The 48th China Electric Instrument and Meter Industry Development Seminar was held in Hangzhou on April 9-10. On the first day of the seminar, State Grid Corporation of China, China Southern Power Grid, and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products made special reports on relevant work plans and the current situation. The following six topics related to electric meter and data collection/measurement terminal equipment manufacturers and related parts/component suppliers were discussed in these special reports:

1.  Transformation of old electric meters

The State Grid is accelerating the replacement of 2009 smart electric meters and the upgrade and transformation of local fee-controlled electric meters, ensuring that all smart electric meters in operation have remote parameter adjustment functions. As of the end of February 2024, the State Grid needs to transform 34.29 million units of 2009 smart electric meters.

2. Full application of DIN-rail meters and smart measurement switches

With the widespread application of new energy electric vehicles and the expansion of charging facilities, by using the existing data collection terminals, concentrators and new DIN-rail meter facilities, the operation data of charging piles can be fully collected to meet the needs of monitoring and data collection throughout the life cycle of charging piles.

The demand for smart DIN-rail meters and smart measurement switches will increase rapidly with the expansion of charging pile deployment.

3. Expanding the application scope of smart IoT electric meters

Expand the application of smart IoT electric meters, apply non-intrusive load identification, power quality monitoring and other modules, and promote their widespread use in photovoltaic, energy storage, industrial and commercial and other user scenarios, to support the monitoring of new energy access and orderly electricity use.

4. Complete the transformation and replacement of old data collection terminals

Accelerate the replacement of old data collection terminals with non-object-oriented protocols and keyless designs, comprehensively improve the functions and performance of various data collection terminals, fully apply new data collection terminals, and promote the on-site application of modularized special change terminals.

5. Carry out research on the metering technology of electric vehicle charging facilities, from integrated metering, gun-head metering, and DC dynamic metering, to try out gun-head DC energy meters, large-scale verification of charging piles, and miniaturization of verification equipment.

6. Achieve interconnection and information sharing in the industrial chain

Establish a component information sharing service platform to serve the sharing of component information between upstream and downstream enterprises. Solve the pain points and difficulties faced by enterprises in the industrial chain in component selection, supplier selection, new component R&D and new product promotion, reduce the review and marketing costs of enterprises, and support the full exchange of supply and demand information and the scale-up of the industrial chain.

The State Grid is greatly increasing the application level of domestic components, promoting the self-control of smart equipment in the electricity sector, and establishing a component information sharing platform, which will expand the selection range of equipment manufacturers in component selection and intensify the competition among component suppliers.

The total number of smart electric meters and data collection terminals tendered by the State Grid in the first quarter of 2024 is 44.179 million units. Adding DIN-rail electric meters, IoT electric meters and IP68 electric meters, the total reaches 45.2087 million units. Based on this trend, the State Grid's total procurement of various electric meters and terminals this year will exceed 80 million units.

The State Grid has further reduced the procurement prices of smart electric meters and data collection terminals by 5% on the basis of 2023, which is the third consecutive year of price reduction. This will further squeeze the profit margins of meter manufacturers, leading them to pass on the cost pressure to component suppliers. On the other hand, it also drives meter manufacturers to use more domestic components.

The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products reported on the import and export situation of electric instruments and meters. In 2023, China's electric meter exports continued to grow to a new high, with an export volume of 68.73 million units and an export value of $1.41 billion. The export destinations have gradually shifted from the traditional European and American markets to emerging markets, and electronic electric meters have become the main export products. Zhejiang Province remains the largest electric meter export base in China, exporting 32.969 million electric meters worth $615 million in 2023, followed by Guangdong Province, which exported 19.392 million electric meters worth $271 million. Generally speaking, meter manufacturers are still relatively cautious in the selection of materials for export of overseas electric meters, which is an area we need to strive for.

Note: The above is a summary of information provided by senior technical application personnel of the participating units after attending the conference. If customers wish to obtain further information about the conference, they can browse the organizer's website or "Contact Us" directly.