Utility Automation
Forward-looking utility companies are replacing their stand-alone electricity meters with advanced systems that provide automated meter reading and more. Echelon's Networked Energy Services (NES) is at the forefront of this trend, providing solutions through a smart metering platform based on our control networking technology. Utilities can offer a full range of applications—from metering to value-added business—over the same set of meters, as well as add or upgrade features remotely.
Italian Utility Deploys 22 Million Smart Meters ... with More to Go
Our NES business is built on knowledge gained from helping Enel S.p.A. of Italy—the world’s largest publicly traded utility—create a nationwide smart metering solution that, beginning in 2006, will save the utility 500 million Euro a year.
In this project—the largest meter replacement project ever undertaken—we worked with Enel to provide the core networking technology for its 27 million connected meters and more than 250,000 supervising data concentrators.
As of March 2005, Enel has deployed over 22 million LonWorks-powered smart electricity meters and more than 250,000 Echelon data concentrators. New meters are being installed at a rate of approximately 700,000 per month. The deployment, which began in 2001, is projected to be completed in 2005.