Phil Beecher, Chairman, Wi-SUN Alliance

Tokyo, Japan and San Jose, CA, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- January14, 2013 - The Wi-SUN Alliance has announced TUV Rheinland as its first independent accredited test laboratory, effective January 2013.

TUV Rheinland will perform tests for Wi-SUN Alliance member companies worldwide.

The growth of Wi-SUN certified products being developed has been significant, with more than 13 global companies participating in the Wi-SUN Alliance's second interoperability test event recently. Recent growth of smart grid markets in Europe, North and South America and the Asian region is now moving towards the integration of application-based services to maximize the benefits of emerging smart grid infrastructure.

Wi-SUN is now ready to help the industry accomplish its value proposition from utility to end-users and helping in filling the void of interoperability and open-standards assurance. Wi-SUN certified products are expected to ship to users in the global markets starting this year.

“The growing number of deployments across the range of smart utility networks domains, including automated metering infrastructure, distribution automation and home energy management, makes it essential that equipment both conforms to applicable standards and is interoperable, in order to ensure that products deliver a good user experience,” said Phil Beecher,chair of Wi-SUN Alliance. “The appointment of TUV Rheinland as an authorized test laboratory providing the Wi-SUN CERTIFIED™ program is the next step in achieving this goal.”

A product must undergo a rigorous set of conformance and interoperability tests to carry the Wi-SUN CERTIFIED™ logo, helping to ensure that products from the Alliance's member companies will interoperate.