On the Challenges and Opportunities of Smart Meters in Smart Homes and Smart Grids

Nowadays, electricity companies have started applying smart grid intheir systems rather than the conventional electrical grid (manualgrid). Smart grid produces an efficient and effective energy managementand control, reduces the cost of production, saves energy and it is morereliable compared to the conventional grid. As an advanced energy meter,smart meters can measure the power consumption as well as monitor andcontrol electrical devices. Smart meters have been adopted in manycountries since the 2000s as they provide economic, social andenvironmental benefits for multiple stakeholders. The design of smartmeter can be customized depending on the customer and the utilitycompany needs. There are different sensors and devices supported bydedicated communication infrastructure which can be utilized toimplement smart meters. This paper presents a study of the challengesassociated with smart meters, smart homes and smart grids as an effortto highlight opportunities for emerging research and industrialsolutions