SRSM&B Meeting Notes

Local Communications Development

For SRSM and Beyond Project
Holiday Inn
18/07/08 10:30 – 15:00 Regents Park
London
Meeting called by ERA SRSM and Beyond Project
Type of meeting Project Workshop
Chair Jason Brogden, Simon Harrison
Notes Taken By Alastair Manson

Attendees
Name Company
Alastair Manson ERA
John de Longa Data Direct Technologies
Geoff Huckerby E.ON UK
Les Woolner Horstmann
Christophe Dugas Coronis / Elster
Rob Steele Elster
Eric Beattie National Grid
Dave Egan Ember
Graeme Sharp Orsis UK
Colin Fraser Npower
David Osman Npower
Geoff Mathews IMserv
Robin Heydon Cambridge Silicon Radio
Alistair Wright REM
Jane Chang Centrica
Nigel Punchard Centrica Comms
Eugene Bakker Zensys / Z-Wave technology
Simon Higgins Arqiva
John Stanton Utilihub
Jack Worsnop Siemens
Berny Goodheart Secure Electrans Ltd
Mike Buss Actaris / SBGI
Nick Slocombe EDF Energy
Fabio Toledo EDF Energy
Stuart Archer Renesas
Mark Knight SSE
Ben Pirt ONZO
Simon Anderson GEO
Jason Brodgen ERA
John Cowburn PRI
Ian Graham Landis and Gyr
Amyas Phillips ALERTME.com
Alistair Morfey Cambridge Consultants
Brian Back LPRA
Peter Westwood Trilliant
Simon Harrison ERA

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SRSM&B Meeting Notes

Seating plan

Agenda
• Introductions
• Notes of previous meeting
• Workstream progress/plans
• Status of Report
• Refine requirements
• Discuss evaluation criteria
• Evaluation Process
• AOB & Dates for remaining sessions

These notes are intended to cover conclusions and recommendations made and not
to cover detailed opinions given at the meeting, these are to be captured in updates
to documents.

Introductions
Jason Brogden (JB) introduced the meeting

Notes of previous meeting

The notes of the previous meeting were agreed

Workstream Progress
Simon Harrison (SH) presented a summary of the workgroup’s progress and plans
As follows:
SMOF requirements

Document SRSM context

Document solution options

Refine / clarify requirements This workshop
Agree evaluation process This workshop
Evaluate Options August
Produce conclusions / recommendations September

SH noted that the external perception is that this group is doing work that is key to GB
smart metering

SH described the status of the report – and noted progress of documentation but still
some gaps including some requiring input for them to be filled in.

Requirements
SH ran through some considerations of the requirements

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SRSM&B Meeting Notes
Some queries were raised:
Retrofit
It was agreed that retrofit is not excluded as a solution for gas metering

SH ran through a summary of requirements

2- way comms - It was note there is a requirement for 2 way comms but it was queried
where this is a requirement for duplex. It was agreed there is no need to state duplex

Alistair Morfey (AM) suggested the need to specify interoperability at an appropriate OSI
level. And noted there will be a need to assess the relative strengths of high and low end
use of the various packages.

AM also noted that there is a key requirement to upgrade the code. It was queried how
often this would be needed. Although the key point is that you might want to do one
upgrade

Data security
It was suggested that this is an area where the requirements are much too vague and the
suppliers will need to specify requirements. AM suggested there may be a requirement
for security to be upgradable. There was discussion over power consumption and duty
cycles of comms. And it was suggested there can be measures that make very
economical use of the battery – WAN comms for critical messages such as credit updates
being initiated by button press at the meter

It was queried who owns the HAN?

It was agreed that this is an issue shall need to be resolved and is of similar nature to
data ownership.

Some potential additional requirements were noted:

- 3 rd party device cannot affect operation of metering system

- Ability for system to return to a previous configuration on loss of power
- Time in network - will be expressed in UTC and synchronised

It was suggested that for meter operators they would want to not require special tools

Network Operators may need to be able to stop export on particular occasions

Requirements of other parties

It was suggested that for display there would be a requirement for refresh e.g. every
second – (it was suggested that a possible answer might be that there is a minimum
refresh rate but with option to work at higher rate.)

It was suggested that data should not be constrained to a list – e.g. there may be need
for the system to handle reactive power.

It was also suggested data might include units such as (generated) CO2.

Evaluation process

JB stressed that this is a desktop exercise and while an outcome might include the
recommendation for field test we cannot do a field test in this exercise.

SH outlined suggested process whereby at next meeting - the morning will be take up by
presentations representing

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SRSM&B Meeting Notes
• M-Bus
• Wavenis
• ZigBee (considering 868MHz and 2.4GHz independently)
• Z Wave
• Bluetooth Low Energy

With the afternoon is spent scoring these solutions according to the evaluation criteria

It was noted that the project (ERA suppliers + project team) will have to make the final
decision on a final recommendation

Evaluation Criteria
SH proposed that:
Criteria are either ‘must have’ or desirable. Then for assessment they might be:
- Yes / No
- Ranked
- scored

A draft of the proposed evaluation criteria were reviewed by the group:

It was suggested that for the scores to be filled in on the day would be impossible.

The alternative that the project should do an initial score

Make that score available –for review by the group then the scoring could reviewed by
exception in the next workgroup.
This was agreed at the meeting.

[Following the meeting, the project team have secured approval from the ERA for an
additional meeting – allowing the group more time to undertake the scoring process]
Actions
Project to issue updated version of the report
Next Meetings
nd
2 September 10am-4pm Holiday Inn Regents Park
nd
2 October 10am-4pm 60 Cannon Street, London

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