Smart Metering Interoperability Issues and Solutions: Taking Inspiration from Other Ecosystems and Sectors

Interoperability in the context of smart electricity metering is high on the European policy agenda but its essence has been challenging to capture. In this paper, we look at experiences in other ecosystems (electromobility and buildings), other sectors (healthcare and public administration) and at the national level (the Netherlands and the UK). We show that the definition of interoperability depends on the context, that there are common solutions to different issues across sectors and that cross-sectoral factors must be increasingly considered. We recommend adopting a broader view in smart metering that goes beyond the interoperability of devices, considering solutions that have worked in other sectors and exploiting synergies across sectors. Our analysis of experiences provides a comparison that can help to move the debate at the EU level forward.