MANILA, Philippines — Business big Manila Electrical Co. (Meralco) intends to deploy at the least 11 million sensible meters throughout the subsequent decade, a transfer anticipated to profit energy customers inside its franchise space.
Meralco government vp and COO Ronnie Aperocho stated the sensible meters would allow real-time monitoring of electrical energy utilization, serving to prospects handle their consumption extra effectively.
These superior digital units, he stated, can even permit Meralco to shortly detect energy outages and anomalies, enabling the distribution utility to reply promptly.
“Sensible metering expertise is a game-changer in how we serve and empower our prospects,” Aperocho stated.
Final 12 months, Meralco accomplished its preparatory actions for the huge rollout of sensible meters, focusing on its complete buyer base.
Aperocho, nonetheless, famous that the deployment of sensible meters hinges on the Vitality Regulatory Fee’s approval of Meralco’s price reset utility.
“We hope they’ll make the choice quickly, but it surely appears to be like like there is perhaps some delay,” he stated.
The sensible metering program is a part of Meralco’s proposed P215-billion capital expenditure for the fifth regulatory interval, protecting 2025 to 2029.
The speed reset course of units the principles and parameters for the funding, operations and pricing mechanisms of extremely regulated entities like Meralco to find out how a lot must be charged to shoppers.
For the rollout, Aperocho estimates an funding of near $100 per sensible meter.
“We’re exploring methods to decrease the price of sensible meters. Ideally, we’d like to cut back that to about half (of the present value),” he stated.
Final November, Meralco partnered with Korea Electrical Energy Corp. (KEPCO), the most important electrical utility in South Korea, to advertise wider adoption of sensible metering applied sciences.
The settlement between Meralco and KEPCO facilitated data sharing on the usage of digital expertise and rising enterprise traits in each the Philippines and South Korea.
It likewise opened alternatives for collaboration in securing native companions and networks for each international locations.
Since 2011, Meralco has pursued aggressive integration of sensible metering applied sciences into its distribution community to boost operational effectivity and grid resiliency.