SMDA Newsletter – September Quarterly Update

Dear All,

This is the quarterly newsletter providing Parties with the latest developments from the SMDA Scheme.

Developments

SMDA Review Progress Update

Tranche One of the SMDA Review, which was commissioned by the SEC Panel to identify the value of the Scheme and whether Parties believed that it should change, has been completed.

As directed by SEC Panel, Tranche One focused on Parties that contribute most to the fixed overheads of the Scheme and therefore nine Suppliers were interviewed including two Small Suppliers.

Overall, the results showed that Suppliers saw value in the Scheme, though improvements can be made. Based on this feedback and input from Ofgem and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) in support of an assurance scheme, the SEC Panel has agreed to move to Tranche Two.

Tranche Two will seek input from all SEC Parties, to identify improvements to the Scheme. The SEC Panel Chair, Angela Love and SMDA Sub-Committee Chair (SMDASC), Carmen Strickland, supported the development of objectives for this next phase of work:

1. Clarify the current regulatory obligations (Licence Conditions and SEC) on  Parties in relation to providing evidence of interoperability and interchangeability of Smart Metering Devices against Government expectations.
2. Identify and document the requirements for SMDA services that meet the current and future regulatory obligations, Government expectations and industry requirements.
3. Create the documentation required to support the competitive re-procurement of SMDA testing services identifying and addressing any barriers preventing parties from bidding.

These objectives and supporting Project Brief are due to be approved at the October SMDA Sub-Committee and Panel meetings, with work commencing immediately thereafter. An update on the results of Tranche Two is expected to be presented at the November 2023 SEC Panel meeting.

June 2023 SEC Release

The Scheme Operator has determined that no changes to the SMDA test specification or scripts are required to align with the June 2023 SEC Release.

For the latest testing Baseline please refer to the SMDA November 2022 SEC Release Baseline available on the SMDA website here.

Current activities

GBCS v4.1 in SMDA testing

Other SEC Party Manufacturers should note that the SMDA November 2021 SEC Release Baseline supports Great Britain Companion Specification (GBCS) v4.1 Communications Hubs.

The aim of the Scheme is to test each baseline against the prevalent hardware and firmware combinations available to industry at the time. This includes the SMDA November 2020 SEC Release Baseline that uses GBCS v4.0.

Both of these Baselines are available to Manufacturers to test against, either by submitting a new device, or using the exemption process to uplift a device that has already undergone testing.

For more information on device testing please contact SMDASO@gemserv.com

DDC Communication Hubs Testing

Data Communication Company (DCC) has submitted a new round of Communication Hubs, consisting of GBCS versions 3.2 and 4.1, for independent SMDA testing prior to Pre-User Integration Testing. The aim of this testing is to identify issues sooner so they can be resolved prior to industry testing.

SMDA Sub-Committee

The SMDA Sub-Committee are pleased to welcome Letitia Maidment (OVO) and Joey Manners (Octopus Energy) who have both joined as Large Supplier representatives.

There is currently one vacancy for an Other SEC Party Display Manufacturer and two Small Supplier vacancies available. To find out more about these roles please contact SMDASO@gemserv.com.

An election for half of the roles on the SMDA Sub-Committee will start in December 2023. Further information will be circulated closer to the time to request nominations.

The current SMDASC representation includes:

SMDA Communication Hub Uplift

The Communication Hubs used within SMDA testing has been uplifted following agreement from the SMDA Sub-Committee. The table below shows the updates:

Future

November 2023 SEC Release

The November 2023 SEC Release modifications have been reviewed by the Scheme Operator and will be raised at the October 2023 SMDA Sub-Committee meeting.

If you wish to submit any feedback or questions, please contact the SMDASO@gemserv.com. This can include testing issues that manufacturers would like to raise for discussion.

This newsletter will also be published on the SMDA website here.

Best Wishes

Anik Abdullah, Head of SMDA Scheme