Smart meters help customers to save energy by offering direct feedback on actual energy consumption, billing options and comparative information on energy consumption. Many countries are on the brink of introduction of smart meters - 80% of the customers in EU member states will use a smart meter by 2020 .
Globalisation has opened up many opportunities but unfortunately also put a certain percentage of the population in situations where their basic rights are being compromised. Child labour, unsuitable working conditions, unfair pay affect a person’s dignity.
Around 80 % of conflict minerals like gold, tantalum and tungsten are produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo or neighouring countries raged by war. These conflicts are financed with profits from the sales of these minerals.
The European Commission has put together a list of 20 materials that are of great importance to humanity and are becoming increasingly scarce.
Every production process involves the use of several resources. Our needs are growing and the industry is rushing to fulfil them. By doing so, pollution is becoming a worldwide problem – air, soil and water resources are compromised.
Typically, electronic products have an extremely short life cycle. Predictions show that in 2017 there will be 65, 4 million tons of E-waste per year. For comparison, in 2012 the number was 48, 9 million tons/year.
The Fair Meter project was started in 2013 as an initiative of Dutch network companies Liander and Stedin, in collaboration with meter suppliers. The aim of the project is to build the new generation of smart meters in a sustainable, responsible manner: a fair meter. Inspired by the Dutch company Fairphone, we have defined the concept Fair and asked for it in the tender for the new meters.
By using sustainable practices and including material and social aspects in the production of smart meters for gas and electricity, we developed the FAIR METER to address all major issues that the electronics industry is facing today – energy intensity, labour conditions, use of critical, conflict or toxic materials, material scarcity and e-waste.
Use them in your own sustainable projects or help us improve them.
