Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) had an order pipeline of around 15 million smart meters, as of June 2021. This was one of the observations of “The India Story”, a booklet launched by Power Minister R. K. Singh, on June 25, 2021.
“The India Story” is a compilation of Indian initiatives that are shaping India’s energy transition. The booklet launch was part of the virtual event “Accelerating Citizen Centric Energy Transition” organized by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, at which R.K. Singh delivered the keynote address. The event was organized in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) to the United Nations, and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
Singh also launched a website www.energytransition.in, which will act as a repository of energy transition related knowledge resources from around the world.
“The India Story” booklet said that more than 2.45 million smart meters have been installed across India under various initiatives. Of these, EESL has installed around 1.58 million. Another 7.6 million smart meters are under various stages of deployment.
The report observed that smart meters deployment has also led to a significant rise in consumer satisfaction due to supply reliability and lower billing discrepancy from the absence of human intervention.
EESL has established itself as a market leader in smart meter deployment under the OPEX model. According to “The India Story,” smart meters have led to an average increase of 20.5 per cent in discom revenues, translating to around Rs.301 per month per meter. Further, AT&C losses have fallen by 11-36 per cent, while billing efficiency has increased by 21 per cent. “Overall, the deployment of smart meters is expected to improve billing efficiency to more than 98 per cent, resulting in increased utility revenues,” the booklet observed.
Meanwhile, the National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM), with guidance from the Union power ministry, has finalized a Model Standard Bidding Document (SBD) for the selection and appointment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Providers (AMISPs) for smart prepaid metering on a Design-Build-Finance-Own-Operate-Transfer (DBFOOT) basis by state power utilities. States and utilities are being encouraged to adopt the Opex model to facilitate faster implementation and earlier benefits.
“The India Story” has also mentioned that that the Union power ministry has formulated a 20-year plan for integrated interregional, interstate and intrastate power transmission networks in India. This will be the crucial backbone for the vision of 24×7 “Power for All” homes in India.
As a national goal, India has targeted to replace 250 conventional (analog) energy meters by prepaid smart meters over the next 3-5 years. Smart meters will be the main feature of the proposed Advanced Metering Infrastructure. The National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM), was set up in 2015 as an institutional mechanism, for accelerating smart grid deployment in India.
Featured photograph sourced from “The India Story” is for illustration only
