Smart Meters to Harness Massive Energy, Greenhouse Savings
Wednesday, 12 September 2007 21:32
The new report, Advanced Metering for Energy Supply in Australia shows that a roll-out will deliver:
* Reduction in total Australian electricity use by 4%-10%
* Reduction in annual greenhouse emissions by up to 19 million tonnes
* Reduction in total national greenhouse emissions by up to 3.5%
* This is equal to taking 4.5 million cars off the road
“Smart meters are the all-time, greenhouse no-brainer,” said Jane Castle, Energy Campaigner at TEC. “For generations we’ve been using electricity stupidly because the real costs have been hidden. With smart meters we can both reduce greenhouse emissions and reduce the amount we spend on unnecessary infrastructure.”
“The Owen Report and Iemma’s response have completely ignored the savings available from the imminent roll-out of smart meters. NSW could shut down one polluting power station and avoid building another if we harnessed the full potential of energy efficiency.”
“Australian governments say they are making plans, but they must not simply roll out the hardware. Retailers must be required to offer innovative tariffs and networks must be given incentives to use the meters as a gateway to energy efficient consumption by consumers. Protections must also be in place for vulnerable households.”
The following should occur:
* 2-way communications must be the minimum to allow for remote control of electricity loads
* Meters must be able to measure electricity exported from the home out to the network
* Meters must be able to provide real time consumption information to the consumer
* Retailers must introduce time-varying pricing for customers
* Generous tariffs must be paid to householders who generate their own electricity
* Electricity networks must actively encourage customers to change their energy-using behaviour
Full Report - Advanced Metering for Energy Supply in Australia
