What Is the Difference Between Centralized Installation and Decentralized Installation of Smart Meters?
There are two installation methods of smart meters: centralized installation and decentralized installation. The application scenarios, installation costs, and meter reading solutions of these two installation methods are different. The following is a brief introduction to the specific differences between the two installation methods of smart meters.
1. Different meter reading schemes are suitable for different installation methods
There are two types of smart meter reading solutions: wireless and wired. Wireless meter reading does not require third-party equipment such as collectors or concentrators. The built-in NB-IoT/4G communication module or LoRa communication module of the meter can be directly connected to the system to realize remote meter reading. Wired meter reading is to connect the meter and the concentrator/collector with a transmission line through the RS-485 interface that comes with the smart meter, and the meter data is transmitted to the system.
Therefore, the wireless meter reading scheme that transmits data through the signal base station, the smart meter is suitable for decentralized installation. The RS-485 wired meter reading solution that requires transmission lines is suitable for centralized installation.
2. The installation cost of both
The cost of centralized installation mainly includes smart meters, concentrators or collectors, and transmission lines. The cost of decentralized installation is mainly smart meters.
First, the cost of smart meters. Select the RS-485-meter reading solution for centralized installation. Smart meters do not need built-in additional communication modules, and the price is low. Distributed installation requires the built-in communication module of the smart meter, which is relatively expensive. The second is to centrally install the required collectors or concentrators. One concentrator can read the data of multiple meters. One concentrator of our company can read the data of 32 electric meters, and the price is relatively cheap evenly. Finally: the centralized installation of electricity meters reduces the need for transmission lines and saves installation costs.
3. The two installation methods are suitable for different scenarios
In scenarios such as apartment complexes, shopping mall complexes, and student dormitories, smart meters are one meter per household. There are many smart meters that need to be installed. To facilitate the installation and management of staff, centralized installation is generally selected. However, buildings with long distances, such as rural residential users, rental houses, and factories, are generally installed in a decentralized manner.
This article briefly introduces the difference between centralized installation and decentralized installation of smart meters from three aspects. There is no absolute difference between the two, only whether they are suitable or not. Users can choose the most suitable installation method according to their actual needs and cost budget.
