With the smart metering system, the most important component for the digital transformation of the energy transition is now being rolled out. Three smart meter gateways from different manufacturers have been certified by the BSI, and the positive market analysis has been published—marking the start of mandatory installation throughout Germany.
Ingo Schönberg, CEO of PPC, is pleased: “We’ve been working toward the day of the market announcement for a long time. As the first manufacturer with a certified gateway, we were able to begin the rollout with the majority of energy suppliers as early as last year. As of today, our certified SMGWs are in use at nearly 50 metering point operators. Metering with both simple and more complex rate plans works just as well as submetering or the control of generation systems and Section 14a applications via a control box. At the same time, we have already developed new application features and TAFs, which will be available shortly with the first recertification.”
Eugen Mayer, CEO of PPC, adds: “With the Smart Meter Gateway, Germany is gaining a highly secure and powerful platform that is essential for the successful digital transformation of the energy transition—and one that sets the standard in Europe for security and data protection.”
Continuous Improvement
PPC continues to develop the software and system architecture for the SMGW in collaboration with its partner OpenLimit and, following the completion of the first recertification process, is delivering the additional tariff application cases (TAFs) 9, 10, and 14. The gateway administrator can install these on the already installed devices via an update. PPC has been collaborating for years on the implementation of applications in line with the BMWi roadmap to systematically advance the benefits of the SMGW, according to Ingo Schönberg:
“Using the Smart Meter Gateway’s open CLS interface, we have already successfully implemented various projects in collaboration with partners in the areas of submetering, system control, e-mobility, and smart living, and we are scaling these applications.”
All the prerequisites for a successful rollout
In addition to a secure supply chain featuring sustainable, reusable shipping containers, PPC has developed and implemented efficient, IT-supported processes and tools to ensure a cost-effective and scalable rollout. These include automated ordering and eSIM processes, as well as user-friendly technician portals for SiLKe and SMGW installation. To date, nearly 1,000 technicians have been trained as authorized personnel for the secure supply chain. Furthermore, PPC is the only SMGW manufacturer to offer all relevant WAN options (BPL, LTE, CDMA450, and Ethernet) and has demonstrated interoperability with eight gateway administration systems.
