Equipment for monitoring and combating of non-technical losses in distribution networks: Design and preliminary results

There are basically two kinds of losses in electrical distribution systems: the technical and non-technical losses. Technical losses are represented by ohmic losses (i.e., by Joule effect) and they are not registered by the energy meters. They are estimated during the design and construction phase of power distribution networks and regarded as operating costs by the power utilities. Sometimes, however, billing records show a much higher loss level than the estimated technical losses, due to illegal connections and energy meters tampering (frauds). The installation of a metering equipment on the distribution transformers can aid in identifying the illegal connections or tampered energy meters. This equipment is connected to the lower voltage side of the transformers and its metering data is compared to the data of the consumer´s energy meters powered by this transformer, thus helping in locating the possible fraud points.