Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Requirements
Version
Date Issued 14 July 2008
WAN Communications Version 0_2 Deleted: 1
Table of Contents
Table of Contents................................................................................................ 2
Document Control ............................................................................................... 3
1.1 Version History ..................................................................................... 3
1.2 Related Documents ............................................................................. 3
1.3 Intellectual Property Rights and Copyright.......................................... 3
1.4 Disclaimer............................................................................................. 3
2 Executive Summary and Introduction ......................................................... 4
2.1 Executive Summary ............................................................................. 4
2.2 Purpose ................................................................................................ 4
2.3 Scope ................................................................................................... 5
2.4 Objective .............................................................................................. 6
2.5 Future Development ............................................................................ 6
3 Glossary & Conventions.............................................................................. 7
3.1 Document Conventions & Assumptions.............................................. 7
3.1.1 Conventions for Diagrams............................................................ 7
3.1.2 Market Segments.......................................................................... 7
3.1.3 Meter Functionality ....................................................................... 7
3.1.4 Meter Location .............................................................................. 8
3.1.5 Meter and Metering System ......................................................... 8
3.1.6 Communications for Each Fuel .................................................. 10
3.1.7 Two Types of Communication for Smart Metering? .................. 10
3.2 Glossary ............................................................................................. 12
3.3 Assumptions....................................................................................... 15
4 Approach and Scope................................................................................. 16
4.1 Approach ............................................................................................ 16
4.2 Actors ................................................................................................. 16
4.3 Scope of solution................................................................................ 18
5 General Requirements .............................................................................. 20
6 Requirements of Actors............................................................................. 23
6.1 Supplier .............................................................................................. 23
6.2 Consumer........................................................................................... 27
6.3 Network / Distributer Use ................................................................... 28
6.4 3rd party service provider ................................................................... 29
6.5 Microgeneration ................................................................................. 29
6.6 Appliances.......................................................................................... 30
6.7 Display................................................................................................ 30
6.8 Installer / Maintainer........................................................................... 30
7 Traffic Flow Description............................................................................. 30
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Document Control
1.1 Version History
Version Date Author Description Formatted Table
1.4 Disclaimer
This document presents the Requirements of WAN communications for smart
metering in Great Britain for discussion. It does not represent a final statement
of requirements. We have used reasonable endeavours to ensure the
accuracy of the contents of the document but offer no warranties (express or
implied) in respect of its accuracy or that the proposals or options will work. To
the extent permitted by law, the Energy Retail Association and its members do
not accept liability for any loss which may arise from reliance upon information
contained in this document. This document is presented for information
purposes only and none of the information, proposals and options presented
herein constitutes an offer.
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The Project Initiation Document for this workstream stated that “A better
description of the communications options and their requirements will enable
the impact on market models for each option to be better understood, e.g.
constraints, drivers, issues, risks.”
A number of parties need to exchange data with smart meters and devices
local to those meters. There are requirements for access to that data
exchange to be controlled and secure and for standards of service to be
agreed. Parties other than suppliers will generally have similar requirements
of WAN communications but may in some cases require greater performance.
Parties that install and maintain components of the smart metering system will
have requirements that differ from those who purely use the communications.
2.2 Purpose
Purpose
This document describes requirements of the WAN communications for smart
metering in Britain. Its key purpose is to help progress toward a common
understanding and to facilitate discussion between parties interested in the
use of smart metering in GB.
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It is not abnormal when purchasing rather than building complex solutions that
the options need to be weighed up against cost for how well they deliver or
constrain the requirements.
This paper collects the WAN communications requirements into a single Deleted:
document. The consolidated statement of requirements is to be used as the
basis for discussion and is expected to be refined in future work.
The objective is to promote a broad common level of understanding rather Formatted: Font: 12 pt
than to nail down a technical specification. This document avoids using
technical jargon as these are requirements that need to be understandable to
a wide range of stakeholders.
2.3 Scope
The scope of this document consists of the requirements for two way
communications between smart gas and electricity meters and authorised
parties in Great Britain and the requirements of those parties that may be
affected by those WAN communications. This includes where the
communications may be for the ultimate purpose of communicating with
another device local to the meter.
The diagram below shows the SRSM view of the scope of smart metering, and
the place of WAN Communications within that scope:
Industry Interfaces
Data Transport
(internet)
This document does not address the communications options ‘upsteam’ of the
data gateway, as these, to a large extent, will be dependent upon the market
model approaches. It does not address local communications but it does
reflect requirements
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It is noted that the requirements and available options are likely to flex over
time as technology and commercial arrangements adapt to what is essentially
a new GB market for metering communications. This document does not
consider the commercial or contracting arrangements or implications for the
provision of smart metering communications services.
2.4 Objective
The objectives of the WAN Communications workstream as part of the wider
BERR activities have been agreed as follows::
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All diagrams within this document are illustrative of the subject under
consideration and are not intended to represent technical, architectural or
schematic depictions of actual situations.
The SRSM project has agreed, and discussed with meter manufacturers and
the wider energy stakeholders, a set of functional requirements for gas and
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It is also the case that the placement and location of meters as shown in
diagrams is illustrative.
1
For electricity, the inclusion of a switch/breaker/contactor has been agreed for all meters.
The inclusion of similar, valve-based functionality for all gas meters remains subject to cost.
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+ + +
Software
+ +
Smart Metering Metering System Illustration of how fuels could share
Metering System
Systems, with all using a separate (with suitable commercial
using a separate
the functionality, ‘black box’ and arrangements) a single set of black
‘black box’ (or
including external antenna box(es) to deliver functionality
boxes) to deliver
communications to deliver
functionality
“under the glass” functionality
In all cases, the metrology functions must be delivered by a regulated measuring instrument.
Generally, no component of the smart Metering System will be reliant upon equipment
owned by the customer (e.g. broadband router), or services under the control of the
customer (e.g. telephony provider). There may be individual circumstances where use of the
customers equipment is unavoidable (customer chooses to own the meter, or particularly
within a non-domestic context where additional energy supply contractual terms can be
applied).
Figure 3: Smart Metering Systems, Illustration of Flexible Approaches
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Shown below are the two basic approaches – autonomy and the ‘piggy-back’,
both of which are equally valid when considering WAN communications
options. Some of the options presented naturally favour one or other of these
approaches, some can be agnostic. The ‘piggy-back’ approach presents
advantages to key concerns with gas meter power consumption, but creates
interoperability, data storage and network operation challenges for electricity
meters.
In the ‘piggy-back’ option, the electricity meter is effectively part of the gas
metering system.
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Note that the WAN requirements cover the wider scope of the delivery of end
to end solutions rather than just the technical considerations of WAN
communications provision covered in the WAN comms options. They remain
requirements of the participants.
Industry Interfaces
Data Transport
Some WAN Communications options – Power Line Carrier, Low Power Radio,
are candidates for the physical medium to deliver Local Communications.
Other WAN options – Cellular, Broadband – have been discounted for Local
Communications either on the basis of initial or ongoing cost, power
consumption and other practicalities.
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This has been the approach in some international examples requiring Local
Communications connectivity. However, these examples have tended to see
the Local element added after the WAN specification has been set.
3.2 Glossary
A number of these definitions are similar to those used within the Operational
Framework.
Term Meaning
Access Control The method by which the Operational Framework controls
access to smart Metering Systems, smart metering data and
associated devices.
Authorised Party Means the Supplier or another person authorised by
configuration of the Access Control security policies in the
Metering System to interrogate or configure the Metering
System.
Authorised Parties could include a communications service
provider, a meter operator, a network operator etc.
Data Exchange Electronic interactions including the transmission of data
between Metering Systems and Authorised Parties or
Metering Systems and Local Devices
DLMS Device Language Message Specification – European data
protocol for meter communications
ERA Energy Retail Association, the trade association
representing the six major energy Suppliers in Britain.
ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute –
international standards body
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers –
international standards body
Interoperability To allow a smart Metering System to be used within market
rules by the registered Supplier, its nominated agents and
parties selected by the customer without necessitating a
change of Metering System.
Security of the smart Metering System infrastructure, with
structured Access Control, is a key interoperability
requirement.
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Term Meaning
Local Communications between a Metering System and Local
Communications Devices within the premises in which the Metering System is
installed.
Local Device A Local Device can be any piece of equipment within
premises that communicates directly with the Metering
System using Local Communications.
Metering System A single device or meter, or a combination of devices used
to deliver the Lowest Common Denominator as defined in
the Operational Framework - ‘Smart Meter Functional
Specification’.
Meter Variant Classification of meter type under the Operational
Framework. A ‘Standard’ variant is suitable for installation at
the majority of meter points in Great Britain. Other variants
exist to cover specific supply, circuit or customer issues at a
site.
Examples include Polyphase, Semi-Concealed or 5
Terminal variants.
The full table of Meter Variants can be found in the ‘Smart
Meter Functional Specification’.
Meter Worker A generic Operational Framework term referring to any
person attending a metering point for the purposes of
installation, maintenance, investigation, replacement or
removal of the Metering System.
Includes existing energy industry defined roles of Meter
Operator, Meter Asset Maintainer, Meter Reader, Data
Retriever etc.
Open Standard The European Union definition of an open standard (taken
from “European Interoperability Framework for pan-
European eGovernment Services”) is:
• The standard is adopted and will be maintained by a
not-for-profit organisation, and its ongoing development
occurs on the basis of an open decision-making
procedure available to all interested parties (consensus
or majority decision etc.).
• The standard has been published and the standard
specification document is available either freely or at a
nominal charge. It must be permissible to all to copy,
distribute and use it for no fee or at a nominal fee.
• The intellectual property - i.e. patents possibly present -
of (parts of) the standard is made irrevocably available
on a royalty-free basis.
There are no constraints on the re-use of the standard.
Operational Smart Metering Operational Framework Proposals and
Framework, or Options v1 – as published August 2007 by the ERA
SMOF
PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, generally an
industrial control system managed by a computer.
SRSM Project Supplier Requirements of Smart Metering project.
Exercise in 2006-08 undertaken by ERA to develop the
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Term Meaning
Operational Framework.
Ongoing at the time of developing this document
Supplier Means an energy retail business
WAN (Wide Area Communications between a Metering System and a remote
Network) Authorised Party
Communications
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3.3 Assumptions
Whilst defining the WAN Communications options, a number of assumptions
have been used. These are presented below:
A.1. All communications options are (or will be) compliant with relevant
legislation and regulations
A.2. Smart meter functionality is broadly equivalent to the SRSM Smart
Meter Specification
A.3. WAN Communications options are defined only so far as to reach a
connection to the internet. Architectures and systems ‘upstream’, i.e.
how an energy Supplier accesses metering data, are subject to
separate consideration
A.4. WAN Communications service provision will include network
management activity suitable to that network, i.e. traffic and outage
management, scheduling, fault resolution.
A.5. Smart meters will all have unique (fixed or dynamic) network
addresses in accordance with the protocols to be used
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The supplier requirements are considered first, as this is a party with known
expectations of using smart metering and there are established and
documented requirements of this party.
The other parties have then been considered in turn for whether they have
additional requirements or can elaborate on those of the suppliers.
4.2 Actors
The Smart Metering WAN communications requirements are those of parties
that will use this communication or who may be affected by it.
In use case methodology the term actor is used to describe parties, people or
systems that interact with a system. An actor is a type of party that interacts
with a system there may any number of instances of that party.
The following actors have been considered as having key interaction with
smart metering and therefore being likely to set requirements of the WAN
communications:
• Consumer
• Remote parties
o Supplier
o Network operator
o 3rd party service
• Local Devices
o Home appliances
o Display
o Microgeneration
• Installer / maintenance
• General or industry requirements
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Microgeneration Appliances
Supplier
Meter
WAN Communications
Network
The consumer
consumer
The consumer may interact with the meter or local devices in activities that
result in WAN data exchange, they may also be affected by the WAN
communications, the facilities that smart metering will enable are often for the
benefit of the consumer.
Remote parties
These include:
• All Suppliers – The supplier for each meter changes over time when
consumers switch
• Network operators – this may be fixed for any one meter
• 3rd party service providers – This is a category that covers a number of
services that may be chosen by the customer such as energy
management services, the supplier such as meter data processing or
another party such as DNO or GT.
These parties may exchange data with meters including data that may
determine the behaviour of devices local to the meter or exchange data
with devices local to the meters via meters to local devices.
Local Devices
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These are devices local to the meter, normally in the same premises. These
devices may also have some relationship to a remote party. These devices
are expected to include a means of displaying energy use information but may
also include:
• Appliances
• Microgeneration facilities
but may over time include a host of other devices including potentially water
metering. Deleted: ,
General
A general actor is included. This is to allow requirements that don’t belong to
a specific participant or of those stakeholders that will not use the system
directly to be captured. This may represent for example where national or
local Government intend for policies to be realised via smart metering. This
actor may implement requirements by obligations placed on other parties.
New actors should be distinguished when clear requirements are identified.
Deleted: ¶
A general industry actor is
included to allow capture of
4.3 Scope of solution requirements of the whole
solution that may not belong to
a specific participant.¶
The whole solution must provide the WAN communications between the meter
population and remote authorised parties, including where those
communications are used for the purpose of data exchange between local
devices.
Remote parties
These are parties with suitable authorisation who will use the WAN
communications for data exchange with the meter or via the meter to other
devices. The number of authorised parties is not known, for each metering
system the authorised parties will include a succession of suppliers (or
agents acting on their behalf), it may include industry parties and agents
chosen by the supplier or consumer.
Local devices
• There will be an unknown number of devices local to the meter that can
use local communications to communicate with the meter or via the
meter to remote parties. These devices are expected to include an in
home display and may include a number of other devices.
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5 General Requirements
Requirements
This section reflects the requirements of the whole smart metering solution for
Great Britain rather than those of a specific participant type.
Ref Requirement
Requirement Details
WG1 The WAN communication solution must
provide for data exchange between suitably
authorised parties and gas and electricity
metering systems of domestic size in the GB
population.
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Ref Requirement
Requirement Details
WG5 Utility robust
Any technology option that has the potential for
customer interference or a dependency on a
customer provided service is not a robust utility
solution. It is essential to have a high reliability
solution for a service that is the responsibility
of the utility service provider, not the customer.
Utilities could not be dependent on a level of
service for communications determined by, or
driven for, the customer. It is likely that utilities
would have to consider additional commercial
arrangements to meet “utility-robust” standards
of service.
There is not a requirement for communications
to be continuously “on” but there is likely to be
a requirement for very high availability.
Ref Requirement
Requirement Details
mechanisms cannot
change in that time but
would not be acceptable
for this new generation
of meters to need
replacement because
the Communications
becomes obsolete.
There would be a
requirement for new
communications
solutions to be
backwardly compatible
with existing meters
without the need to visit
those meters for
upgrade.
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6 Requirements of Actors
6.1 Supplier
It is stressed that the metering system is a utilities solution. Although it is
expected that the WAN communications will be used by other parties, the
supplier to customer relationship provided by metering communications is
essential and must not be compromised by other use.
Suppliers expect to carry out activities with the meter including the following:
• Meter reading
• Meter configuration eg Tariff setting
• Alerts
• Credit updates
• Access control
• Meter data retrieval
• Software/firmware upgrade
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6
A number of communications solutions can physically only offer a flat standard of service,
therefore the requirement for prioritised Data Exchanges is split into a separate requirement.
7
Communications and data security, alongside communications technology, is subject to
ongoing development – at all stages the communications security should be suitable.
8
Not all solutions options will be capable of all of the security requirements.
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9
Inappropriate here, means inadvertent or deliberate actions that would compromise the other
requirements. A balance will need to be maintained between the requirement for secure
communications with Local Devices, as defined in Schedule F Access Control Specification,
and the ability for customers to establish Local Communications between a Metering System
and a Local Device – i.e. should a customer have to call their Supplier to inform them that they
have purchased an Operational Framework compatible Washing Machine and want to be able
to show actual consumption costs on the new Local Device?
10
In accordance with Supply Licence Condition 18 - Power consumed by Metering System
components (e.g. communications black boxes) should not exceed 10 watts unless the
customer has been notified of such through their contract. NOTE this note is to be updated
with appropriate references.
11
See appendix A
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Deleted: ¶
6.2 Consumer
The majority of the consumer requirements of Smart metering WAN
communications (reliable, secure communications) will be covered by the
supplier requirements). However, the consumer has requirements of the
WAN communications solution in addition to those of the supplier.
WC1 Safety
The WAN communications solution shall not be harmful to residents.
WC5 Cost
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The customer has a requirement that the whole of the smart metering
system is at reasonable cost, this is true of the WAN communications
element.
• Restoration verification
• Emergency response
• Phase Balancing
• Load Balancing
• Outage notification
These and others have been agreed as potential benefits for networks load
management, in particular, has been discussed as a likely use. However, Deleted: h
none of these requirements are firm. It is unknown if each network operator
would be likely to adopt the same set of functionality although there should be
similar benefits cases for each.
The activities to achieve the benefits that are recognised for networks would
clearly involve more data traffic. However, they are unlikely to exceed the
requirements of suppliers for access control, security and performance other
than that some of the activities may require a short latency.
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WN3 Prioritisation
The ability to prioritise data exchanges by type has been recognised as
desirable by suppliers. Collections of functions that could be used by
networks would be expected to contribute to the security of supply. As such,
this collection of functions might warrant the highest priority.
3rd party uses are expected and an amount of data traffic must be allowed for
accordingly.
It is possible that there may be 3rd party uses of smart metering WAN
communications that would have high performance requirements but any such
requirements are secondary to the utility requirements and might be taken up
suitable capacity and performance is available rather than making an
additional requirement.
6.5 Microgene
Microgeneration
The term Microgeneration is used here to represent the whole cycle of
microgeneration, from the device or devices that may be generating for the
premises to the market participants who may need to know of generation and
export to the grid.
There are participants who will need to know the amounts and times of
electricity generated or exported, there may be a need for configuration of
meters and displays to cater for the generation and export of electricity.
However, although the data is exchanged for a different purpose it is of
exactly the same nature as import data and, save for introducing additional
parties and additional traffic, there should be no requirements in addition to
those of the supplier.
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6.6 Appliances
The requirements of appliances which may communicate with 3rd parties via
the metering system WAN communications have been covered within the
requirements of suppliers and 3rd parties and no additional requirements are
identified.
6.7 Display
One or more suppliers may communicate via the metering system with one or
more in home displays. The display may be used to carry out many actions
that are, by default, actions that “belong” to the meter.
Authorised parties may carry out dialogues with the consumer using the
display rather than the meter as the interface. However the requirements of
the supplier should already cover this interface and no additional requirements
are identified.
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The concurrent use and topology will drive the ‘size’ of the bandwidth
requirements.
A number of parties are expected to use the WAN communications for data
exchange with the metering system and local devices but the party with known
requirements is the supplier. Each additional party would add to the data
traffic requirements but the extent would depend on their interaction with the
metering system. It is reasonable to assume that the use may grow
significantly over time.
An early example of how traffic analysis may look is provided in Appendix A. Deleted:
It is stressed though that all values given are estimates that would need to be
re-evaluated with experts in all the relevant fields.
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APPENDIX A: EXAMPLE Traffic Flow Analysis Model
1 The table below shows an example of traffic flow that could be modelled to meet Operational Framework requirements.
2 Due to the incremental nature of any implementation of smart metering, and the potential variety of data requirements by customer or Supplier segments, any model will
need to use a number of assumptions and profiles to determine the traffic capacity requirements of smart metering.
3 All sizes used in this table are in bytes and are estimations.
Interaction Header Footer Network Gas Elec Elements Size Total Per Frequency % of Portfolio
Ack Meter of Activity
Meter Reading (non- 100B 100B 15B Yes Yes 10B per reading and 40B 255B Daily 100%
interval, simple tariff) register identifier
Meter Reading (interval 100B 100B 15B Yes Yes 10B per half hour 240B 455B Daily 100%
data) advance
Tariff Setting 100B 100B 15B Yes Yes 50B per tariff set 100B 315B Monthly 25%
Meter alerts 100B 100B 15B Yes Yes 20B per alert 20B 235B Daily 5%
Debit balances 100B 100B 15B Yes Yes 50B per balance – 200B 415B Weekly 20%
debt, credit, recovery
rate, emergency credit
Access Control Policies 100B 100B 15B Yes Yes 250B per policy 250B 465B Monthly 50%
Software application 100B 100B 15B Yes Yes 15000B per 15000B 15215B Monthly 10%
application