![]() In this sense, the total is greater than the sum of the parts. This article was written in order to raise the awareness of consumers to the privacy invasions that are associated with smart water meters that collect granular data.įurthermore, consumers need to be aware of how combining smart water meter interval data with the data collected from the smart electric meters amplifies the degree of privacy invasions. The confidence levels drop significantly as the interval length of the data extends to one hour and beyond. The results of the study showed high confidence in recognizing washer use and showering toilet flush recognitions was still good at the sample rate of 15 minutes at a sample rate of 1 hour, the algorithm was only about 50% accurate at identifying toilet flushes with the best algorithm.Īs shown in the highlighted published article, 15-minute water meter interval data can be used to infer customer toilet flushes, showers, and use of a washing machine with fairly high confidence. … Interesting activity-level consumption patterns have been identified, and the evaluation on both real and synthetic datasets has shown high accuracy on discovering washer and shower.”įrom the paper presented at a conference in 2011 on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, the figure below illustrates water meter data versus expected disaggregated activities. … We propose a novel statistical framework for disaggregation on coarse granular smart meter readings by modeling fixture characteristics, household behavior, and activity correlations. It can not only help residents better manage their consumption for sustainable lifestyle, but also allow utility managers to devise conservation programs. “Activity analysis disaggregates utility consumption from smart meters into specific usage that associates with human activities. As stated in a paper entitled, “Activity Analysis Based on Low Sample Rate Smart Meters” : Research has already been conducted to develop algorithms to disaggregate water usage sampled at rates between 15 minutes and 3 hours. Electricity and water provides information about night time patterns of sanitation, and even how often and when inhabitants use the toilet overnight.” Finally, the combined use of large volumes of water along with either gas or electricity can be used to infer how often members of the household have showers. Similarly, the frequency of use of a dishwasher or washing machine can be inferred. Such combined readings can be used to detect different patterns of cooking in a household, since cooking activity exhibits correlated uses of electricity, gas and water. “Even more intrusive information can be inferred when combining electricity with other utility readings, for example water and gas readings. Quoting a paper entitled, “Privacy Technology Options for Protecting and Processing Utility Readings,” by computer security and privacy expert George Danezis, dated March 1, 2013: Moreover, combined with the granular data collected by smart electric meters, an even clearer picture emerges on your behaviors in the home. ![]() The above advertised “features” for smart water meters means that you would be subjected to constant surveillance, even though no mention is made of customer privacy invasions by vendors or utilities. When continuous usage is detected, the system sends leak alerts so the utility can notify the customer about the potential leak. ![]() Leak detection-enabled smart meters allow utilities to identify continuous water usageover specified periods of time. Leak Detection: Utilities can minimize the problem of leaks on the customer side. It facilitates this process by providing utilities the ability to view customer usageon an hourly or sub-hourly basis, allowing them to detect excessive flowon “off” days. Water Conservation and Restrictions: When water conservation moves from being a priority to a necessity, smart water meters allow water utilities to react quickly to government mandates for water restrictions and to efficiently identify violators. The sales pitch from smart water meter vendors includes the following: A growing number of utilities are installing these devices. Another risk relates to privacy invasions associated with smart water meters. Most of the focus in the media has been on smart electric meters and the many risks that these devices pose for customers and their families. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |