Madrileña Red de Gas has updated its technological architecture in collaboration with Telefónica to ensure communications with its industrial meters and to prepare for future legislation requiring the automatic, remote and accurate reading of consumption data from its residential meter network.
Telefónica has integrated the ‘OpenGate’ monitoring platform from the company amplía))) into Madrileña Red de Gas so that the gas distributor can remotely extract and manage the large volumes of data from its meters and convert them into valuable information to inform better decision-making.
This platform goes beyond a traditional HES system (a communications link between smart meters and corporate systems), standing out for its flexibility, versatility and scalability. As well as supporting multiple manufacturers and protocols, the amplía))) platform utilises advanced analytics capabilities to manage the energy calculations required by today’s gas market.
The roll-out of this platform will enable Madrileña Red de Gas to collect and validate consumption reading data, monitor the status of its meters, manage the communications that enable data sharing, and activate safety functions (such as cutting off or disconnecting the gas supply) in the event of faults or anomalies in the infrastructure.
Pablo Cecilio Barroso, Head of IoT at Madrileña Red de Gas, says: “The roll-out of the OpenGate platform in partnership with Telefónica represents a significant step in the digital transformation of our infrastructure. This solution enables us to unify the remote management of meters from various manufacturers and protocols under a single architecture, automating processes and ensuring greater operational and process accuracy. As well as optimising the efficiency and security of our current network, it leaves us fully prepared to successfully tackle the future mass digitisation of the domestic meter fleet, offering a more transparent, efficient and sustainable service to our customers.”
María Muñoz, Director of Business Development for IoT, Data and AI at Telefónica Tech, states: “Our experience as a technology integrator across various sectors enables us to offer the best service to customers and support them in their digital transformation so that they can extract the full value from their data. In the utilities sector, we have built up expertise over many years in everything related to the digitalisation of the full water cycle, and we are convinced of the potential that this type of platform will have in the remote collection and management of gas consumption data to promote a service that is more accurate, more environmentally responsible and more resilient. With projects like this at Telefónica, we continue to make progress towards our goal of becoming the best gateway to digital technologies.”
Carlos Javier Prados Hijón, CTO at amplía))), adds: “OpenGate provides Madrileña Red de Gas with comprehensive and simplified management of its smart meters via a platform that is agnostic with regard to communication protocols and technologies, ensuring operational security, improving data quality through complex calculation and analysis algorithms, and enabling the seamless integration of field data with corporate systems (ERP). In this way, Madrileña Red de Gas is evolving from traditional management to a data-driven model, positioning it as a market leader thanks to its innovation in information management.”
Impact on end consumers
In addition to the improvements it brings to the gas distribution company in terms of efficiency and operations, the implementation of this gas consumption monitoring platform will also generate significant benefits for residential and commercial users.
For residential customers, it enables automatic and accurate meter readings, without the need for on-site visits by technicians, and ensures billing based on actual consumption, avoiding estimates and unexpected adjustments. Furthermore, it improves home safety through the early detection of leaks or abnormal consumption patterns, offers greater transparency regarding consumption by providing access to detailed historical data via apps and digital portals, and helps to improve energy efficiency by raising awareness of the impact of consumption habits.
For industrial and commercial users, advanced and continuous monitoring of gas consumption optimises processes and reduces operating costs. The platform is designed to integrate with other systems in order to anticipate consumption peaks and improve the balancing of energy accounts, and can trigger alerts in the event of any irregularities to enable predictive maintenance, thereby minimising downtime, risks to critical facilities and losses.
Furthermore, the centralisation of data and multi-site comparative analytics facilitate management in organisations with multiple sites, factories or retail outlets, and help ensure compliance with current regulations, thanks to the historical data records required by the gas system’s technical operator.
