Smart Meters - A Complaint to Active Stream

[Richard]

A Letter to Active Stream

I find it extraordinary that you don't have a clear link on your home page to the Active Stream document “How to Read Electricity Meters – Consumer Guide”. I had to go through an AGL executive to get a copy, and when I did, I found it was incorrect for the MK7A2 display for SA. I've posted a blog on the document with corrections How to read AGL Active Stream smart meters in South Australia, but both Active Stream and AGL should ease the confusion of so many people. People all over the Internet are asking "How do I read my smart meter". Do you not see yourselves as a customer oriented company? If you want to facilitate the introduction of valuable new technology, you need to explain it to potentially nervous customers. The document should also contain an explanation of how the meters connect to the cloud, and how often, because these are also frequently asked questions. The brochure you hand out with installation is totally inadequate in my opinion. Also, why don't you program the MK7A2 meters in SA to not show registers 43, 53 and 63, none of which are relevant to SA? This could be done at installation time, if not before. Everyone would then be able to read their meter without resorting to hunting on the Internet. This was how the previous net digital meter was configured, so why abandon a good system?

[NathanB]

Hi @Richard

Thanks for your feedback.

We've discussed with Active Stream and they will look to include the guideline document on the Active Stream website. In regards to it being incorrect for the MK7A2 display for SA, the guide explains that some old meters will only have 4 LCD displays.  

In regards to Active Stream enabling register 43,53 and 63 in SA, they are currently implementing this solution to incorporate 6 channels for all MK7a2 meters in SA. 

Displaying direction of current flow is already supported, here is some further information extracted from the meter supplier manual regarding the power direction:

MK10D - LCD

MK7C/MK7A - LCD

If the arrow is pointing towards the +P this indicates the  consumption, if it's towards the -P this indicates generation

Below is a real example, arrow pointing to the right (+P) therefore showing consumption.

[Richard]

Hi Nathan,

Thanks for your response.

Saying there are only four registers on some old meters doesn't clarify things because if they have only four registers, they won't see 43, 53 and 63.  We're talking about new meters for the most part, and saying some have four doesn't explain the other three that SA consumers see, and which has caused a lot of confusion, going by the online complaints.

I agree I was in error over the direction.  I originally had only the Mk7A pdf from EDMI themselves and confused the info on flow direction on the bottom of page 7-4 with the Energy Conventions diagram on page A-3.  I mistakenly thought they were an indication of the phase quadrant, and not active power current direction.