S08 ATR Dec 2021- Jan 2022 Smart Metering_ATR - New Master Template 2016 10/12/2021 05:56 Page 25
SMART METERING | POWER
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Bboxx is delivering scalable solar energy access to remote communities linked to smart metering systems.
Getting smart about metering Smart meters and prepayment systems have the potential to make a radical difference in delivering electricity to more people across Africa and in bolstering the finances of the region’s debt-laden utilities, says Martin Clark.
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mart meters can help drive energy efficiency, boost business process digitalisation and achieve operational savings. For users, they are also a way to save money and have total visibility on energy spend and usage. These high-tech gadgets have a key role to play in the ongoing electrification of Africa, a continent where millions of people are still deprived of modern energy. Prepayment metering systems combined with innovative new clean energy solutions are also unlocking a whole range of possibilities for those previously unable to access power, in much the same way that prepayment enabled mobile phone users to adopt cellphones in the 1990s. It is not just electricity either, but other utilities as well, such as gas supply and water. Iskraemeco Egypt, a subsidiary of Elsewedy Electric, recently snared its largest ever order for its 3/4 inch water meters in a project to be implemented over the
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coming year. Water is perhaps a more prized commodity than electricity in the North African state. Earlier in the year, the company secured a deal with South Cairo Distribution Company (SCDC), one of Egypt’s largest utilities, to integrate its smart prepayment meters into the power network over the coming decades. For years, the Egyptian market has been raising the bar and settings standards for the advancement and modernisation of its electricity distribution network. Iskraemeco’s smart solution integrates a vending system with powerful AMI infrastructure, which supports a range of functions including remote prepayment, meter reading, and remote control. Using advanced communication and
metering technologies, the smart prepayment system measures, detects, collects, manages, and analyses energy data automatically to provide valuable insight to SCDC technicians and engineers.
Nigerian market Similar models are being rolled out elsewhere in Africa, including to more remote regions. Bboxx is a UKbased utility delivering scalable solar energy access to remote communities linked to smart metering systems. The company has been very active across parts of the continent for several years but recently announced its arrival in Nigeria, Africa’s largest market, where reliable power supply remains largely a distant dream for ordinary people, especially those
These high-tech gadgets have a key role to play in the ongoing electrification of Africa.”
living in rural areas. An estimated 85 million Nigerians still live without electricity, impeding quality of life and the nation’s economic development. Bboxx aims to provide clean energy to 20 million people over the next 10 years, creating 10,000 jobs in the process and slashing carbon emissions too. Operations have already commenced in southwest Nigeria, with a first shop opening in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. Over the course of the year, the company will serve rural communities in other states including rural Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti. Bboxx is initially targeting small business owners and market traders with its innovative pay-as-you-go solar home system which makes energy access more affordable as people only pay for what they use. “The off-grid clean energy market in Nigeria has significant untapped potential,” said Mansoor Hamayun, Bboxx co-founder and chief
DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022 | AFRICAN REVIEW OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY
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