Medellin

Empresas Públicas de Medellín began testing a new generation of energy meters that might change the way in which the consumption of that service is measured in the Aburrá Valley in the near future.

Through a research project in which, for now, 300 clients in the subregionthe company will measure a series of smart meters for three months that would allow it to access more precise data and have a direct flow of information between customers and the company.

In technical terms, Javier Darío Fernández Ledesma, manager of the EPM Trebol program, explained that the project would be a “sandbox”, which consists of a controlled environment where multiple artifacts and configurations will be tested with a view to measuring their effectiveness.

“Today we are betting on experimentation, on testing, and for this reason, this field sandbox becomes that step for the business group to learn and innovate in a disruptive way, in the face of this new relationship with users,” said the official.

As explained by EPM in a press release, smart meters will be installed free of charge at the sites of the selected clients, seeking to establish how they behave according to their geographical environment and use.

The company clarified that this first phase, due to its scope, would serve to obtain the first information for a larger pilot project, in which a much larger volume of clients and a larger area would be included.

“In the EPM Group, a project has been defined to carry out the implementation of the advanced metering infrastructure, initially for the energy service in EPM and the national subsidiaries, which will allow generating new relationships with customers, complying with regulatory guidelines, capitalize on market opportunities and evolve in processes and technologies,” the company said in its statement.