What is the difference between smart meters and regular meters in supermarkets?What is the difference between smart meters and regular meters in supermarkets?

Smart meters and ordinary meters in supermarkets: core differences analyzed from four dimensions

In the daily operation of supermarkets, electricity meters, as the core equipment for electricity data statistics, directly affect cost control and operational efficiency. With the development of digital technology, smart meters are gradually replacing ordinary meters as the preferred choice for supermarkets. There are significant differences between the two in key performance and practical applications, especially in scenarios where supermarkets use high-frequency electricity and operate multiple devices. These differences have a more prominent impact on operational effectiveness.

From the perspective of measurement accuracy, ordinary electric meters often use mechanical structures or basic electronic components, and the measurement error is usually between ± 2% and ± 5%. Moreover, after long-term use, the error is prone to increase due to component wear and aging. The smart meter of Shangchao adopts high-precision sensing chips and digital metering algorithms, with an error controlled within ± 0.5%, which can accurately capture subtle electricity fluctuations of different devices and time periods. For example, the intermittent electricity consumption of refrigerators, lighting systems, and cash register equipment in supermarkets may be missed by ordinary electricity meters due to delayed response, while smart meters can record electricity consumption data in real time every 0.5 seconds, avoiding long-term accumulated measurement deviations and providing reliable basis for supermarkets to accurately calculate electricity costs.

In terms of data collection methods, the efficiency gap between the two is particularly evident. Ordinary electricity meters require regular manual on-site meter reading, which not only consumes labor costs, but also has problems such as long meter reading cycles (usually once a month) and data lag. If the meter reader records errors or misses readings, it can also lead to data distortion. And the smart meters in supermarkets support remote automatic collection, transmitting real-time electricity data to the management platform through IoT technology. Management personnel can view hourly or even minute data at any time. For example, during promotional activities, supermarkets can monitor the changes in electricity load caused by the increase in passenger flow in real time through smart meters, adjust the operation strategies of air conditioning and lighting in a timely manner, and avoid energy waste caused by data lag.

The difference in management efficiency is the core advantage of smart meters. The electricity consumption data of ordinary electric meters needs to be manually sorted and calculated. If there are many supermarkets and the distribution of electric meters is wide, the data summary often takes several days and statistical errors are prone to occur. Smart meters can automatically generate electricity consumption reports, supporting data splitting by store, device, and time period. Management personnel can easily obtain the peak and valley electricity consumption of each store, as well as the energy consumption of key equipment such as refrigerators and elevators, through the backend system. For example, a chain store supermarket found that the lighting energy consumption at night in some stores was abnormally high through smart meters. After timely troubleshooting, it adjusted the lighting switch time, saving more than 30000 yuan of electricity per month.

In terms of cost and energy consumption control, smart meters have brought more refined management methods to supermarkets. Ordinary electricity meters can only provide total electricity consumption data and cannot distinguish the energy consumption of different devices and regions, making it difficult for supermarkets to accurately locate energy-saving spaces. Smart meters can achieve "device by device, region by region" measurement, such as dividing supermarkets into fresh food area, food area, and cash register area, respectively calculating energy consumption in each area, or monitoring the electricity consumption of large refrigeration equipment separately. Through data analysis, Shangchao can take targeted energy-saving measures: if the energy consumption of the refrigerated cabinets in the fresh food area is too high, the sealing of the equipment can be checked or the set temperature can be adjusted in a timely manner; If the lighting in public areas still consumes electricity during non business hours, unnecessary power can be automatically cut off through the smart meter linkage switch system. In the long run, smart meters help supermarkets achieve "visual management" of energy consumption, typically reducing total electricity consumption by 8% to 15% and significantly reducing electricity bills.

In summary, compared to ordinary electric meters, smart meters not only solve the problems of low efficiency and poor accuracy of traditional metering methods in supermarkets, but also provide strong support for supermarkets to reduce costs and increase efficiency through data-driven and intelligent means. With the increasing demand for refined management in supermarket operations, smart meters have become an important tool for optimizing energy management and enhancing competitiveness.