The Portuguese energy landscape has been transformed by the completion of the deployment of 6.6 million smart meters by E-REDES. Conducted as part of the pioneering Évora Inovcity project, this initiative, which began in 2016, represents an impressive logistical operation, injecting 330 million euros into the modernization of the electricity grid. A tangible result of the energy transition, smart meters bring increased intelligence to energy management, facilitating the development of electric mobility, the integration of renewable energies, as well as individual and collective energy consumption. This modernization continues with updates to the infrastructure, including the transformation of overhead networks into underground ones and the installation of smart grid technologies, thereby enhancing the quality of service provided.
The deployment of smart meters by E-REDES in Portugal
E-REDES, the distribution network manager in Portugal, has recently completed a titanic logistical operation by finishing the installation of 6.6 million smart meters on the Portuguese mainland. This project, initiated in 2016, took place over a period of eight years and required a colossal investment of 330 million euros. This deployment, which was rooted in the Évora Inovcity project, a smart city initiative, saw E-REDES achieve an installation rate of 25,000 meters per week in its final phases.
Impacts and benefits of smart meters
The realization of this project marks a significant step in the modernization of energy infrastructures in Portugal. Smart meters have the capacity to significantly improve electricity management for consumers, providing accurate and real-time consumption readings. Furthermore, they are essential for facilitating the integration of renewable energies and promoting electric mobility. Currently, the smart grid already supports 323 energy communities, approximately 6,500 charging points for electric vehicles, and more than 234,000 customers practicing self-consumption.
The future challenges of the energy transition
According to José Ferrari Careto, chairman of the Board of Directors of E-REDES, smart meters are an essential link in the energy transition. We cannot move forward without these connected devices that ensure better integration of renewable energies, increased support for self-consumption, and better management of energy communities. The deployment has also enabled the modernization of the grid in northern Portugal with the reinforcement of the medium voltage grid in Fafe, among other technological innovations.
