智能水表

数据是智能流程自动化的核心，但这些数据从何而来？远程收集准确的数据对公用事业企业而言一直是一个挑战。这导致了碎片化的数据收集系统，限制了数据分析的大规模使用，而只有大规模使用才能为企业和消费者带来真正的改变。

欧洲标准化委员会 (CEN) 在其技术委员会 TC294 下正式创建了一个新的工作组，任务是为 M-Bus 协议制定新的适配层，主要用于智能水表、智能燃气表和智能热量表。这个名为 CEN TC294 WG7 的新工作组由 Nova Veolia 子公司 Birdz 的专家领导。该公司是欧洲智能计量生态系统的成功领导者，也是 LoRa Alliance® 的成员。2019 年，Semtech 与 Birdz 举办了一场网络研讨会，重点介绍其经过验证的用例。该用例利用 LoRaWAN® 协议改造市政供水网络，以提高效率并节省成本。

IHS Markit 预测，到 2023 年，所有低功耗广域网 (LPWAN) 将有多达 43% 基于 Semtech 的 LoRa® 器件和 LoRaWAN® 协议*。截至 2019 年 12 月，全球已部署超过五十万个支持 LoRa 的网关，支持 1.35 亿个基于 LoRa 的终端节点**。随着物联网 (IoT) 解决方案的全球采用以及支持 LoRa 的应用的市场份额不断增长，将越来越难以找到无法从任何互联器件中受益的业务部门。新的 LoRa 用例定期发布，全球 LoRaWAN 网络部署（公共或私有）的数量不断增加，似乎对这些应用的唯一限制就是开发人员和系统集成商解决当今现实世界业务挑战的想象力。

随着全球智能水表市场的持续增长，Semtech 与 Birdz 共同主办了“部署智能水表：如何使用 Birdz 基于 LoRa® 的解决方案从 AMR 过渡到 AMI”网络研讨会。Birdz 是 Nova Veolia 子公司，也是优化资源管理领域的全球领导者。网络研讨会讨论了公用事业提供商通过采用基于 Semtech 的 LoRa 器件和 LoRaWAN® 协议的固定网络解决方案来提高仪表效率的策略。

The market for smart utility meters is growing at a rapid pace. A recent report by ABI Research predicts there will be an installed base of 1.34 billion meters by 2023*. IHS Markit forecasts almost 50 million smart water meters will ship globally in 2023, a number which is roughly four times its size in 2017. Year over year, the number of new meter shipments for water, gas, heat and electricity is increasing at a rate of four to five percent according to IHS. Globally, the proportion of smart meters will soon exceed half of all meters shipped annually. The largest utility adopters of Internet of Things (IoT) technology for smart metering devices are electricity (64 percent), followed by gas (38 percent) and then water (26 percent). Behind these strong growth numbers, the adoption of smarter technologies for metering is predicted to continue for the foreseeable future.

The Czech Republic in Central Europe has 10.6 million inhabitants over an area of 78,866 square kilometers (30,450 sq. miles). Since the 1970s, Czech Radiocommunications (CRA), based in Prague, has been the sole provider of broadcasting television and radio to citizens nationwide.

今年十一月，Semtech 将在巴黎再次参展欧洲公用事业周。这是世界上最重要的年度智能公用事业和计量大会，去年在维也纳举行并吸引了超过 12,000 名参观者。预计今年的出席人数将增加一半。作为此次巴黎大会的 800 多家参展公司之一，我们将展示 Semtech 用于创新公用事业计量应用的 LoRa® 器件和 LoRaWAN® 协议。在活动之前，我们将分三个部分介绍 LoRa 应用于公用事业的优势，本博客是第一部分。

I have just returned from Mobile World Congress (MWC), the most anticipated mobile industry event of the year with 109,000 visitors from 198 countries, and I’m in awe of the pace of innovation in the Internet of Things (IoT) market, as well as the speed at which technologies are rapidly evolving to market-ready solutions. This observation could not be more true for Semtech’s LoRa® devices and wireless radio frequency technology (LoRa Technology).

Water is one of the more expensive items on the utility bill – costing Americans on average  $15-$77 per month. From the dishwasher and washing machine, to toilets and the shower, water use is unavoidable. At the same time, consumers all around the globe are aware of the need to conserve water in order to minimize environmental impact, prevent drought and create a more sustainable planet.  A recent report from ABI Research indicates IoT smart city technologies could drive more than $20 trillion in economic benefits by 2026.

For businesses, water can often be one of the most expensive utilities. Additionally, it can be hard to keep track of just how much is being used in order to prepare for the costs. For big corporations, concerns are much larger than whether or not a sink has been left running. Supermarkets, for example use millions of gallons per year in refrigerated display cases, frozen food cases and storage freezers. If a leak occurs, or proper efforts are not taken to assure systems are running efficiently, water waste becomes a very serious and costly issue quickly.