News articles 09.02.2022
Nettselskapet prepares for the future challenges with Aidon solution
Norwegian Nettselskapet AS will renew their AMM with a solution provided by Aidon. The project covering ca 12,500 meters will commence in summer 2022 and will be completed by the end of 2023. The solution is based on the reliable, well-established combination of 6000-series metering devices and the Aidon RF connectivity, designed for the needs of Nordic DSOs and tested in demanding conditions, e.g. in more than 1.6 million Norwegian metering points.
Nettselskapet AS was established in late 2019 as a result of merger of three DSOs, FosenNett AS, Orkdal EnergiNett AS and Sodvin Nett AS. The company has ca. 24,500 customers, and half of them will now get a new Aidon device, tells Torbjørn Storsve, Managing Director of Nettselskapet while answering to our interview questions.
How does your network look like, geographically and in terms of customer base?
Even though Nettselskapet AS is a relatively small grid company, our grid is extremely diversified. Our grid is split in half by Trondheimsfjorden, and we supply both cities as well as sparsely populated and rural areas. As customers we have fish farming operations, big and small industries, farms, houses and cabins. Salt, lightning and winds are a challenge along the coast lines, while heavy snowfall and low temperatures can be challenging for the inner regions.
The official time-window for AMM-renewal was closed already by the end of 2019. Why do you start with a new system only now?
The three companies that now is part of Nettselskapet AS actually started rolling out automated metering meters as early as 2007. Unfortunately, around half of our meters lacked some of the mandatory functionalities, such as the remote circuit breaker and the ability to measure local production, and in this project, those meters will be replaced with new ones. Since Nettselskapet were compliant with most of the required metering functionality, the company were granted an exception by the authority to postpone the start of replacement installations until 2023.
What was the reason for choosing Aidon’s technology?
Aidon’s technology is proven in Scandinavian conditions and Aidon’s market share in Norway is over 50 %. Furthermore, Nettselskapet AS expects the grid industry to evolve in significantly within the next decade, and because of this, it is very important to have a pragmatic, open-minded and agile metering partner. Aidon seems to meet these qualities, and we are very excited to take on tomorrow’s challenges together with Aidon.
Compared to your previous system and devices, what do you expect to be different or better in the new system?
Our expectation is, that Aidon will be a proactive partner in integrating our diverse systems and ensuring the necessary flow of data. Furthermore, we look forward to a better grid management and decision support as well as increased customer satisfaction.
How does the project plan look like?
We have ordered from Aidon a turn-key project with a firm deadline for the meter replacement. Installations will be carried out by OneCo as Aidon’s subcontractor. The last two years have been challenging regarding the availability of electronic components as well as logistics. Still, Aidon has presented a convincing plan for the project completion according to our demands. Nettselskapet will be active in monitoring the progress and a successful implementation with Aidon.
How do you see the role of AMM in the future? Which functionalities do you see growing in importance?
In addition to automated metering, the future function of AMM is two-fold:
1. Our end-customers are increasingly utilizing the HAN-port and they demand instantaneous, correct and diversified data. Nettselskapet expects the client-side demand for data to continue its growth in the years to come.
2. AMM-meters will be a key sensor for overall monitoring of grid health and load. We expect AMM to help Nettselskapet uncover faults earlier and completing repairs faster.
