Mark Munday, CEO and President, Elster Solution

Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- August 15, 2011 - The Smart Grid Voltage Conservation Alliance (SGVCA) has been formed as a working group seeking to accelerate the adoption and validate the business benefits of voltage conservation for utilities through the convergence of distribution automation (DA) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).

Charter members of the alliance include Entergy, Elster, ABB, and Survalent. Quanta Technologies will assist the alliance in validating the business justification.
 
The SGVCA will focus initially on an end-to-end voltage conservation program with the two fold goal of enabling operational efficiency for utilities and advancing the business case for voltage conservation. After the completion of an initial field study at Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C., the findings will be expanded to drive commercial application for all utilities.
 
Reducing voltage by as little as four to six percent can result in a three to five percent increase in energy conservation, but most utilities are currently unable to effectively manage voltage variations because of the lack of visibility in the distribution area network. By leveraging the convergence of DA and AMI for voltage monitoring, utilities will be able to gain additional insight from the substation down to the customer endpoint and increase operational efficiencies through voltage conservation while extending the capabilities and advantages of AMI.

“Conservation and efficiency through voltage monitoring and management have very practical implications that will benefit consumers and utilities alike,” commented Mark Munday, CEO and president of Elster Solutions. "We look forward to leading the SGVCA and working with strong partners like ABB, Survalent and Quanta to drive this initiative."