JFDI engineered a complete smart metering R&D prototype for a leading UK utility company -- from custom electronics and firmware to cloud infrastructure and a gamified consumer app -- in just three months.
"JFDI's solution was awesome. From a limited brief, their methodical, multi-disciplinary engineering-based approach took us from zero to an entire prototype system in just three months. Taking it forward to field trials was a no-brainer." -- Consumer Services Manager
The Challenge
Our client was attempting to lead the way in consumer usage savings but was searching for ways to encourage users to be more economical and what would work better across the board than mere financial incentives. The company had ventured early into Smart Metering and was unimpressed with the meter companies' offerings.
The initial generation of drive-by meters was only read every few months. The next generation of connectivity would require infrastructure investment of up to 50M, against a background of competitor companies having problems implementing the same technology. Was there a middle ground?
JFDI's Engineering Approach
JFDI knew that the only realistic way of engaging consumers in this way was through the appropriate and measured use of Gamification techniques. Gamification requires data -- a lot more data than was being provided by existing metering arrangements. So we needed to read the meter a lot more often.
Our wealth of experience guides our clients to stick to their core competencies and operate their businesses. Our client isn't a communications company and has no wide-area communications network. Yet their meter supplier drove them down that road towards creating their network. Fresh thinking was needed. So JFDI went back to engineering basics, identified each challenge, and solved them individually.
The Five Engineering Challenges
1. Getting the Data from the Existing Meter
Without changing meters, JFDI experimented with various methods for reading the meter. Accuracy, reliability and low power consumption were all of vital importance. JFDI's solution is 100% accurate within normal usage conditions. It remains in an ultra-low-power mode for 99.98% of the time, ensuring that the lifetime of the consumer-replaceable batteries is slightly shorter than their shelf-life. 3D design and 3D printing allowed JFDI to rapidly prototype casing designs resulting in a final design suitable for user installation and mass production.
2. Transmitting the Data to a Local Receiver
Meter placement varies widely, making RF communications challenging. JFDI needed low frequencies and wide-bandwidth, frequency-hopping, and spread-spectrum technologies with a local station for receiving and relaying the data. Transmission four times a day was plenty for everyone's purposes. JFDI came up with an innovative combination of technologies that ensure reliable transmission and reception without requiring a private fixed network.
3. Relaying the Data to the Cloud
Our client had no prior use of cloud computing facilities and no scalable, fault-tolerant way of automatically receiving and storing data transmitted from meters. JFDI created cloud-based backend storage, a customer web portal, and a secure REST API to glue the process together.
4. Fault Tolerance, Redundancy and Failover
JFDI built in the best currently available security protocols with options to upgrade security in future. Each stage in the process caches its data, and possible outages are recognised and reported. We even managed to create redundancy in the system.
5. A Gamified Consumer App
The final stage was using all the gathered data to engage consumers in more desirable behaviours. JFDI enlisted the help of leading gamification consultancy Gamification+ to design a roadmap of features to enthuse and engage users far into the future. A range of reward types ensures the app appeals to all personality groups.
Results
JFDI presented the system proof of concept and device prototypes in September 2017. The next phase, a two-stage refinement and field trials programme, was due to begin in early 2018 for a possible 2019 mass roll-out. The project was nominated and considered for a technology innovation award.
Client Overview
Company: A Leading UK Utility Company
Country or Region: United Kingdom
Industries: Retail Utilities Supply
Company Profile: The company is a leading UK utility company, seeking innovative uses of technology to better engage consumers in making usage savings for the sake of the environment.
JFDI Services Provided
Services used:
Software and hardware:
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