The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) will roll out the country's first smart grid electricity project, worth 1 billion baht, in Pattaya by early 2018 in a move to embrace internet-connected devices to improve energy efficiency.
"The advantages of new advanced information and communication technology (ICT), particularly the Internet of Things (IoT), will help to improve the country's energy management and performance in areas of power generation, transmission and distribution," said Pongsakorn Yuthagovit, PEA's deputy director for system planning.
A smart grid is a network that utilises ICT in the management, production and distribution of electricity. It helps to ensure power resources are used in the most beneficial way and that services are provided for consumers with higher efficiency, sustainability and reliability.
Speaking at a seminar held by the US-based market research firm International Data Corporation yesterday, Mr Pongsakorn said the authority chose the smart grid pilot project in Pattaya because the tourism destination is a high-energy consumption city.
Mr Pongsakorn said the 1-billion-baht project will cover replacement of smart meters in 120,000 homes throughout the city, and construction of a data centre to process all forms of communication, especially big data.
This will allow the authority to understand consumer behaviour and collect behavioural data about their electricity usage.
Smart meters can access and record almost real-time information about consumers' energy consumption and can send data to the PEA's data centre, he said.
Mr Pongsakorn said smart meters could put consumers in control of their energy use, allowing them to adopt energy-efficiency measures that can help save money on their energy bills and offset price increases.
Consumers can access reports via the PEA's web portal and mobile app.
The PEA will also use data analytics to produce a forecast of energy demand, savings and prediction, enabling the authority to efficiently manage electricity generation.
He said the authority was drafting the terms of reference to select a potential smart meter supplier, expected to be concluded by August 2016.
"We expect the smart grid project will go live by early 2018, with a test result feedback two to three years after the roll-out," said Mr Pongsakorn.
"If the Pattaya smart grid project proves a success, we plan to introduce the system in other major cities such as Phuket and Chiang Mai," he said.
The PEA's smart grid project will be part of Thailand's smart grid master plan.
Charles Anderson, vice-president for mobility and Internet of Things at IDC Asia Pacific, said the IoT was gaining momentum among businesses in Asia Pacific, projecting a 20% growth in 2015.
The number of internet-connected devices in the region is expected to reach 4.4 billion this year.
Early adopters of the IoT in Thailand include retailers and industrial manufacturers as well as logistics companies, Mr Anderson said.
Globally, the number of IoT devices will reach 25 billion by the year-end, doubling to 50 billion by 2020.