Siemens Energy will provide a comprehensive smart metering solution to support Berlin-based Umetriq Entwicklungs-GmbH in building the IT infrastructure of a metering services provider and meter point operator for the German energy market. Siemens will supply core components for meter data acquisition and an advanced meter data management system. Umetriq, a subsidiary of Berlin Gaswerke (GASAG), will deploy the Siemens technology as a central component of an IT solution for market communications and business to deliver smart metering. Siemens is enabling Umetriq to expand its position as an independent metering services provider in the emerging liberalized metering market.

The German energy market became liberalized and opened up to competition in 2008. Now energy customers can choose not only their energy supplier but also the meter point operator and the metering services provider. Competition has meant an increasingly complex market structure with many new players joining the more established ones.

The smart metering solution for Umetriq comprises an advanced meter data management system and the transaction server of a Siemens AMIS smart metering system. The Energy IP meter data management system provided by eMeter has a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and is already deployed worldwide with a number of large utilities for the management of over 20 million meter points. In addition to the core functions of meter data acquisition, validation and storage the meter data management system also offers automated functions such as technical meter management, meter data validation for billing, support for work management control, and remote meter shutdown and reactivation.

For the Umetriq solution the transaction server will be extended to include further functionality including Multi Utility Communication (MUC) and Smart Message Language (SML). To provide long-term investment protection the MUC decouples “long-life instrumentation” and “innovative wide-area communication” with a central unit in the home. This approach will ensure that the statutory requirements of the German Energy Management Act are met, in terms of monthly billing and load-variable, daytime-dependant tariffs.