Birka Energi's district heating metered via Internet

Birka Energi's district heating metered via Internet Birka Energi has now launched a new internet based district heating metering equipment for all its customers in Stockholm. In the autumn, all of Birka Energi's district heating customers in Stockholm, over 7,000 metering points, will have access to the new communication system. Over 5,000 are already in use. The 7,000+ new integrator devices, each fitted with a communications unit, sends meter readings via the electricity network to a concentrator which is located in the nearest electricity network station. Readings are taken every 15 minutes and the values obtained are sent at night, via radio, from the electricity station to Birka Energi's central computers. Property owners in complete control "Soon our customers will be able to access up-to-the-minute data regarding their consumption, via the Internet," says Håkan Askelöf, Birka Energi's project manager and the person in charge of the big installation project. The project started in 1999 and was carried out in co-operation with the international company, Schlumberger RMS. Håkan Askelöf is pleased with the improvement in quality that has been achieved for customers. He continues, "The information, which can be obtained via the Internet, is now broken down into hourly values. Instead of 10 readings per year with the old manual system, customers (if they wish) can obtain 8,760 readings per year". "Further advantages with the electronic system are that, in future, we can offer customers different levels of delivery quality, for example, supply that can be shut off at predetermined times. The new system also allows for greater price flexibility and offers customers incentives for using energy more efficiently." A metering system that is both environmentally and financially profitable Birka Energi has cut down on car journeys to its property customers in Stockholm and is thereby reducing both harm to the environment and costs. Invoicing routines have been rationalised and improved. This investment, which has cost Birka 75 million kronor, was decided purely on commercial grounds. "It is so profitable," says Askelöf, "that even if the technology becomes obsolete within a few years, the company will be able to afford a new and even better system. Electronic metering, through continuously improving systems, is here to stay". Facts about Birka Energi Birka Energi was formed in the autumn of 1998 in a merger between Gullspång Kraft and Stockholm Energi. Birka Energi is Sweden's leading energy company in terms of number of customers and the third largest in terms of production capacity. Besides generating, selling and distributing electricity, the Group incorporates Scandinavia's biggest heating company. Birka Energi is owned by Stockholm's Stadshus AB and Fortum Power and Heat AB who each hold 50 per cent. Stockholm's Stadshus AB is wholly owned by the city of Stockholm. Fortum Power and Heat AB is owned by the Finnish stock-exchange listed energy group, Fortum OY, in which the Finnish state has a 75 per cent holding. Contact persons at Birka Energi: Håkan Askelöf, tel +46-8-725 29 95, e-mail hakan.askelof@birkaenergi.se Göran Ernstson, tel +46-8-671 70 00, e-mail goran.ernstson@birkaenergi.se Kim Radway, tel +46-8-671 70 00, e-mail kim.radway@birkaenergi.se ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/08/20000608BIT00750/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/08/20000608BIT00750/bit0002.pdf