Siemens Smart Infrastructure has collaborated with CPFL Energia, one of Brazil’s largest energy distributors, to modernise the country’s electricity sector with a smart metering project.
The initiative, one of the most ambitious in Brazil to date, includes the replacement of 1.6 million conventional electricity meters with smart meters in São Paulo by 2029.
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CPFL Energia serves 10.7 million customers across 687 municipalities. The new technology is expected to enhance electricity usage quality, transparency and efficiency.
Key advantages include better management of power supply disruptions and the ability of consumers to track their consumption, which encourages cost-saving and environmentally conscious energy use.
CPFL Energia engineering director Evaldo Baldin stated: “In partnership with Siemens, our goal is to proactively meet future regulatory demands and optimise the power grid to support the energy transition.
“The implementation of smart meters will bring a new, more transparent, connected and higher-quality consumer experience. By digitalising the grid, we will be able to optimise processes and improve efficiency and operational management.”
The smart metering project will utilise Siemens’ Gridscale X Meter Data Management system to guarantee a reliable power supply for 400,000 consumers annually.
The system can handle large volumes of data to deliver essential insights into energy consumption patterns.
It also ensures accurate billing through automatic validation and data quality, allowing for tailored rate plans and proactive energy usage stabilisation.
The system enhances loss detection, device management and seamless integration with utilities’ operations.
It is designed to integrate with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other applications, using machine learning to facilitate fraud identification and cost optimisation and minimise service interruptions.
Siemens Grid Software CEO Sabine Erlinghagen stated: “Digitalisation is vital to creating a sustainable and resilient energy future. Using Siemens’ technology, CPFL Energia will be able to improve its operational efficiency, as well as offer economic benefits and a reliable energy supply to household consumers.
“The implementation of smart meters not only improves grid management, but also significantly contributes to reducing carbon emissions.”
In September 2024, Siemens acquired Trayer Engineering, a US-based company specialising in medium voltage secondary distribution switchgear, to grow its grid modernisation portfolio.
