The area comprising Smartcity Malaga covers 4 km2 involving some 11,000 domestic and 1,200 industrial and service customers. A consortium of 11 companies spearheaded by Endesa is rolling out state-of-the-art technologies in smart metering, communications and systems, network automation, generation and storage, and smart recharging infrastructure for e-vehicles.

The zone has around 11MW of renewable generation capacity, which includes numerous roof-mounted photovoltaic installations spread throughout the city, a cogeneration facility, vertical-axis wind turbines and generation systems integrated in street lighting.

The main objectives of the project

• Automated meter readings. Endesa will install its new smart meters, allowing for more accurate billing and an end to estimates, thus resulting in more transparent bills. Readings will be carried out in real-time and customers will be offered an improved service, they will be able to manage consumption better and consult their bills online; grid disconnections will be reported immediately and breakdowns managed more efficiently.
• Consumers will change their habits as they can consult their consumption, rates and the environmental impact online.
• Customer awareness will be raised.
• PLC communications; consumption management, batteries and loads will be managed correctly to ensure optimal use of the power grid.
• Energy efficiency in public and private buildings. Possible energy management in hospitals.
• Efficient management of public lighting which is important so that city councils can reduce consumption. Installation of noise sensors, environmental pollution sensors, surveillance cameras, communications services, presence sensors etc…
• Battery management and the installation of storage capacity in generators.
• Automated maoeuvres to install remotely controlled meters on the MV and LV network. The disconnection time during breakdowns will be reduced as will the number of customer complaints. Grid usage will be optimised.
• Alternative power producers will be installed, managed and controlled (photovoltaic, micro wind, trigeneration, biogas, hydrogen cells, CHP….)
• It will be possible to draw up consumption patterns to help improve planning and the use of alternative energies.
• The smart grid will help manage excess output of certain producers.
• Important objective: cut CO2 emissions.
• Changing the load curve by lowering consumption peaks and flattening the demand curve.
• This will help the company meet European guidelines for the energy sector which promote efficiency, the use of renewable energies and advanced grids with storage capacity.