The integration of two smart metering standards by the LoRa Alliance and OMS Group is expected to reduce the cost and complexity of utilities’ smart meter programs. In addition, it will increase the return on investments for utilities’ smart meter projects.

OMS Group will provide its Open Metering System smart metering language for use on LoRa Alliance’s LoRaWAN specification. Proof of concepts conducted by the two organisations have proved the interoperability of the two standards on all levels, including data platforms and connected end devices on the same or different LoRaWAN networks, according to the companies.

Donna Moore, the CEO of the LoRa Alliance, said the combined use of the two standards “…is absolutely essential to achieving massive scale for the IoT.

“Given the large scale of their deployments, gas, water and electric utilities will achieve improved business value from implementing standards-backed technologies like LoRaWAN and OMS due to the interoperability and ease of deployment provided. LoRaWAN is already proven for networking smart utility applications, from metering, to leak detection, automated shut-off, and more.

“Using LoRaWAN with OMS is a game-changer for the European utility market that makes deployments simpler and more cost-effective, while ensuring the interoperability of legacy meters to maximize ROI.”

OMS Group’s Andreas Bolder, added that although utilities have in the past relied on the OMS specification to integrate and optimise acquisition, management, processing, storage and utilization of data from gas, heat, and water meters using a single system, “combining the benefits of the OMS language with those of LoRaWAN networking offers further standardisation of smart metering applications, increasing utilities’ readiness for IoT.”

Due to the integration of these standards, energy companies using OMS will take advantage of LoRaWAN’s standard capabilities including low power consumption, long-range, over-the-air firmware upgrades and deep indoor penetration.  The new specification also ensures interoperability with legacy OMS-based systems and frees utilities from the costly burden of deploying and maintaining radio network infrastructure by using existing LoRaWAN third-party networks.

The new specification has been developed jointly by members of the OMS Group and the LoRa Alliance including Birdz, Diehl Metering, Elvaco, Kamstrup, Mainlink, Minol-ZENNER-Group, and Semtech.

LoRa Alliance and the OMS Group will showcase their proof of concept (PoC) at Enlit Europe in Milan from 30 November to 02 December.

References:

LoRa Alliance® and OMS-Group Optimize Smart Utilities Transmissions with OMS Over LoRaWAN®

LoRa Alliance and OMS Group integrate smart metering standards