# Telecommunication Technologies for Smart Grid Projects with Focus on Smart Metering Applications
## 3 Smart Meter Technological Solutions in Europe and Projects for Their Implementation
### United Kingdom  
In the UK, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has given great importance to interoperability issues with respect to smart meters. By this way, smart meters will be compatible with every energy provider in case the customer wishes to switch from one to another. For this reason, the Smart Metering Implementation Program has been issued, defining Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (version 1 and 2)--SMETS1 and SMETS2. Both versions define the physical specifications a smart metering system should have and its functional requirements. In SMETS 1, the Electricity Smart Metering System (ESMS) should comprise of: a Clock; a Data Store; an Electricity Meter; a Home Area Network (HAN) Interface; a Load Switch; a User Interface; a Wide Area Network (WAN) Interface. An In-home Display is used so that the client gets direct information regarding electrical consumptions. The clock is used for synchronization purposes; the smart meter's data is stored in the data storage unit in case they are needed to be retrieved; the load switch is useful in cases of overload; the user interface is used for customer interaction purposes. The HAN and WAN interfaces are very important for enabling communication of the smart meter itself with the in-home consumer devices, the in-home display and the energy provider control center (Head End System--HES). Among the functional requirements defined, the ESMS should be able to establish a communication link with at least one consumer device and the In-home Display via its HAN interface and with a HES via its WAN interface [46; 47]. There are some differences between SMETS 1 and SMETS 2. In the specifications' second version the electricity smart metering equipment (ESME) is divided in three categories. For the Single ElementElectricity Metering Equipment category, the equipment should comprise of: a Clock; a Data Store; an Electricity Meter; a HAN Interface; a Load Switch; a User Interface, including a Keypad. The main difference is that here there is no WAN interface. The HAN interface should be able to communicate with the In-home Display or a similar device that provides consumer access to consumption data provided by the electricity meter as well as with a device that can give access to the meter's data to the energy provider. For this reason, the HAN interface should be able to support a ZigBee network at the 2400-2483.5 MHz band and to establish communication via the DLMS COSEM technology. The first option is useful for fulfilling communication between the meter and the In-home Display/Consumer devices, whereas the second option is used for communication between the meter and the energy provider's data collection system [48; 49]. Several projects have taken place for the replacement of traditional meters with smart meters. It should be mentioned that some of them have taken place/ started before the release of the SMETS 1/SMETS2 specifications. For example, the Scottish Power energy provider has installed around 5000 smart meters in isolated areas. The initial scope was to use the system in order to test the appropriateness of a radio based communications network for handling with the information from smart meters [50]. The energy supplier SSE has fulfilled the North Leigh project during which around 800 smart meters have been installed in the village of North Leigh. This project has been part of an Energy Demand Research Project (EDRP) supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the industry regulator, the Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) [51]. The energy provider Edf has been the leader of the project \"Low-Carbon London\", installing 5000 smart meters for the consumers living in London. This project has also been supported by OFGEM [52]. Finally, the energy provider British Gas also started the smart meter roll out, installing so far 1 million smart meters [53]. Figure 3 shows an example of the usage of smart meters along with an in-home display for the end-customer.