‘Smart switch can provide feed-back to smart meter’

According to a professor from the University of Twente, smart energy meters can be influenced by certain types of switches with remote controls. In some cases, the power consumption can not only be reduced, but even up to 400 watts can be returned.

Professor of electrical engineering Frank Leferink of the University of Twente research done to the phenomenon. He did that after a man from Renkum who raised the matter with him. The man noticed that his smart meter also registered electricity supplied back, even though he had no solar panels. That happened after he connected a smart dimmer switch with remote control behind his TV. Professor Leferink concludes according to Tubantia that it is indeed possible for smart meters to be affected by certain smart equipment.

The man with the switch noticed that his daily power consumption dropped from 11kWh per day to 8kWh and later even to 4kWh. In terms of feed-in, this involved about 400 watts, the researchers say. The researchers at the university looked at what happened with the specific dimmer in combination with 24 commonly used smart meters. In four cases, the switch did indeed affect consumption. The incident will later be the subject of a scientific investigation by a doctoral student from the university. It also looks at the influence of other domotics on smart meters.

Netbeheer Nederland, the sector organization of network operators, has since become aware of the problems. The organization says to Tubantia that it is ‘unrealistic to assume that this will happen more often’. This is a specific situation, although more incidents are known in which malfunctions occur in smart meters that can lead to reduced registration of consumption.