TNB smartgrid to reduce electricity bills

Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) smart grid technology, currently in its pilot project stage, is set to help consumers further reduce their electricity bills.
“We hope to install the smart meters in each of the 8.5 million household customers within 10 years,” said its president and chief executive officer Azman Mohd.
The smart grid is an electricity network utilising digital technology and connects suppliers, distributors and consumers.
“It will help consumers monitor their energy consumption,” he said after Education Minister II Idris Jusoh launched the “TNB Better Brighter Internship Programme” and “Uniten Smart Grid Laboratory” here today.
Elaborating on the technology, he said: “With a smart meter in your home, you can set the washing machine to run during non-peak hours.
“This will give more control of the energy bill and help prevent blackouts at peak hours.”
TNB embarked on the RM2 million pilot project two years ago to promote efficient energy production and usage.
The pilot project involved the replacement of 1,000 old analogue meters with smart meters, with 200 installed in Putrajaya households and the remaining 800 in Malacca, and the findings are expected to be revealed by year-end.
Azman said Universiti Tenaga Nasional’s (Uniten) Smart Grid Laboratory allows students and researchers to carry out real applications related to Smart Grid technologies.
“For now this laboratory is meant for teaching purposes, and it is one of a kind in Malaysia.
“We hope it will become a centre of excellence in smart grid technology,” he said.