Andrew Mackie is trying
to update technology in
order to cut electricity
prices.

Victoria is to be one of the first places in the world to introduce 'smart meters' to try and control the spiralling drain on its electricity grid — with air-conditioners, according to La Trobe University PhD student, Andrew Mackie, high on the list of worst offenders when it comes to electricity consumption.

Mr Mackie, who has been an engineer for 20 years, says the meters will be read electronically every half hour. This type of smart meter is called an 'interval meter' and enables consumers to be charged more at critical peak periods to reduce demand.

'An airconditioner,' he says, 'might only cost a consumer $400, but for each unit electricity supply authorities have to spend about $4,000 on upgrading network capacity to prevent the grid collapsing.'

Mr Mackie is investigating ways of helping solve this problem by simulating the way meters are read remotely. 'We need a new communication system that is cheap and has a high data rate,' he says.

This, in turn, would enable power bills to 'send better price signals' to consumers and help manage power demand.

Mr Mackie is using the capacity of La Trobe's unique co-generation plant on the main Melbourne campus at Bundoora, the sub-station under the Thomas Cherry building and local power points to develop such a system.

'La Trobe is like a suburb. Electricity — which in the University's case is generated by a gas-fired turbine — is distributed through 22,000 volt lines and then converted into 240 volts for local use.'

Mr Mackie has done a mathematical model of the distribution system so that he can predict what a signal from a socket looks like at the sub-station. He has established that the carrying capacity of electricity lines is, in theory, 10,000 bits per second, yet available technology runs at only 60 bits per second.

'There is a huge gap between what is possible and what is implemented,' he says. There are some sophisticated channel access schemes available that have been developed for cellular phones. But there seems to be no incentive for developing these so we can have cheaper ways of reading electricity meters.'

He says the State Government has insisted on using proven technology in its rollout of smart meters, yet this is a new application with new requirements.

'Although the Government's approach may not result in the cheapest possible infrastructure, a cost to be born directly by the customers, the rollout of interval meters is still a good idea.

'The interval meters will undoubtedly result in electricity customers flattening their demand. If you are being charged, say fifty dollars an hour to run your air conditioner during a critical peak, you are quite likely to switch it off and put up with some discomfort.'