Metering: Load Profiles
What is a Load Profile?
A Load Profile is a special feature found in certain smart utility meters. Instead of only providing the current, real-time consumption value, a meter supporting load profiles continuously stores measurements in its internal memory at strictly defined intervals (usually every 15 minutes).
This historical data block can then be read by the Mervis RT controller in batches, ensuring no data points are lost even if communication is temporarily interrupted.
Use Cases and Legal Requirements
Reading load profiles is often a strict legal or regulatory requirement rather than just a convenience feature.
Most notably, retrieving 15-minute load profile data is legally required for operators of an LDS (Lokální distribuční soustava - Local Distribution System). It is used for precise billing, grid balancing, and demonstrating compliance to the primary distribution network operator.
Supported Protocols (DLMS & M-Bus)
Because load profiles require transmitting arrays of historical data equipped with precise timestamps rather than simple real-time registers, they require specific communication handling:
- M-Bus: Commonly used for utility meters. Note: While the general M-Bus standard has basic provisions for historical data, extracting true 15-minute load profiles almost always relies on proprietary, manufacturer-specific extensions and commands. Because of this, load profile extraction is not universally supported across all M-Bus meters.
- DLMS/COSEM: The primary standard for smart electricity metering. Important: Mervis currently supports DLMS in a *limited way*, and only in its TCP version.
Device Compatibility
Important Note: The ability to store and transmit load profiles is a highly specialized hardware feature. Not all DLMS or M-Bus meters on the market support internal historical storage. Due to the proprietary nature of how historical data is implemented by manufacturers, only a strictly defined subset of meters is officially tested and supported by Mervis RT.
Supported Meters
- EMU Professional II 3/100 M-Bus LP (The “LP” designation specifically indicates Load Profile support. This device features a certified 15-minute interval storage capable of retaining over 3 years of historical data).
- (List additional supported DLMS TCP or M-Bus meters here as they are officially verified)
Configuration in Mervis IDE
To configure the reading of a load profile in Mervis IDE, you must define the specific data array parameters on the communication channel.
(Placeholder: Add step-by-step IDE channel configuration or ST code snippet for parsing the array here)