Solar and Kamstrup have provided 300,000 citizens with new electricity meters in under 12 months

10,000 electricity meters. Every week. Every month. Every year. By 2019, 1 million electricity meters will be replaced in one of the biggest projects of its kind in Scandinavia at an estimated value of 240 million euros. Months of planning went into ensuring that the installation of up to 2,000 meters every day would go smoothly, and one year after the launch, a total of 300,000 citizens have been provided with new smart electricity meters in the Copenhagen area, Northern Zealand and parts of Central Zealand, which make up the supply area of Radius, Denmark’s largest electricity grid company. A satisfactory result according to Morten Winther, Program Manager at Kamstrup. 

"It's a complex project, but we have a strong logistics setup, and the fitters really do a great job, so we're going to reach our target in 2019, as things look like as of now.”

After Kamstrup won the project in 2017, they chose the Northern European sourcing and services company Solar as their logistics partner. A choice they are yet to regret, as Solar has been decisive for a large part of the project’s progress.

"2,000 electricity meters have to be in 120 different cars every single morning. The logistics task is certainly not simple. So far, Solar has met all of our expectations," explains Morten Winther.

Optimisation of productivity
The logistics task consists of storing, picking, packing and distributing approx. 2,000 electric meters directly to the fitters’ cars every morning. Distribution takes place at night, so the fitters can start the workday with all the materials in the cars, which are also emptied of the replaced meters. In addition, Solar has optimised the interior of the cars so that the fitters don’t have to return to a warehouse to refill during the day.

"The meters are handled independently of the fitter's busy day and it‘s obviously an optimisation of the individual's productivity. Both in terms of efficiency and economy, this overall solution has been the right one for us," Morten Winther says.

He also stresses that there is a major extra benefit in the logistics solution. During the daytime, Solar's Fastbox concept is implemented as a security response, ensuring that the day's assembly plan can be met. With the Fastbox concept, the fitters can order tools, work clothes and spare parts through Solar's app and have the goods delivered directly in the car in the morning or at the customer's within an hour during the work day. 

Sharp logistics is a core product in the new Solar
With the transition from classic wholesaler to modern sourcing and services company, effective logistics is a key competence in Solar. The cooperation with Kamstrup is a result of this transition, explains regional director of Solar Denmark Kurt Storgaard.

"We view ourselves as a sourcing and services company due to the flexibility of our distribution system, which can be tailored to the individual customer's needs and the specific task at hand.. For 100 years, we have specialised in quick, accurate and secure deliveries, meaning that logistics is one of the services we have that can increase the productivity of our customers," he says, and Morten Winther from Kamstrup agrees.

"Solar has a professional setup that creates security, which is crucial in solving such a large logistics task. Having the correct items at the right time is absolutely crucial in such a large project," he concludes.

The Danish Parliament has decided that all Danish households must have a remotely read electricity meter by the end of 2020. With the replacement, citizens don’t have to read and report their electricity consumption, and at the same time, it will be possible to read the consumption every hour, giving the people more control over their electricity consumption.