Industrial design enabled an installation record

Replacing electric meters regionally is no small feat. For Vantaan Energia Sähköverkot (the electricity grid operator at Vantaa, Finland) it means replacing a total of 145,000 electric meters with new ones.

In mass installations, the importance of avoiding errors becomes as crucial as efficiency. Correcting repeated installation errors can have serious impacts on resources and costs. At worst, difficulties in installation can even lead to serious work-related accidents. Therefore, it’s essential to do everything possible to streamline the installation process.

A successful mass installation project relies on two pillars. The professionalism of the installers is paramount, as is the ease of installation of the devices. In Vantaa, Eltel was chosen as the installation partner. The devices themselves are supplied by Aidon, known for its reputation for high-quality, technologically advanced smart energy devices.

 

 

The installability of Aidon’s meters is the result of dedicated industrial design work. Edea Design, a Finnish industrial design studio, played a significant role in this by collaborating with Aidon to optimize the device’s dimensions, visibility and accessibility of attachment points, as well as the structure and labeling of the device to support installers in a straightforward, error-free installation. The industrial design solutions are based on field studies conducted by Edea, in which installers were interviewed, and their work was observed to identify problem areas and improve the product.

Careful industrial design is reflected in the installation results. The first phase of the installation project in Vantaa, involving the installation of 55,000 remote-readable Aidon meters, is now complete. During the project, fewer than ten quality deviations were recorded, an impressively low number. Credit for this goes to both the skilled installers and the thoughtful design of the devices.