-term stable operation of the water meter.
Comply with relevant laws, regulations, and regulations of water resources management departments, use water resources rationally, and avoid waste.
05 How to choose a smart water meter?
Smart water meters are gradually becoming an excellent choice for people. However, how can you choose according to your own needs when purchasing a water meter? Here are some purchasing suggestions for you.
Focus on cost performance. Guided by the actual use effect, and on the premise of meeting the basic requirements of the product, priority is given to water meters with higher cost performance.
Understand product quality. The quality of water meters must be guaranteed in terms of durability and ability to adapt to the environment.
Choose an appropriate water meter based on the water usage conditions in your area.
Consider the functional requirements of the water meter.
06 What are the different functions of different smart water meters?
Both prepaid water meters and remote water meters have some special functions. For example, remote water meters can achieve remote monitoring and remote control, while prepaid water meters can be paid in advance to ensure use.
AMI WATRE METER COMPARISON CHART
LORA LORAWAN GPRS NB-IOT Composition
Lora water meter
Concentrator/Gateway
Serve Platform
Lorawan water meter
Concentrator/Gateway
Serve Platform
GPRS water meter
Serve Platform
NB-IOT water meter
NB-IOT transmission
base station
Serve Platform
Communication band470-510Mhz
865-868Mhz
(Can be customized)
CN470:China
EU888:Europe
US902-928:American
Other band could be customized
GSM850/EGSM900
(Can be customized)
B3/B5/B8/B20/B28
(Can be customized)
AdvantagesLAN transmission data, low power, Suitable for intensive installation real-time reading control(LoRa)
Standard Lorawan protocol, be easily used in the exist network Wide area network, data transmission without distance limitation, simple installation and debugging, low sample order cost Wide coverage,low power consumption, low cost Limitations Greater impacts by obstacles and limited communication distance (up to 1 km). On-site debugging is a heavy workload. High transmission rate, relatively high power consumption. Occasionally there will be data packet loss, high transmission rate, relatively high power consumption. At present, many countries are not fully mature and the coverage of base stations is low. Battery capacity More than 6 years More than 6 years More than 6 years More than 6 years Software Charge Free Free Free Free Additional Using Cost Electricity and flow charges for consentrators. Electricity and flow charges for consentrators. Mobile data traffic charge of 2g data traffic in water meter. Mobile data traffic charge of NB-IOT data traffic in water. Necessary part of sample purchase Lora water meter Concentrator Lorawan gateway GPRS water meter only NB-IOT water meter Software B/S Cloudy serve platform B/S Cloudy serve platform B/S Cloudy serve platform B/S Cloudy serve platform Softare Data Integrate YES YES YES YES
For example, an IC card smart water meter is a smart water meter that uses an IC card as a carrier, recharges the card through a card reader, and then card writes the recharge information into the water meter. The advantage of IC card smart water meters is that you pay first and then use water, which avoids the problems of difficulty in meter reading and charging in the management department. There is no need to go to the user's home to read meters, which improves work efficiency. It has the characteristics of simple structure, stability and durability, and easy installation, and is suitable for various places.
The LORA water meter sends or receives to the concentrator through free radio (current frequency 470-510 MHz, 865-868 MHz), and the concentrator transmits data to the management platform (water meter upload) through the SIM card network (2G/3G/4G) or Ethernet The frequency of data can be set as needed). Thus, the water consumption of the water meter can be viewed on the platform, and the valve can also be remotely controlled on the management platform. The effective working distance radius between the LORA water meter concentrator and the water meter is about meters (depending on the installation environment). Therefore, LORA remote water meters are suitable for projects with dense user distribution. The advantage of the LORA water meter is its real-time nature. It can read the water meter information and operate the valve on and off at any time. It can also cooperate with the intelligent platform to achieve the prepayment effect.
The GPRS water meter system consists of a management platform, a communication base station, and a GPRS water meter (water meter + GPRS DTU). The water meter uploads data to the management platform through the base station, and the management platform can also issue instructions to the water meter through the base station. The advantage of the GPRS water meter is that the water meter communicates directly with the base station, is simple to install, and is not limited by distance. This system is suitable for working conditions where water meters are installed dispersedly.
07 How to choose a smart water meter supplier?
As the smart water meter market continues to grow, more and more companies have joined this competitive field. Nowadays, as a supplier, how to ensure that consumers make the right choice has become an important issue in the industry.
First, understand measurement and have historical accumulation. A good supplier should have natural measurement qualities and know how to measure the quality and data of water meters to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the product. Historical accumulation is also an essential characteristic of a good smart water meter supplier. It means that the supplier has rich manufacturing experience and technology accumulation, which is the guarantee for smart water meter production.
Second, work closely with water authorities to understand their needs. A good smart water meter supplier should understand the needs of the water department, have an in-depth understanding of their business processes and working models, and provide them with reliable products and technical support.
Third, invest heavily in research and development and have self-research capabilities. Today's market is unpredictable, and investing in R&D is the guarantee of investing in the future and success. Only by investing a lot of energy and time in scientific research and possessing independent research and development capabilities can we continue to gain a foothold in market competition, continue to innovate, and maintain our leading position.
Fourth, it has a modern management system and high-quality after-sales service. A good smart water meter supplier must have a modern management system to further improve production efficiency and management effectiveness. At the same time, we should actively respond to customers' service needs and provide fast and timely after-sales service.
Based on the above points, a good smart water meter supplier must have its own advantages and characteristics, be able to truly meet customer needs, and win the trust of customers through professional technology and services. Therefore, when choosing suppliers, consumers should pay attention to choosing suppliers with strength, quality, and service, and make careful choices with an attitude of being responsible for the market and customers. This is not only responsible for the company itself but also responsible for the company itself. It is a boost to the entire industry and market.
In recent years, with the continuous development of science and technology, smart water meters, as intelligent water metering equipment, are gradually becoming the new favorite in the water metering industry. Smart water meters play an increasingly important role in serving society and protecting the environment. We believe that in the future, smart water meters will become an important industry standard, bringing more convenience and benefits to the people.
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