Smart meter rollouts are complex projects that impact utility operations from billing to customer services, and from IT operations to network management. Whether it is a first-time installation, a second wave implementation, or a transformational upgrade, building an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a journey. Here are some of the top considerations when building your AMI ecosystem.
In the past two years, the transformation of the energy industry has accelerated. We caught up with Bodo Zeug, Executive Vice President and Head of Landis+Gyr EMEA, and discussed with him about the megatrends in the energy sector, how they affect utilities and how Landis+Gyr intends to support utilities in tackling current and upcoming challenges.
In its working paper "Critical Vulnerability in Log4j - Detection and Response", the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) underlines the persistent and complex danger of the Log4Shell vulnerability in industrial networks as well. Patching the vulnerability in the short to medium term is considered unrealistic for many companies. For this reason, the BSI recommends continuous monitoring and analysis of network communication via anomaly detection in addition to rule-based query analysis. Industrial anomaly detection solutions, as offered by Rhebo, a Landis+Gyr Company, enable companies to detect on compromises that have already occurred, active exploits and other malicious activities in the operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) at an early stage. The vulnerability, documented as CVE-2021-44228, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on systems using the widespread Log4j library without authentication.
Liechtensteinische Kraftwerke (LKW) has outsourced data and software hosting for its smart metering system. Hosting in connection with the software-as-a-service (SaaS) contract covers data from more than 45,000 metering points and complies with the strictest security and availability criteria. After more than a year of productive operation, the verdict is positive: Data protection and system stability benefit from the externally operated technology platform; the cost-efficiency of smart metering has been optimized through the shift from capital to operating expenses. SaaS clearly represents a sensible path towards digitization, particularly for public utilities and smaller companies with fewer financial and human resources, which already operate a smart metering infrastructure or are about to roll one out.
Stadtwerk Winterthur, in the Swiss Canton of Zürich, has been providing their customers with electricity, gas, water and heat for over 150 years. With the rising demand for photovoltaic installations however, they needed a smarter way to proactively manage challenges in billing accuracy and power quality. Working closely with Landis+Gyr, Stadtwerk Winterthur found an all-in-one solution that reduced their total cost of ownership by 30%.
To say it’s rare for a company to be in existence for 125 years is an understatement. In the United States, for example, only about 0.5% of companies have what it takes to last 100 years. That’s why, we are pleased to reflect on our company history with pride as this month, 125 years ago, the Electrotechnical Institute Theiler & Co. was founded, laying the foundation of Landis+Gyr for many successful years to come. From the production of the first electricity meters at a time when electricity was in its beginnings to the events that have impacted how the company operates, Landis+Gyr has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of its customers.
