How is the Swiss energy market developing and what are the current needs?

The Energy Act adopted by the Swiss government in May 2017 and the Energy Strategy 2050 are intended to lead to a reduction in energy consumption and an increase in energy efficiency. Renewable energies are promoted and the construction of new nuclear power plants is prohibited. The existing Swiss nuclear power plants may continue to operate if they are safe and economical. Switzerland is the electricity hub of Europe. The country has 41 cross-border connections with neighboring countries. Not only is its central location the reason for its important role, but also its hydroelectric power. Today, around  10% of the electricity exchanged between the 34 European countries flows through Switzerland. Digitalization is increasingly permeating the business world and, as explained above, impacting all stages of the value chain. The expansion of renewable energies is also accompanied by the need for intelligent electricity distribution networks (smart grids). With modern information and communication technologies that enable intelligent control of electricity generation, consumption and storage, the irregular electricity production from renewable energy sources, for example, can be better balanced with electricity demand. The replacement of conventional electricity meters with smart meters is an important prerequisite for smart grids.

What do businesses need in order to successfully implement an IoT solution?

One of the most important factors is an end-to-end supported solution. The main challenges for building and operating an IoT solution usually lie outside the core business of the companies applying it. Since the IoT components must flow into a broad spectrum of IT and communication technologies, such as mobile networks, cloud computing, analysis tools, protocols or machine learning, technologies must interact and be well aligned (platform architecture). So many topics come together that it is a challenge to keep everything in view and offer a consistently functioning solution.

The final benefit is crucial for a company when deciding to implement a specific solution. What was the added value of the Iskraemeco solution for your business, and ultimately for your end users?

Working with Iskraemeco has enabled GWF to offer all types of meters, which makes us one of the largest suppliers of metering technologies in the energy sector in Switzerland. This allows us to offer our customers professional advice when it comes to metering for electricity, water, gas or heat. Iskraemeco’s portfolio meets our expectations, combining system environment with communication technology and measuring devices.

What challenges did you face when implementing the IoT solution in metering?

The biggest challenge we faced was connectivity. According to the OECD Overview, Switzerland has the best broadband network, as utilities and telecom operations are working together in the Rollout of Fiber
to the Home. We also have a very good and modern mobile network that offers the required technologies, such as LTE-M, NBIoT or LoRa, nationwide. Since most meters in Switzerland are installed underground,
it is a challenge to achieve this via mobile radio. Without connectivity, there is no IoT solution! Of course, the appropriate software tools and interfaces are also required to implement an IoT solution, but with the right specialists, this is not a hurdle.

Are NB-IoT and LTE-M technologies the right technologies for Swiss customers?

Yes, we believe there is a big potential for Low Power-WAN Technologies in Switzerland. LTE-M and NB-IoT will certainly play a role in this.

Which one has a higher potential for the future?

That is a difficult question that could be discussed for a long time. I think it cannot be answered generically. There will be requirements and use cases in which LTE-M makes more sense than NB-IoT, or vice versa. For example, if we connect a water meter via IoT, we have completely different requirements than with smart meters. The water meter is not permanently connected  to a power supply, so communication must
be powered by a battery. If LTE-M is used, a communication solution that is powered by a battery is not the right solution. This is just one of many examples.

If you could offer one piece of advice, what would you say to a company looking to deploy our solution?

I would advise the company to use standardized and flexible products, as is the case with Iskraemeco. On the one hand, it is crucial that there are flexible solutions in terms of communication technology, as with the AM550 smart meter. The smart meter can be used with 4G or CAT-M1/NBIoT. It is particularly pleasing that a module is available that supports CAT-M1 and NB-IoT. This makes it easier and enables switching between the two technologies during operation. Secondly, it is crucial that a flexible platform is used that supports the different use cases and provides suitable interfaces to enable an end-to-end solution. For us, the Iskraemeco software head-end system offers these possibilities and thus brings corresponding added value to the customer.

How important is the partnership to you?

Partnerships are very important in our company. GWF offers services and products in the three areas of supply, building technology and large flow measurement. We operate in an exciting, but also very complex,
environment, in which we depend on good partnerships. Only by working with a good partner are we in a position to offer professional solutions in the various areas.

What are the good things about working with Iskraemeco and where can you see room for improvement?

The most important criterion in a partnership is mutual trust and respect. Due to the existing cooperation, we have been able to build up a very good partnership with our colleagues from Iskraemeco and have a
good network at our disposal. In addition, we have access to smart metering specialists who support us in our challenges. There is still some room for improvement, but we are on the right track.