Dear SMDA members,

Please be advised that the SMDA website will be updated on Thursday 15th December 2020. The updates will be made to the following browsers:

• Google Chrome;
• Microsoft Edge; and
• Firefox.

Please note that using Internet Explorer 11.0 may result in a loss of functionality as Microsoft are phasing its use out for its preferred browser Microsoft Edge. As such use of Internet Explorer 11.0 for the SMDA website will not support the updates being made on Thursday 15th December 2020, therefore we advise that you use one of the alternative browsers listed above from that date onwards.

Kind regards,

SMDA Scheme Operator

Dear SMDA Members,

We hope you are staying safe and well.

Variant Device testing is a key part of Scheme development and commitment to align with industry. 5 Terminal testing has been available since October and the Scheme is pleased to announce that Polyphase and Twin Element device testing is now available!

We would encourage members to contact the Test House via email (smda@nmi.nl) to submit Variant Devices for testing.

Please contact smdaso@gemserv.com if you have any questions on the information provided in this update.

Best Wishes

Kunal Sharma, Head of SMDA Scheme

Dear SMDA Members,

We hope you are staying safe and well.

The SMDA scheme is still open and we remain committed to providing a high-quality service to all our members.

First GSME on the DAR

SMDA is pleased to announce that on the 12^th August the first GSME device was awarded Partial Assurance and added to the Device Assurance Register (DAR). Subsequently, the Scheme now has a total of three PPMIDs, one GSME and seven ESME devices registered on the DAR covering both new devices and those upgraded as part of the exemption process.

Full Functionality in the North

Credit and Pre-Payment testing in now available in the North Region. As a result, Full Functionality is now available in both the Central and South and North Regions.

This completes SMDA enabling Partial Assurance within all regions and the Scheme will now be focusing on issuing Full Assurance, whereby assurance is issued with no tolerances.

We would therefore like to encourage manufacturers to submit devices for testing. Please contact the Test House on smda@nmi.nl to request a quote.

5 Terminal Device Testing

As part of the Schemes commitment to ensure that testing is aligned with the industry, the Scheme has been working towards providing testing for Variant Devices. As part of this, 5 terminal devices can now be submitted for testing and we would encourage members to contact the Test House via email (smda@nmi.nl) to submit their 5 terminal devices for testing.

Testing Fees

Now that Full Functionality is available for Central and South and North Regions, as well as Release 1, 2 and November 19 Release testing, we have updated the testing fees in SMDA Assurance Fees document available here.

Membership Applications

Following the SMDA Board Meeting on 21st September 2020, the SMDA Board has decided that until the ongoing discussions around the funding of SMDA are concluded, SMDA will no longer be accepting any new members to the Scheme at this time. A conclusion to those discussions is expected within the next few months and whilst SMDA welcomes new applications, they will only be considered at that point. Please contact smdaso@gemserv.com if you have any questions.

SMDA SEC Refinement Consultation

In response to the recommendation made in BEIS’ independent review of device interoperability on change, namely that “Energy Suppliers and the SMDA Board review the SMDA funding model to ensure SMDA can provide long-term test assurance”, a refinement consultation has been released under SEC Draft Proposal DP111 ‘SMDA Budget Amendments’, which can be found  on the SEC website here.

Members are encouraged to respond to the consultation by submitting their responses by email to sec.change@gemserv.com by 5pm Friday 2nd October 2020 with the subject line ‘DP111 SEC/SMDA Refinement Consultation response’. It’s vital that responses are submitted so that the views of SMDA members can be fully considered when determining the Scheme’s future funding model.

Please contact smdaso@gemserv.com if you have any questions on the information provided in this update.

Best Wishes

Kunal Sharma, Head of SMDA Scheme

Dear SMDA Members,

In response to the recommendation made in BEIS’ independent review of device interoperability on change, namely that “Energy Suppliers and the SMDA Board review the SMDA funding model to ensure SMDA can provide long-term test assurance”, a refinement consultation has been released under SEC Draft Proposal DP111 ‘SMDA Budget Amendments’, which can be found on the SMDA website here as well on the SEC website here.

The consultation outlines the approach for the SMDA Board to become a SEC Panel Sub-Committee and the SMDA Management Panel (SMDA MP) to become a sub-group of the SMDA Sub-Committee (SMDA SC). The fixed costs of running the SMDA Scheme would then be funded via the SEC budget under the Smart Energy Code Company (SECCo). The SEC Panel would oversee the SMDA SC which would oversee the contract between SECCo and the Test House.

Members are encouraged to respond to the consultation by submitting their responses by email to sec.change@gemserv.com by 5pm Friday 2^nd October 2020 with the subject line ‘DP111 SEC/SMDA Refinement Consultation response’. It’s vital that we receive your responses so that the views of SMDA members can be fully considered when determining the Scheme’s future funding model.

If you have any questions please contact us at smdaso@gemserv.com.

Kind regards,

Scheme Operator

Dear SMDA Members,

We hope you are staying safe and well.

The SMDA scheme remains open and committed to providing a high quality service to all our members.

A year in the life of SMDA

It’s been one year since the first SMDA Partial Assurance (PA) Certificates, covering Credit functionality within the Central and South regions, were awarded to two Release 1 PPMIDs. Since then, the Scheme has continued to push forward and adapt to meet industry needs, with numerous changes being introduced and various milestones achieved. This special newsletter will celebrate each of the Scheme’s achievements and outline the Scheme’s future goals.

ESMEs on the DAR

Shortly after PA was awarded to PPMID devices, the Scheme awarded assurance to its first ESME device. Subsequently, the Scheme now has a total of three PPMIDs and seven ESME devices registered on the Device Assurance Register (DAR), covering both new devices and those upgraded as part of the exemption process.

Pre-payment in Central and South Regions

In November 2019, SMDA announced that Pre-payment testing was now available in the Central and South regions, allowing for full functionality testing in these areas. The Scheme continues to push towards Full Assurance (FA) across all areas of Great Britain, and this was a welcome step towards achieving this.

Tolerated Issues

A key part of being able to offer PA testing was the introduction of the Tolerated Issues process. This allows devices to gain assurance, despite not necessarily being able to pass the full suite of SMDA tests. An example of this would be where test failures are being caused by issues that sit outside of the manufacturer’s control to resolve, for example as a result of ambiguities in the industry specifications. The Tolerated Issues process is controlled through the Management Panel, and all tolerated issues are listed in the document “SMDA-246 SMDA Tolerated Issues for Partial Assurance in the Central and South Regions v1.4” available on our website here. Tolerated issues are classed as either common or device specific and are approved based on their risk to the industry and the manufacturer’s scope to resolve the issue.

Where a device has passed with a tolerated issue, a rectification plan is developed, which outlines any steps the manufacturer needs to take to resolve this issue. The plans are reviewed every six months and could result in SMDA assurance being revoked if insufficient progress is being made towards rectifying an issue.

Release 2 and November 19 Release Testing

In a further extension to testing coverage, the Scheme also completed the upgrade of its testing infrastructure this year to enable Release 2 and November 19 device testing in the Central and South regions on Single Band Comms Hubs.

Devices are already being tested against both baselines and we would therefore encourage manufacturers looking for assurance on these device types to submit their devices for testing. Please contact the Test House on smda@nmi.nl if you’d like to discuss this option for your device.

DCC Proof of Concept

Based on industry feedback and the recommendations made in the BEIS’ Interoperability on Change report, the Scheme and DCC have worked together to develop a Proof of Concept Pilot Programme for Comms Hub testing. The testing was successfully completed and the results shared with DCC. Next steps involve reviewing the effectiveness of the testing to determine the benefit of introducing this type of testing into the DCC’s Comms Hub testing process. BEIS continue to take an active interest in this work and we are working closely with them to ensure the recommendations in their report can be achieved.

Looking forward

The Scheme intends to keep building on its positive year by continuing to invest and develop its testing capabilities. Work is currently underway to upgrade our Comms Hubs to be able to test in the Northern region, and we are also developing new tests to cover Variant Devices including polyphase, twin element and five terminal meters. Furthermore, we are reviewing the impact to the Scheme of the changes being introduced in the November 20 Release.

The Scheme is also expecting the first GSME device to be added to the DAR shortly, which will be an exciting accomplishment for the Scheme.

Finally, work continues to review the SMDA funding model. A consultation was undertaken in May, with the vast majority of respondents favouring the option for SMDA costs to be covered under the Smart Energy Code (SEC). We are working closely with SEC to implement this, with a view to securing the longevity of SMDA into the future.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our members for their continued support of the Scheme and look forward to working with you closely over the coming months to help keep SMDA moving forward.

Please contact smdaso@gemserv.com if you have any questions on the information provided in this update.

Best Wishes

Louise Singleton, Head of SMDA Scheme

In response to the recommendation made in BEIS’ independent review of device interoperability on change, namely that “Energy Suppliers and the SMDA Board review the SMDA funding model to ensure SMDA can provide long-term test assurance”, the SMDA Board and the Smart Energy Code (SEC) developed a joint consultation consisting of two parts; the first being to understand the Scheme’s value within the industry and which funding model the industry prefers, and the second part which focused on the current preferred approach, that of the SMDA Scheme being funded through the SEC.

The consultation ran from 25^th April until 22^nd May 2020 and in total 25 responses were received which are available here.

Overall a majority of participants believed that the Scheme offered value to the industry by providing interchangeability and interoperability device testing and the feedback provided supported the Scheme’s preferred funding model. When looking at the SEC Funding option in more detail, respondents supported the view that SMDA fixed costs should be covered by the SEC, while variable costs should not. Respondents also agreed that SEC should be involved in the governance of the SMDA Scheme if involved in the funding.

If you have any questions please contact us at smdaso@gemserv.com.

Kind regards,

Louise Singleton | Head of SMDA Scheme

We hope you are staying safe during this uncertain time.

One thing that we can confirm is that the SMDA scheme is still open and we remain committed to providing a high quality service to all our members.

Covid-19 Test House Update

The SMDA Test Lab is still able to conduct testing, with the majority of tests now being run remotely. While the Lab space is officially closed, emergency or urgent work can be conducted on site, which means that full testing can still continue with a slight impact on the expected delivery dates. Additionally, the Test House remains open to answer any enquiries relating to device testing at smda@nmi.nl.

Our Management Panel and Board meetings are also continuing, albeit in a virtual capacity. This means that important decisions regarding the Scheme’s technical and strategic direction can still be made. For further information on this, and any other Scheme aspects, please contact the Scheme Operator at smdaso@gemserv.com.

Joint SEC/SMDA Funding Model Consultation – Responses Required!

In the BEIS’ independent review into interoperability on change released in October 2019, it was recommended that the SMDA funding model be reviewed to ensure the Scheme’s long term viability. Having reviewed various options, the Scheme submitted a proposal for a modification within the Smart Energy Code (SEC) in January, to enable elements of the Scheme to be funded through the SEC. The proposal was subsequently discussed at the SEC Panel meeting in March, where it was agreed that a joint consultation between SMDA and SEC would be circulated to gather feedback from SMDA members and SEC Parties on the possible funding options and proposed approach.

The consultation questions consist of two parts, the first being to understand the Scheme’s value within the industry and which funding model the industry prefers. The second part then focuses more on the SEC funding option, with questions regarding how that option could work. For example, it is proposed that the fixed costs of the SMDA Scheme would be funded through the SEC, while the variable costs would continue to be funded by manufacturers submitting devices into the Scheme for testing. As not all the Device Manufacturers are SEC Parties, this would ensure the cost of the Scheme continues to be split across all SMDA member groups, as it has been to date.

It is extremely important that we hear from all industry participants, including SMDA Members, about their views on this proposal. The consultation can be downloaded here, and members are requested to respond to the consultation by submitting their responses by email to smdaso@gemserv.com by 5pm Friday 22nd May 2020 with the subject line ‘DP111 SEC/SMDA Consultation response’.

Release 2 Upgrade is Complete!

Since our last update, work has been undertaken to upgrade the testing infrastructure, specifications and scripts to align with the changes introduced by Release 2. This is now complete and we are pleased to announce that Release 2 devices can now be tested by the Scheme against the updated baseline. To submit your device for testing please contact the Test House at smda@nmi.nl.

Upcoming Release Changes

Feedback from the SMDA Technical Sub-Committee on the implementation of the November 19 Release into the Scheme has been collected and will presented to the Management Panel on the 6^th May 2020 for approval. Once agreed, work can begin on getting these changes implemented so that November 19 functionality can also be tested.

The Scheme is also reviewing future industry changes as set out in the Joint Industry Plan (JIP), including those changes detailed in the June 20 and November 20 Releases. This will allow us to understand the impact these changes will have on the Scheme infrastructure, and enable the Scheme to begin taking steps to including this functionality in our testing as well.

Variant Devices

SMDA continues to progress with including Variant devices such as five terminal, polyphase and twin element devices into the Scheme’s testing and specifications. Based on feedback from the industry, testing five terminal devices will be the Scheme’s first priority, followed by polyphase and twin element. If you have any further information on the development of these devices within your own organisation that you would like to share with us, please contact us at smdaso@gemserv.com.

Scheme’s Communication Hubs Upgrade

Following discussions at the Management Panel, it has been agreed that the Toshiba Comms Hub currently being used in our Testing Baseline should be upgraded from the current 11.30 version, to the 12.29 version. The Scheme is also discussing which version of the Arqiva Comms Hub to upgrade to, with the aim of extending the Scheme’s testing to cover credit functionality in the Northern Region. A further upgrade would then be required to achieve Pre-payment testing in the North.

Communication Hubs Confidence Testing

Over the past few months, discussions have been held with the DCC regarding SMDA undertaking independent testing of Comms Hubs as part of the DCC’s own testing programme. It has now been agreed that a Proof of Concept will be completed on one Comms Hub, to review the effectiveness of the approach. If this is successful, there is the possibility of including SMDA testing for all new Comms Hub releases. This testing would occur at the end of the DCC SIT process, and at the start of the UIT process. The benefit of this is that SMDA will be able to run tests in one place, rather than multiple Suppliers running the same tests individually, thereby saving time and costs for Suppliers, and hopefully allowing any issues to be identified earlier in the process.

Meetings Overview

Meetings held in the last quarter

• The SMDA Management Panel Technical Sub-Committee meeting was held on the 19th February 2020 – Meeting minutes available here
• The SMDA Management Panel 17 was held on 25th February 2020 – Meeting minutes available here
• The SMDA Management Panel 18 Follow Up Teleconference was held on 10th March 2020 – Meeting minutes available here
• The SMDA Board Follow Up Teleconference was held on 24th February 2020
• The SMDA Board meeting was held on 16th March 2020

Meetings attended in the last quarter

• The Scheme Operator (SO) presented at the EUA Joint Metering Services and Metering Technology Members meeting on the 18^th February 2020
• Members of the SMDA Board presented at the SEC Panel meeting on 13^th March 2020
• The SO attended the SEC Panel meeting on 17^th April 2020
• The SO presented at the Smart DCC Monthly Update meeting on 22^nd April
• The SO presented at the SEC Small Supplier Engagement Session on 23^rd April

Forthcoming meetings

• The next SMDA Management Panel 19 meeting will be held on the 6th May 2020
• The next SMDA Board meeting is scheduled for the 25th May 2020

Please contact smdaso@gemserv.com if you have any questions on the information provided in this update.

Best Wishes

Louise Singleton, Head of SMDA Scheme

In response to the recommendation made in BEIS’ independent review of device interoperability on change, namely that “Energy Suppliers and the SMDA Board review the SMDA funding model to ensure SMDA can provide long-term test assurance”, the SMDA Board has been working with the Smart Energy Code (SEC) to develop a joint consultation relating to the issues raised under SEC Draft Proposal DP111 ‘SMDA Budget Amendments’, which can be found here.

The consultation questions consist of two parts, the first being to understand the Scheme’s value within the industry and which funding model the industry prefers. The second part then focuses on the current preferred approach, that of the fixed costs of the SMDA Scheme being funded through the SEC. It is important to note that should responses to the first part of the consultation indicate that a different funding model is preferred by the industry, this will be given full consideration by the SMDA Board and the direction of travel may change, however based on an evaluation of the proposed options undertaken to date, the SEC model is currently the preferred method.

Under the proposal, the variable costs of the scheme would continue to be funded by manufacturers submitting devices into the SMDA Scheme for testing. As not all the Device Manufacturers are SEC Parties, this would ensure the cost of the Scheme continues to be split across all SMDA member groups, as it has been to date.

Members are requested to respond to the consultation by submitting their responses by email to smdaso@gemserv.com by 5pm Friday 22^nd May 2020 with the subject line ‘DP111 SEC/SMDA Consultation response’. It’s vital that we receive your response so that the views of SMDA members can be fully considered when determining the next steps for the Scheme’s funding model.

If you have any questions please contact us at smdaso@gemserv.com.

Kind regards,

Louise Singleton | Head of SMDA Scheme

Happy New Year SMDA members!

Pre-Payment testing now available for Central and South Regions

Pre-Payment functionality is available!

Having received feedback that the industry was ready for Pre-Payment testing, SMDA introduced Pre-Payment testing within the Central and South regions in November 2019.

Pre-Payment testing can be included as part of new device submissions, or as part of the Exemption Process for those devices who have achieved Partial Assurance or are already in testing.

For additional information on submitting a device for Pre-Payment testing please contact smda@nmi.nl.

Release 2 and November 19 Release

SMDA is in the process of upgrading the current testing platform to allow Release 2 and November 19 Release devices to be tested. Work continues with the Test House to update the test specifications and scripts to enable this functionality.

In the meantime, Release 2 and November 19 Release devices can still be tested against the current Release 1 baseline, provided they are able to communicate using GBCS 1.1. The benefit of doing this is that the device can gain Partial Assurance against the new Release 2 and November 19 Release baselines quicker, as the common functionality with Release 1 will have already been tested, and then the additional functionality can be tested using the exemption process once testing for Release 2 / November 19 Release functionality is available.

Please contact the Test House on smda@nmi.nl if you’d like to discuss this option for your device.

Management Panel Representative Nominations

A member of the SMDA Management Panel has had to resign as a Supplier Representative due to taking a new role at a different company. Therefore, the Scheme is looking for a new Supplier representative who has a technical understanding of the metering testing process to attend meetings every two months, contribute to technical discussions and relay information to their representative groups. Occasionally the representative may also be assigned actions to complete before the next meeting.

This is a great opportunity for someone with an interest in developing a wider appreciation of the smart meter industry and growing their network across different stakeholders to be involved in shaping a key industry scheme that offers confidence to industry members and consumers that smart meter devices will operate successfully in the field.

If you, or one of your colleagues, is interested in submitting a nomination, please submit the nominee’s name, company position and a short paragraph expressing why the nominee is interested in becoming a Management Panel member and their industry background/ experience to smdaso@gemserv.com.

New ESME Device on the DAR

A new ESME device was added onto the Device Assurance Register (DAR) in December 2019.

This follows a steady stream of devices being awarded assurance, providing confidence in the process and we look forward to assuring more devices in the future.

To register your device for testing, please contact the Test House via smda@nmi.nl to request a quote and start the process.

The testing fees are split into three portions:

• 50% upfront when the device is submitted to the Lab
• 25% upon issuance of your Partial Assurance certificate
• 25% upon issuance of your Full Assurance certificate.

We are also happy to report that we have extended the assurance of a PPMID device for another six months. Following a review of their rectification plan, the Scheme Operator is satisfied that the Manufacturer has provided sufficient evidence that they have been trying to resolve their device’s tolerated issues.

 BEIS Interoperability on Change Review

 The BEIS Interoperability on Change Review was issued in October 2019. The report consisted of three recommendations for the Scheme, two of which were to review the SMDA Funding Model and for the Scheme and DCC to discuss a plan for Communication Hub (CH) testing via the Scheme.

Funding Model

The SMDA Board has reviewed various options for modifying the funding model and out of the proposed options, making a change to the Smart Energy Code (SEC) was the preferred option. As a result, a Draft Proposal for a Modification to the SEC was submitted on 17^th January 2020 and is available on the SEC website. If approved by the Change Sub-Committee, it will pass to the SEC Panel for consideration.

Communication Hubs

Representatives from the DCC and the Scheme have met to discuss Comms Hub testing. In response to issues with new Comms Hub firmware versions not being suitable for deployment, the Scheme has proposed undertaking confidence testing of new Comms Hub releases between the DCC’s System Integration Testing (SIT) and User Integration Testing (UIT) steps.

The most recent meeting was on 16^th January 2020, where technical representatives met to conduct a high level overview of the proposed testing. The Scheme looks forward to developing this opportunity with the DCC.

Forthcoming Meetings

• The SMDA Management Panel 16 was held on 3^rd December 2019
• A teleconference for the SMDA Board was held on 12^th December 2019

• The SMDA Board meeting was held on 13^th January 2020

• SMDA/DCC Communication Hub Technical Overview meeting was held on 16^th January 2020

Please contact smdaso@gemserv.com if you have any questions on the information provided in this update.

Best Wishes

Louise Singleton, Head of SMDA Scheme