The ISTA-Rus company is a subsidiary of the German concern ISTA, representing on the international market German manufacturers equipment for heat and water metering. The concern was founded in 1906 and today has numerous branches in all European countries, as well as in leading countries of Asia and America. Ista-Rus has been operating in Russia since 1996.
ISTA is not modern name. Initially the company had a different name. In 1994 it was Raab Kärcher, then other companies joined the company and others followed, for example, since 1999 - Viterra. In 2004, the name ISTA appeared. ISTA is represented in 26 countries and covers the whole world. It is interesting that the company, unlike its competitors, successfully operates even in the Chinese market, which is famous for producing great amount The devices are cheap, and IST devices are all German-made, so the price initially cannot compete with Chinese and Russian equipment, but they are highly reliable. ISTA operates in the USA and France, and plans to develop an office in India in the near future. Therefore, ISTA got the opportunity to work all over the world and, since 2009, has taken a leading position in its market segment - the supply of equipment for apartment accounting, billing calculations for end users. In Russia the company is called Ista Rus. In 1995, a branch of the Raab Kärcher company was opened. In 2004 the name ISTA-RUS was received.
The company offers high-quality German-made heat and water meters in the Russian Federation. All offered equipment is certified by the State Standard of the Russian Federation. The offer also includes systems for automatic wired and radio collection of readings from metering devices, as well as billing services for calculating energy costs and equipment maintenance. The main advantages of the ISTA-Rus company are qualified employees with great experience work. Average work experience is 14 years.
Information on certificates.
The product certificate is a system for automatic data collection via the “Simfonic Sensor net” radio channel. Certificate for the thermal energy distribution device "Doprima", another simpler name - heat distributor, used when vertical systems heating. Products – mobile control device. This device is used when setting up and putting the symphonic system into operation. The portable switch is the second part of the kit for mobile setup of system startup. Heat meters. Compact combined heat meter Sensorik 2. Compact, respectively, for apartment metering, combined heat meter is already used in the common house, in the office, they already have a higher consumption. Sanitary and epidemiological certificate for flow meters and water meters. On the Istameter cold water meter, Domakva cold water meter, which is called ET for short. Turbine water meters.
Equipment.
Areas of activity in Russia:
1. Supply of heat meters, water meters, heat distributors and other energy-saving equipment (shut-off, control, balancing valves, temperature controllers)
2. Calculation of energy consumption in the residential sector, office and shopping centers.
3. Installation of devices, service and warranty service.
Products:
- Water meters ET-Domakva-M– residential single-jet meters, they are distinguished by their minimal cost and high quality, assembled in Germany. The warranty on water meters is 4 years. Verification is determined by law. It is common to all metering devices sold in Russia. 4 for hot, 6 years for cold water.
- Istameter- these are already multi-jet cold and hot water with installation in one-pipe connection EAS. These meters are twice as expensive as single-jet meters, but due to their design, they have two advantages. Firstly: they are more accurate with minimal water flows, and at the moment when a single-jet meter could stop and no longer count, a multi-jet meter will continue to count. And the second point that affects the value is EAS, that is, one-pipe connection. These meters are mostly common in Europe. Convenient for installation and testing of devices.
- Replaceable modules for dispatching. There are M-Bus options, there is radio, there is pulse.
- Water meters for high flow rates. These are vane counters. Parameters up to 10 cubic meters per hour. There are flanged and threaded connection. All devices initially have a pulse output.
- Turbine meters, which allow up to 150 cubic meters per hour. Flange connection, pulse output initially. But a peculiarity specifically for the Russian market is that these meters are two to three times more expensive than those offered in Russia by other manufacturers, including local ones.
- Heating cost allocators. There is a modification of visual reading, these are cheap options. There are modifications with a built-in radio module for further use in radio systems. Installation is simple, there are mounts for all types of radiators.
- Optional equipment. Thermostatic valves, shut-off valves. This is what you need when you buy everything in a set at once. And data acquisition system, wired M-Bus system. The system can combine up to 2000 devices. Any equipment, these are water meters, heat meters, apartment meters, communal meters, you can connect equipment from other manufacturers, the most important thing is that it has a pulse output. The hub connects up to 250 devices. And an eight-channel switch connected after the hub allows you to expand the system’s capabilities to serve 2000 devices. The length of the communication line is 4 km. Regular telephone wires and RZh-11 connector cables are used. But the bus itself works using the M-Bus protocol.
- Radio system Symphonic – 3. When technology matured to the ability to integrate radio modules, it was of course obvious that it was possible to equip devices with these small radio modules and use a radio connection instead of wires. The ISTA company has come up with a corresponding solution. In this case, it is reading data using a set of mobile radio devices. It works like this. A company employee comes to the house, walks around the entrance and uses mobile kits to read the devices from a distance. Heat meter products have common name-Sensorics. The combination sensor is used for general household consumption. Vane and turbine flowmeters, both those produced by ITS and any other companies, the main thing is that there is a brick (primary) outlet to them. Vertical and horizontal installation provided. Possibility of connecting to M-Bus dispatch and radio too.
- Sensonic 2 compact, it is intended primarily for use in door-to-door accounting. Indeed, this is a very compact device, convenient for use precisely due to its size. In this case, the display is removed and a 30 cm long wire allows you to move it to a more open place, accessible for reading. Vertical, horizontal installation, straight sections are not required. This can be used in supply and return piping and also works in dispatch systems.
Equipment advantages.
Advantages of using water meters:
- Use of high quality materials
- Availability of modifications not only single-jet, but also multi-jet.
- Possibility of upgrading the system by simply replacing the plug with a module suitable for automatic remote collection
- When installing a dispatch system, reverse and manipulation can be controlled remotely.
- Advantages of M-Bus:
- Reading meter readings regardless of the presence of residents.
- Advantages of radio collection:
- This is the same remote collection, but without wires.
Symphonic system.
In fact, the system can also be used to account for water, electricity, gas and heat. Heat is the most expensive part of the cost. Therefore, the government makes an appropriate decision and issues laws that regulate energy saving relations. A methodology for calculating heat consumption has been developed, which has been approved and is already in use. General principles charging is regulated by government decree 354. The use of heat meters allows you to reduce costs. There are a large number of offers on the Russian market, such as domestic producers, and world leaders. But the question remains open: how to effectively, timely, without errors, and without significant financial and labor costs, collect readings from these devices. The Symphonic system has existed in the world since 2006; it appeared in Russia in 2009. The world's tallest building is the Burj Dubai. In America this is the Empire Street Building. ISTA devices and symphonic systems are installed in these buildings. In Russia the system is just developing.
System composition: heat distributors, apartment meters water, heat meters, Pulsonic 3 radio unit in order to connect to the system devices from other manufacturers that have a pulse output, and in the center of this system is the Mnemonic 3 radio concentrator. How is it possible that with one concentrator it is possible to collect data from all devices? The fact is that each set is IST, it is bidirectional, it works as a repeater for neighboring devices. And thus, even the most remote device from the concentrator, located at a distance of 100-150 meters, will still transmit its data. But not as in other systems, there must be a device for collecting data in direct visibility, for example a floor concentrator, but simply through other metering devices, the same as it. Moreover, the system is built automatically; if a device falls out of the network because it is broken, the network will be rebuilt automatically and communication with distant devices will be restored through neighboring devices. What happens next after data collection? Metering devices with a radio module transmitted data to the hub. Next, a radio network is used, frequency 868, which does not require any licensing or permission. Next, cellular communications are used, any channel is available, it can be a megaphone, MTS or any other cellular operator, since ISTA devices have multi-roaming, there is absolutely no need to think about paying for communication services, all this is taken care of by ISTA. That is, through cellular communication channels, data is transmitted to a server located in Germany, this is done in order, first of all, to implement the concept of complete autonomy and automatic collection, when the customer, after pressing the start button, forgot about everything for 10 years, about any issues related with maintenance, network setup, payment for any communication services. And a server located in Germany is incomparable in its reliability to those solutions that are provided in Russia, not to mention a computer that is just at home or used as a central data collection server. First of all, there is a question of reliability; data can be lost. The ISTA data storage server guarantees that this will not happen. And then you can collect readings via the Internet.
Advantages of the system:
- Increased noise immunity and stability of data transmission.
- Fully automatic reading of data from all devices without the participation or presence of people.
- Monitoring device operation errors and system interference.
- Extreme ease of installation and programming.
- Minimum cost of the system among analogues.
- Absence of any wires.
- The batteries are designed for 10 years.
- Lack of interfloor hubs. One hub can serve up to 1000 devices.
- Frequency 868 MHz, free use of the frequency without restrictions.
Loading meter readings into the program "1C: Accounting in management companies of housing and communal services, homeowners' associations and housing cooperatives"
How are metering devices taken into account?
All counters are stored in the “Counters” directory. Here you can specify the main parameters: service, meter tariff. The meter can be installed both on the building and on the entrance and on the premises.
Method of recording readings: on a cumulative basis, consumption for the calculation period. The bit size is no more than 15 and the transformation coefficient, that is, if there is a flow rate of 10, and the coefficient costs 2, then in the end it will be 20, not 10. This coefficient is convenient for converting from one unit of measurement to another. For example, from cubic meters to gigacalories. After the meters are created, these meters need to be assigned to a specific metering object. The meter assignment is established using the “meter installation” document. Here the object can be a building, personal account, entrance or premises. Next, the metering device itself, the date of inclusion and the date of verification are indicated. Then, if the meter is already fixed, then you can indicate the readings of the corresponding metering devices. An object is indicated, which can be a building, an entrance, a specific personal account, or a service. And then in the tabular part the metering devices, objects, and dates of readings are indicated. If the device takes into account previous readings, then they can be seen in the “previous daily reading” column, all this depends on which method is chosen: cumulative total or consumption for the calculation period.
In order to make accruals, the document “accrual of services for metering devices” is used. Here you can see several columns, depending on which metering devices are assigned. In situations where meter readings are not provided or the meter itself is missing, and charges need to be made according to the consumption rate, an additional column appears, because there are no corresponding situations here.
How is the distribution made?
Firstly, there are appropriate settings: setting by IPU, this applies to those cases when readings have not been entered or the meter itself is missing, so that there is no need to create several services, all this can be tracked in one service. It is indicated here that accruals are made according to the consumption rate, or according to the average value, or no accruals are made. If the service includes several metering devices, then it is also possible to specify the corresponding parameter. That is, one of the metering devices is turned off, or all metering devices are turned off. Calculation of charges in the absence of readings can be done based on the average value, according to the consumption rate, or not done at all. When choosing the “By average” method, a specific period is indicated. As for collective metering devices (community meters), there are also certain settings here. Are accruals according to the standard included in the total individual expense, or only expense according to metering devices, or according to metering devices, accruals according to the standard and according to the average value.
Option for distributing costs according to tariffs. By type of tariff: at a general tariff or at tariffs corresponding to the tariff of a collective metering device. In addition, distribution can be made to personal accounts without meters, or with meters, or to all personal accounts. It can be distributed proportionally to the area, the number of premises, the amount of consumption for the service, the number of residents, or equally. In addition, it is possible to use formula No. 9. So, by the amount of total area, formula No. 3 and No. 14, and No. 15 becomes available. If there is no flow through the general house meter, that is, there is no metering device itself, then in such cases, according to Resolution 354, distribution is made according to formula No. 15. The corresponding formula supports the building standard. In addition, you can check the box in the service itself to use formula No. 15. In the absence of a collective metering device, it is also necessary to indicate the total area of premises in the building itself, that is, the total area of all buildings, the total area of all residential and non-residential premises and the area of the premises included in the common property. These areas are entered automatically using the “calculate” button. Next, the total area of premises and the consumption standard for the building are indicated. The standard is indicated on the “Service consumption standards” tab. The corresponding standard is indicated in the building directory, after which charges can be made. Thus, it is possible to make accruals according to the standard both in the absence of a valid meter, in the absence of readings, and also if there is no common house meter, then accruals can be made according to formula No. 15 of Resolution 354. In addition, calculations can be made using other formulas.
A.S. Zhuchkov, chief engineer of LLC NPP "ELEKOM".
This Information system, which allows you to remotely read, store and analyze data from metering devices, as well as prepare the documentation necessary for reporting and payments for energy resources.
ASSD includes:
- communication equipment of the facility and the control center;
- data collection server;
- automated user workstations;
- specialized software.
Data transmission and reception is carried out using Internet technologies and cellular communication channels. This makes it possible to simplify and reduce the cost of creating ASSD as much as possible, as well as reduce subsequent operating costs.
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Main functions of ASSD |
Design options |
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Standard |
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Communication in request mode |
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On-line communication |
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Scheduled communication |
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Multi-tenant architecture |
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Combining different brands of metering devices |
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Connecting heat and water meters |
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Connecting electricity and gas meters |
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Control of consumption volumes and quality of energy supply |
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Monitoring the serviceability of metering devices and the correctness of readings |
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Database maintenance |
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Automated report preparation |
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The cost of the system depends on the chosen version of its implementation.
In modern conditions, the relevance of ASSD is associated with the effect of Federal Law No. 261 on energy saving. Thus, at the legislative level today there are clear deadlines for the implementation of such measures as 100% installation of metering devices and reduction of energy intensity government agencies by 15% over 5 years. These requirements dictate the need to create modern tools for monitoring the volume and quality of energy consumption, as well as the performance of metering devices. ASSD is such a tool.
ASSD allows:
- , quality of energy resources and detection of faults in metering devices;
- generate statistical data in a form suitable for subsequent analysis;
- generate reporting documentation on the volumes of energy consumption for supplying organizations.
There are a sufficient number of software products for ASSD. However, the vast majority of these programs have one or more significant disadvantages:
- work with a limited list of metering devices and energy resources;
- there are no options for customizing the software for a specific user’s tasks (tariffs, limits, settings);
- limited functionality for information analysis: monitoring emergency situations, generating schedules;
- do not receive/transmit data via GSM modems;
- operate only on the manufacturer’s server, which makes access to data difficult.
As software package To create an ASSD, we recommend our own development - which was created on the basis of many years of experience and is devoid of the above disadvantages. IVC "ELECOM-INFORM" has been successfully used for more than 10 years and is constantly being improved. On this product there is a “lifetime” warranty service, which provides, among other things, free updates within the current version, as well as assistance in operating the ASSD.
More than 20 years of experience, certified services, ISO 9001 quality, authorized service and recommendations from the most respected clients enable ELECOM to offer new solutions for housing and communal services with optimal ratio price quality.
The need to regularly take readings from metering devices and transfer the received data to the resource supplier is an integral part of the life of a modern person.
Although the operation of taking readings is not very burdensome, it is accompanied by a “human factor”: you can forget about it, make mistakes when taking or sending data, and there may be errors on the other side. In addition, an increase in the cost of resources increases the responsibility of the parties and leads to an increase in distrust between them, attempts at theft on the one hand, the emergence of an army of controllers on the other hand, and this leads to a further increase in the cost of resources. A generally accepted solution to these, as well as other problems, is automation or, in other words, the introduction of a third “objective” party - a machine that performs two main functions (plays two main roles):
- receiving data from metering devices (reader role);
- transfer of data to interested parties (role of the transmitter).
The abundance of proposed technical solutions, on the one hand, and their insufficient distribution, on the other, indicate the presence of problems with the implementation of remote data collection systems. In our opinion, these problems include the following:
- A wide variety of metering devices in operation, including the presence of meters that do not have any interfaces. This requires an appropriate variety of readers. The main trend in solving this problem is the replacement of meters.
In the West, the second round of meter replacements is already underway; the first involved installing meters with a pulse output (generation AMR), on the second - meters with integrated readers and shutdown devices (generation AMI). In our country, so far all projects are pilot in nature, and the State Register of metering devices contains meters of all types. - The existing infrastructure makes it possible to widely use only GSM And PLC types of channels that are used to a limited extent due to the relatively high price of transmitters (modems), and PLC Moreover, it can only be used for electric meters. Cheaper transmitters LPWAN require the deployment of appropriate infrastructure.
- The recipients of the data are suppliers of various resources or management companies. However, unlike the West, infrastructure owners are often completely different companies (integrators, operators). Due to the lack of standards, changing such a company leads to problems in the operation of the system. In addition, suppliers of various resources act independently and inconsistently, which further complicates the implementation of an integrated system.
- End users will begin to experience the benefits of automation only after its final implementation and access to Personal Area. And the example of installing meters with pulse output shows that you can wait for this moment for years. This leads to their disinterest, so the implementation process occurs “from above” - from the companies.
Fortunately, the development of technology and the widespread use of the Internet make it possible to solve all the problems considered.
1. Optical recognition of meter readings
Obtaining readings from metering devices through analysis of a static or dynamic image of the device display has long been a subject of research. And significant progress has been achieved in this direction.Probably the most common way is to take a photo of the counter and have it recognized on the server. The latest example of this approach is the experiment of the capital department information technologies: Muscovites were invited to take photographs of their water meters and send photos with real readings from hot and cold water meters. It is planned that by the end of 2017, the neural network being developed will be able to accurately, quickly and accurately recognize meter readings from photographs.
With the development of the power of mobile devices, it has become possible to transfer recognition to these devices. This solution is made even more attractive by the possibility of combining two processes - taking a photo and recognizing it on one device. The most famous and popular solutions are the developments of companies Pixometer And Anyline .
Despite the simplicity of the idea of obtaining an image and recognizing meter readings on mobile device using the corresponding solutions is not very easy due to increased requirements for image quality. And here you need to take into account that counters are not always located in places convenient for photography. And if the user has already reached the meter, then it is much easier for him to record its readings on paper or in the same smartphone, for which, by the way, there are many high-quality solutions, for example.
Therefore, obtaining images of counters using stationary devices certainly more user-friendly than taking photos with smartphones. In addition, the quality of such photographs is noticeably higher due to the consistency of distance and illumination. There is also various solutions from amateur to professional:
Optical GPRS scanner Accent SPS-2
Optical water meter reader from the Korean company Neckers Co., Ltd.
Remote servers are used to recognize counter photos.
The most effective and convenient solution is when both the image acquisition from the meter and its recognition are carried out on a device (optical reader) attached to the meter. These include company decisions Xemtec
And Q-loud
Unfortunately, the wonderful devices of these companies have a fairly high price, about 250 euros (and this does not include hubs and other peripherals!). Considering the number of meters in an ordinary household, this makes their use in our conditions impossible.
We are also developing a meter reading device that is plug&play but has reasonable price(up to $30). By using new original recognition technology, our reader can work just like a product Anyline, with any types of counters.
The video shows the operation of a prototype device with a microcontroller ESP8266, used to obtain an image and recognize meter readings. Due to insufficient memory, recognition is carried out two digits per frame.
[Method description]
More prototypes
2. Universal infrastructure
According to recent studies, the Internet audience in Russia has reached 87.7 million people. (71% of the population, and among the youth audience - 98%). RAEC predicts that by 2020, up to 85% of Russians will have Internet access in the Russian Federation. Such figures mean that today almost every household has access to the Internet. For the implementation of remote data collection systems, this means the possibility of changing the structure of the transmitter-data receiver channel. Now this channel will contain only two subchannels: the first is the RF channel, the second is the Internet channel. The subchannels are separated by a hub, which collects data only from a small number of meters of one household and transmits this data directly to resource providers, management companies, etc.Such an infrastructure, combined with optical readers, allows us to solve all the problems described above.
- The variety of metering devices does not matter, since the display used by all meters is used to determine the readings. The optical reader required for this is low in price, easy to install and does not require any settings.
- For the first subchannel, very cheap low-power transmitters with a range of up to 50 m are used (the same type as in conventional radio remote controls). For the second subchannel - Internet. Hub features:
- According to the schedule specified in the settings, it sends a command to the corresponding reader, receives the meter reading and saves it. The same procedure (poll of the counter) is possible by command at any time.
- According to a given schedule (may not coincide with the polling schedule) and addresses, it sends meter readings to the servers of data recipients.
- Receives commands from the resource provider server.
- Has a WEB interface for working with users (owners of metering devices).
- All resource providers, as well as management companies, are on an equal footing in the system and can at any time gain remote access to meter readings, as well as organize feedback.
- Immediately after installing the concentrator, the user has the ability to remotely access meter readings.
3. Home hub - the center of a smart home
Currently the concept smart home is becoming more and more popular. Control engineering systems allows you to make your home more comfortable, which is a desirable but not necessary component of life for many. At the same time, the worldwide trend towards increased control over resource consumption makes the introduction of automated remote data collection necessary. The combination of these two concepts within the framework of the considered universal system allows you to formulate requirements for home hub how to the center of the future smart home:- Receive from the user and store information about payment for resources.
- Receive from the resource provider/management company and store information about payments received from the user.
- Determine the amount of payment for the resource on the day of payment.
- Remind the user about payment indicating the payment amount or independently make payments with the user’s permission.
- Connect modules for communication using various protocols ( Bluetooth, Z-Wave, ZigBee, Wi-Fi,...).
In any scheme of relationship between the owners of premises and the management company (commission agreement, agency agreement or simply a management agreement), the management company takes and provides readings from common house meters to the utility service provider on the basis of a utility service supply agreement. Even if there is an agency agreement between the management company and the owners of the premises, it is possible to perform this action (on behalf of and on behalf of the owners of the premises).
As a general rule, the taking and provision of readings from apartment metering devices is carried out by the owner of the premises to the organization with which the contract for the provision of utility services is actually valid: that is, either to the management company under a management/commission/agency agreement, or to a utility company (if the contract is direct without participation of the management company). At the same time, the management/commission/agency agreement may include conditions that the management company takes and/or provides readings from apartment meters independently.
The main criterion for the readiness of a management company is the organizational readiness of the management company to receive meter readings from the population.
To carry out activities for the collection and accrual of utility bills according to meter readings by the Management Company must be provided:
proximity to the place of residence of consumers of points for receiving readings from apartment metering devices;
the presence of several ways to receive readings from apartment metering devices (for example, by telephone, Internet or directly to the organization);
a convenient form for receiving readings from metering devices (for example, when the owner of the premises directly transfers the readings to the organization, a form with minimum requirements for filling out must be installed - only the address and the latest readings of the meter, etc.);
safety of the received data according to meter readings;
the opportunity to provide clarification on issues related to the provision of evidence.
The recommended option is to use settlement and information centers (if they are ready to receive this information). This will speed up the process of generating invoices for services provided for premises owners (since the information chain “premises owners – management company – RIC – premises owners” is longer than “premises owners – RIC – premises owners”). At the same time, the management company will be required to provide readings from a common house meter, i.e. she still participates in the chain of information transfer.
On the other hand, the accumulation of readings from all metering devices in the management company has the following advantages:
The ability to compare the readings of a common house meter (or contractual volumes) with the volume consumed by the owners of the premises and identify the resulting difference without an additional request for information from the RIC;
The ability to independently (without an additional request) and timely track owners of premises who do not provide meter readings in order to organize control checks.
) the management company is entrusted with the obligation to verify the installed metering devices (general and individual). This Resolution prescribes the procedure for notifying the owner of the premises about the period of verification, the procedure for approving its implementation, frequency (at least once a year and no more than once every 3 months) and deadlines.
Deadlines for providing meter readings
According to Art. 155 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the deadlines for payment for utilities are set no later than the 10th day of the month following the expired one, unless otherwise established by the management agreement for an apartment building. Payment documents to premises owners must be provided no later than the first day of the month following the previous one, unless otherwise provided by the management agreement. Consequently, the timing of the provision of meter readings should ensure the possibility of processing the received data and inclusion in the bill management company or the organization to which these powers have been delegated. Moreover, a strictly defined period must be established during which testimony will be taken. Readings submitted outside this period should only be taken into account in the next billing period.
In accordance with the Rules for the provision of utility services (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 dated 05/06/2011), the management company is obliged to take monthly readings from the common house meter in the period from the 23rd to the 25th of the current month and enter the received readings into the collective register. (common house) metering devices, provide the consumer, upon his request, within 1 working day from the date of application, with the opportunity to familiarize himself with information about the readings of collective (common house) metering devices, ensure the safety of information about the readings of collective (communal house), individual, common (apartment) metering devices for at least 3 years.
The procedure for calculating utility bills based on metering devices
Depending on the chosen option for organizing metering devices, utility bills are calculated as follows:
For communal and apartment metering devices in proportion to the heated area (heating) / number of registered people (water supply) from the readings of the common building meter, reduced by the sum of the readings of all apartment metering devices (for owners of premises who do not have apartment metering devices, but with a common building meter and part of the apartment metering devices in the building) ;
According to a common house meter in proportion to the heated area (heating) / number of registered people (water supply) from the readings of a common house meter (owners of premises who do not have apartment metering devices in the entire building, but live in a house with a common house meter);
According to apartment metering device according to the readings of the apartment metering device (for owners of premises with apartment metering devices).
Formulas for determining the amount of payment for each type of utility service depending on the availability of metering devices are given in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 6, 2011 No. 354 “On the procedure for providing utility services to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings.”
Payment for public utilities goes to managers and other organizations that have contractual obligations to citizens to provide public services (in the case of concluding an agency agreement, in accordance with the agency agreement, it can go to resource supplying organizations).
The widespread installation of metering devices is today one of the priority areas housing and communal services reform. However, after installing the heat meter, it is necessary to ensure the possibility of promptly and regularly taking readings from it. In cases where data needs to be collected from 10-15 metering devices, difficulties usually do not arise. But already now, most specialists are faced with an increase in the number of devices being serviced, which requires the organization of automatic collection of readings. In addition, the dispatch system becomes a great help in monitoring heat supply networks. About the choice optimal technology Data collection and transmission will be discussed below.
Today in Russia the prevailing practice is manual collection of data from metering devices. Heat companies maintain a staff of controllers and inspectors (sometimes dozens of people) who inspect facilities and record meter readings. Then the obtained data must be entered into the database. This is again done manually by clearing center operators. This approach has a number of obvious disadvantages.
Firstly, regular visits to all objects equipped with metering devices require a lot of time.
Secondly, manual data collection and entry means there is a possibility of errors.
Thirdly, for various reasons, access to metering devices for visual control may be limited. Finally, and many experts rightly consider this to be the main disadvantage of manual collection, it does not allow monitoring the condition of heating networks in real time.
The introduction of automatic reading systems creates conditions for optimizing the costs of servicing heating networks. In addition, being united into a single network, metering devices make it possible to obtain data on heat consumption and coolant parameters in different sections of the network simultaneously.
This helps the heating company eliminate imbalances in its operation and optimize hydraulics. By monitoring “abnormal” changes in instrument readings, you can quickly identify emergency sections of the network where deviations occur. Instead of verbal and irregular reports from crawlers, the dispatcher gets the opportunity to monitor the state of his network section on the monitor screen. But for this it is necessary that the counters “get in touch” at least daily, even better if they are constantly online.
Automatic collection of data from metering devices facilitates the work not only of heating network specialists, but also of organizations serving heating points, as well as management companies of residential and commercial real estate. Such solutions are widely used in Europe, and they are also used in our country. For example, in the town of Dolgoprudny near Moscow, Kamstrup metering devices, thermal automation And pump equipment several ITPs and central heating stations are connected to a remote monitoring and reading system. “Maintenance of heating points that are not equipped with dispatch systems requires regular rounds.
For our company, it turned out to be more profitable to organize remote data collection than to maintain a whole staff of crawlers. Now one specialist sees all the necessary parameters on a computer monitor and, if necessary, can quickly make changes to the operation of the heating network, for example, adjust the coolant temperature. It is important for residents that their requests are processed quickly. In addition, the absence of leaks and overheating saves heat, which means it reduces heating costs,” explains Vladimir Litvishkov, director of the Teploperspektiva company, which services heating points.
The main condition necessary for the implementation of network solutions is the possibility of including metering devices in the dispatch system, as well as guaranteeing their reliability and uninterrupted operation. Without this, any data collection scheme will be non-functional. It is best if the meter allows, if necessary (for example, when expanding or modernizing the network), a transition to any of the methods of information transmission used today.
This can be achieved with modern computers with modular architecture, for example, MULTICAL® 601. As noted by Kirill Klyushin, technical specialist at Kamstrup, a leading global manufacturer and supplier system solutions in energy accounting, “computers allow modernization of the dispatch system without additional reprogramming. The meters are simply equipped with another data transmission module, for example, for communication using the most modern LON protocol or radio channel.”
The choice is appropriate
The choice of technology for collecting and transmitting data depends on the tasks that it has to solve. Let's try to understand the variety of methods used today in Russia to combine metering devices into a network.
For residential buildings with apartment-by-apartment heat metering ideal solution today is communication technology using the M-Bus protocol. To switch devices in this case, a two-core cable is used, similar to a telephone cable; the connection is made in a parallel circuit. The advantages of the solution are low cost its implementation and independent power supply of the network controller. Up to 250 metering devices can be connected to one hub (M-Bus Master). Disadvantages include limitations on the overall bus length, low speed due to the fact that counters are polled sequentially, and limitations on the data standard.
A similar scheme was implemented when organizing the heat supply system for a new residential building on the street. Tchaikovsky in Yaroslavl. According to Igor Rachkov, a specialist at the Croiss company, which set up the accounting system in the building, “today there is no technology that would be more convenient and cheaper for apartment accounting than M-Bus.” Data from 61 metering devices installed in apartments and shops located on the ground floor of the building are sent at a specified interval to the dispatcher’s computer. In accordance with the readings, heating fees are easily distributed among the owners of the premises.
At sites with complex technical infrastructure, the flexible network platform LonWorks, created in 1988 by Echelon, is increasingly being used. This is a solution based on a universal high-speed bus that allows you to control a wide variety of engineering systems.
Its undoubted advantages are the speed of data transfer, the absence of serious (for local use) restrictions on the length of the network, as well as the ability to be used for various purposes - from remote control electric motors to automation of security systems. In essence, the platform was developed for use in so-called smart buildings. It allows the dispatcher to constantly keep his finger on the pulse of the heating system.
Of course, organizing a LonWorks network will cost significantly more, and its maintenance requires personnel with special training. However, since several services can operate the network at once, this option seems optimal for large shopping or office complexes, as well as large enterprises. A similar solution was used in the resource accounting system of the Federation Tower in the Moscow City business center. 82 heat meters and 41 electricity meters in apartments of the building with total area more than 9 thousand m2, transmit data to the control panel every minute.
The use of high-frequency radio communications for remote reading of meter readings is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. Thus, the MULTICAL® 601 heat meter assumes the use of a built-in wireless router, ensuring its operation as part of a single network. This technology has not yet become widespread in Russia. Among the main reasons are the nature of the development. If in Europe dense private low-rise construction prevails, then in our cities mainly multi-apartment residential buildings are being built, which explains the lower density of metering centers.
In addition, the abundance of high-rise reinforced concrete buildings reduces the range of transmitters by approximately 2-2.5 times. However, the development of suburbs of large cities with cottage villages, the transfer of small low-rise residential villages to centralized heat supply from local combined sources, for example, mini-CHP, can make radio data collection relevant for our country.
Also, modem communication channels or local cable networks can be used for remote reading of instrument readings. The limitations associated with these two methods are obvious: in the first case, you need to connect to a telephone line, in the second, you are dependent on possible failures and accidents in the local provider’s network, which, unfortunately, is not uncommon in our country today.
In addition, in some cases (for example, for a detached household), it is advisable to use data transmission using a GSM channel. But this is rather an exception, because... network solutions imply a high concentration of subscribers.
Solutions for heating companies
Of course, creating a branched automatic system dispatching is not an easy task, requiring certain costs and time. It should be noted that today there are original and cost-effective solutions that allow you to optimize the process of manual data collection and significantly reduce the influence of the human factor.
Thus, data collection over a radio channel can be organized at a lower cost, without building a network. For example, using the MULTITERM® WorkAbout hand-held terminal, which is part of a radio system developed by Kamstrup. The terminal allows you to automatically interrogate up to several thousand metering devices. One inspector, replacing dozens of inspectors, can simply drive around the desired area in a car - an excellent solution for a heating company. In this case, heat meters are equipped with a radio module that allows for remote polling. Communication occurs on an unlicensed frequency around 4.3 MHz, the same frequency used in car alarm systems. Signals low power, which the terminal exchanges with the heat meter, do not pose a danger to humans and environment. Moreover, contact can be made at a distance of up to 500 meters.
An interesting option for collecting readings was found by one of the heating companies in Denmark. In the third largest city of the country, Odense, which gained worldwide fame thanks to G.H., who was born here. Andersen, the meter readings are taken... by garbage men. Radio terminals are installed on waste collection vehicles. While traveling around their area every day, scavengers also collect data on thermal energy consumption, which they transmit to the control center at the end of the shift.
In this way, data is obtained from more than 20 thousand objects. Simple and elegant – just like in the works of the great storyteller.
Another inexpensive way Optimization of the reading process is also provided for by the design of the MULTICAL® 601 heat meter already mentioned above. It's about about the possibility of quickly reading archives using an optical head, for example, connected to a laptop. By the way, there are also universal solutions. For example, the MULTITERM® Pro handheld terminal, with which you can take data not only via radio, but also through an optical connector, and also enter it manually. Such a multifunctional device, which combines various tools for data collection, allows you to modernize the accounting system over a long period of time without experiencing any inconvenience.
To summarize, it can be noted that network solutions and remote data collection technologies solve several problems at once.
Firstly, their use allows you to optimize the costs of servicing heating networks.
Secondly, it makes it possible to monitor their work in all areas.
Finally, when choosing the optimal method of data transmission, the dispatch system is convenient and reduces the costs of the service organization. And the modern equipment produced today will help overcome any technical barriers to progress in public utilities.
Kamstrup press office