SMART GRID PRODUCT TESTING AND QUALIFICATION

The introduction of smart meters in Europe had a significant impulse with the publication of Directive CE/2006/32 about energy efficiency. Besides this regulatory imposition, utilities under competition have to manage their business in the best possible way to give their customers services that they appreciate. This means a differentiation factor that can be offered to customers, complementing the electric energy supply with services supported by the information given by smart meters, allowing a more efficient use of electrical energy, due to the remote on-off switching and monitoring of home electrical appliances consumption. In this strong technological change, with several different technical options offered by the market, it is