PEA eyes smart electricity grid for EEC provinces

The plan will see the 1.3 million conventional electricity meters being replaced by smart meters in EEC provinces, not including the meters in Pattaya, at the cost of Bt9 billion. The project will also cover meter maintenance and software upgrade.
EEC covers the provinces of Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong.
Pongsakorn said PEA is also studying investment options for the project, which is expected to be run on the basis of a public-private partnership (PPP). The study PPP options will be wrapped up in the first quarter of next year, he said, adding that so far five private firms have shown interest in the project.
The installation of smart meters in 1.3 million EEC households should be completed by 2024.
The state agency has already started the pilot project of installing smart metres in 150,000 households in Pattaya and this should be finished by next year, before the project is expanded to other parts of Chonburi, Rayong and Chachoengsao.
Once the smart-meter installation is completed in the EEC, PEA plans to expand the project to other major cities like Chiang Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui.
These smart meters can report real-time electricity consumption via a smart-phone application and alert users once the usage exceeds the desired limit.
This smart system will also help PEA record power bills on a more accurate basis as usage will be reported directly to the agency’s central system.