Energimåling

Energimåling, or energy metering, is the process of measuring energy use in a system, most commonly electrical energy. It quantifies the amount of energy consumed or produced over a period, typically reported in kilowatt-hours (kWh). It distinguishes between energy (the total consumption) and power (the instantaneous rate of energy use, measured in kilowatts).

Devices range from traditional electromechanical meters to electronic meters and smart meters. Revenue-grade meters provide precise active energy measurement for billing. Modern devices can measure voltage, current, frequency, power factor, and reactive energy, and may perform on-device calculations for real-time monitoring. For high currents or complex installations, current transformers (CTs) or voltage transformers (VTs) are used to scale signals to meter inputs. Submetering allocates energy use within buildings or processes.

Applications include billing, demand management, grid operation, and energy efficiency programs. Smart meters enable two-way communication for remote reading, dynamic tariffs, and demand-response participation. Data analytics support building management, anomaly detection, and the identification of energy waste.

Standards and accuracy: Metrology standards define accuracy classes and calibration procedures. International and regional standards (for example IEC and EN families) specify metering accuracy, waveform requirements, and security. Billing accuracy relies on revenue-grade meters with defined uncertainty limits and regular verification.

Trends: The energy metering sector is moving toward enhanced digital telemetry, integration with smart grids, IoT, and advanced data analytics. Privacy and cybersecurity considerations accompany the increased data flow.