SMEC Automation PetroChemical Solutions are intended for companies engaged in oil and gas refining, storage, distribution, and marketing, manufacturing of intermediate and final petrochemicals.

To maintain a competitive edge in this industry, automation of processes and smart integration of data sources is required. SMEC supports the streamlining of processes while maintaining both the quality of the product and a clean environment.

Petrochemical labs require LIMS (Laboratory Management Information Systems) that have the following minimum features:

• An off-the shelf data structure that meets the workflow requirements of continuous and batch process environments (as well as in-house environmental testing in many cases).
• Provide flexible reporting functions that meet the complex requirements of a wide variety of data clients and automate data collection.
• Must be able to integrate well with other automation systems such as ERP/MRP, DCS, Raw Materials receipt, Human resources and more.
• Must be flexible enough to enable changes that reflect advanced business needs without endangering the ability to perform future upgrades.

SMEC Automation has incorporated all these features and more.

SMEC Energy Services – a division of SMEC Automation, provides comprehensive metering solutions to businesses and major energy users, ranging from meter design & installation, through data collection and energy management to enable them to keep track of their energy consumption.

Mandatory Services

SMEC Energy Services has a well-deserved reputation for excellent customer service across its whole gas and electricity metering offer.

If a site has an average maximum demand in excess of 100 kW for three months of the year, then half hourly metering facilities must be installed along with meter operation and data management services

Word of advice: Make sure your meter operations and data collection supplier is Elexon-accredited for both activities. That way you can be sure you are getting the best service AND meeting your own legal obligations.

Meter Operations

SMEC offers a complete and comprehensive service for fiscal and non-fiscal metering operations, nationwide. Customers with multiple sites value the economies of scale this brings.

Our expertise includes:

• Design of meter systems
• Procurement and supply of meters
• Installation and commissioning of metering and communications equipment
• Continuous meter maintenance and support
• Advice in high accuracy metering.

SMEC Energy Services is at the cutting edge of metering communications and are able to design and install a system based on PSTN, cellular networks, radio or Internet connections – whatever the customer requires. An inexpensive communication link, like the internal telephone system, can make the benefits of tele-metering affordable because both incremental readings and half hourly data can be retrieved remotely and automatically.

We have always advocated sub-metering to help maintain the efficiency of individual processes, cost centres and equipment. Since April 2002 when new Building Regulations (Part L2) came into force, it has been mandatory in new non-domestic buildings with a floor area over 500m2. Moreover all energy sources must be metered including gas, oil, LPG and heat so that at least 90% of total consumption of each fuel type is an actual, not estimated, reading. Tough requirements, maybe, but they make perfect sense. Consumers cannot manage energy before they have measured it and metering is the best way to do it.

Proper energy management is at the top of the business agenda, now that the EU-wide Emissions Trading Scheme is live. The simplest way for businesses under the scheme to cut their CO2 emissions is by consuming less fossil fuel. Great strides have been made, but there is still a long way to go.

We firmly believe that comprehensive metering is the simplest and most cost-effective way to tackle this problem. When the system has been designed and installed, the next step is efficient, timely data collection.

Data collection

We are completely independent data collector, and can guarantee our customers a constant flow of accurate and timely data from all of the installed metering even if they decide to change energy supplier. Our results are well above our industry average for successful on-time collection of data, no matter where the meter is located.

We constantly focus on innovation to anticipate and then meet the changing demands of energy users. Our automated remote data collection solution is a good example of this. Harnessing a range of technologies, it provides a convenient and affordable service for multi-site organizations generating the same flow of timely data for both non half-hourly and half-hourly sites.

SMEC’s data collection services comprise:

• Data collection systems for billing and management
• Accurate data when and where it is needed
• Internet data delivery giving access to energy consumption within 24 hours
• Data migration services for the change of supplier process
• Data provision in the required format

Accurate metered data is a vital step towards effective management of energy, and from there, businesses can take control of their energy costs in real time.