This case study describes the work that Engage Consulting scoped and delivered for the SRSM Project on behalf of the Energy Retail Association (ERA). The ERA is the trade organisation which represents all major domestic suppliers of electricity and gas in Great Britain. A major component of its work is the preparation and execution of policy on a range of key issues for the sector, including selling, billing, transfers, regulation, energy efficiency, social issues and new technology.

Engage had been selected on the basis of their expertise and track record in the industry as well as the successful delivery of a number of other ERA initiatives including the Customer Transfer Programme (CTP) and the Energy Supply Ombudsman implementation.

Problem

In 2006 the ERA started to develop an Innovative Metering Framework to look at all aspects of Smart Metering. This work continued through the debate and consultations presided over by the dti and Ofgem. Despite there still being a number of ongoing issues on the implementation method, the regulatory and the commercial framework for Smart Meters, all ERA Suppliers agreed that work on the functional requirements for the meters was not dependent on resolution of these issues, and could proceed independently, resulting in a requirement to collate the Supplier Requirements for Smart Metering (the SRSM Project).

Solution

The first phase of the project delivered a number of important outcomes:

• The functional requirements for gas and electricity smart meters
• The definition of interoperability
• A high level industry impact assessment

The project consulted with a wide group of key stakeholders, including Government departments and agencies, meter manufacturers, meter operators and non-ERA suppliers. This included a stakeholder seminar and consultation process that attracted over 850 comments that were all considered by the project in developing its deliverables.

Phase 1 was successfully completed in January 2007.

Phase 2 of the project set out to develop an interoperable platform for the operation of smart metering in Great Britain resulting in the publication of the Smart Metering Operational Framework Proposals and Options v1 in August 2007 (Operational Framework).

 The Operational Framework has defined a number of non-functional elements as well as functional elements relating to:

• Smart Meter Functional Specification, which defines the functions and features of a smart meter in a set of functional requirements.
• Definition of options for WAN communications (from the Metering System to Authorised Parties) and local communications (within the home).
• Protocol and Data Exchange Format proposals.
• Data definition and a draft command list.
• Solution and implementation options for Metering System configurations.
• High level business process definitions.
• Local device definitions.
• A set of non-functional requirements (including Change Control, Assurance)

The Operational Framework will also enable key benefits to be delivered to industry and customers including innovative customer products, energy efficiency and the potential for demand management. It has been defined to operate smart metering in the current energy market and with consideration of the current market design.

Whatever the final market model and implementation arrangements for smart metering in Great Britain, interoperability has been agreed as essential to ensure that, once installed, a smart meter should not need to be replaced when a customer changes electricity or gas supplier.

Why Engage

Engage consultants were chosen for these roles because of their knowledge of the industry, particularly metering, and their experience in managing and delivering multi-stakeholder projects. Through previous projects with the ERA and other industry bodies they had demonstrated their ability to deliver difficult and complex projects on time, to quality and to budget.

Engage’s Involvement

Engage has been responsible for the management and successful delivery to the Project Brief they presented and had authorised by the SRSM Steering Group. The central project team has been staffed by Engage consultants, who have developed the content of the products and Operational Framework. The project has undertaken a series of workshops with stakeholders to develop the project materials and to ensure continued buy-in to the development process, resulting in approved products through the project. This has primarily been a set of subject matter workshops with ERA supplier representatives, but has also included wider stakeholder groups for all interested parties in smart metering. The Engage team have provided technical input to all products; facilitated and captured input from all workshops.