Effect of automatic meter reading system on reducing non-technical energy losses in electricity distribution networks

Technical and non-technical energy losses occur in the transmission of electrical energy from the power plant to the consumer.Technical energy losses are evident because they originate from materials. On the other hand, non-technical energy losses are difficult to detect since they are caused by use.Some of the non-technical energy losses are due to meter readings. Electricity meters used to record the electrical energy consumed in electricity distribution networks are spread over a wide area.For this reason, it is not possible to collect data read from electricity meters without error. In addition, the fact that the consumed electrical energy which is not measured is also an important problem.Automatic Meter Reading System (AMRS) offers an economical solution to these problems. AMRS provides an important advantage in cases where conventional meter reading methods are insufficient today.Therefore, the interest in these demands is increasing day by day with the developing technology. Energy needs are constantly increasing due to population growth and technological developments.In order to meet the increasing energy need, the energy resources and energy used in the production of electrical energy must be used efficiently. Energy efficiency can be achieved with a compatible integration of data collection and management systems such as ARMS with energy systems. In this thesis, the structure, benefits and the effect of ARMS on the reduction of non-technical energy losses in electricity distribution networks by the use of power line communication (PLC) meters, which are the application of ARMS, are examined. In the examination, energy consumption data in the province of Bitlis were used. It has been accepted that the share of technical energy losses in the loss and leakage rates on an annual basis is the same as the previous year.In the evaluation, it was determined that the loss and theft rate was 36.28% in 2019, the loss and theft rate was 35.10% in 2020, the loss and theft rate was 29.82% in 2021 and the loss and theft rate was 25.32% in 2022.The decrease in loss and leakage rates from 2019 to 2022 is understood as a decrease in non-technical energy losses.In this case, it has been concluded that ARMS has an important contribution to reduce non-technical energy losses in electricity distribution networks. In addition, suggestions for future studies on non-technical energy losses are presented.