OWON Technology (part of LILLIPUT Group) is a globalized ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) service provider specialized in research and application of electronic and computer-related technologies. It is an ISO 9001:2008 certified research institute and manufacturer involved in design, manufacturing, marketing and delivery of electronic products across the world since... more
Taking our first steps towards a modern grid By Fiona Taylor
Are smart meters really smart? By John Caskey
The smart meter debate: A few bumps in the road in Texas By Todd Lester and Michael Rutkowski
Smart meters in use: Manage (metrological) quality during lifetime. Traditional statistical system improvement to reduce the rejection risk of large numbers of meters By Bob van Dongen
The magazine is published every quarter, in March, June, September and December, and is an ideal resource for up-to-date information on the trends and developments in these industry sectors.
The magazine is published every quarter, in March, June, September and December, and is an ideal resource for up-to-date information on the trends and developments in these industry sectors.
The magazine is published every quarter, in March, June, September and December, and is an ideal resource for up-to-date information on the trends and developments in these industry sectors.
As green energy management becomes a global imperative, the idea of implementing intelligent systems and wireless technology to more efficiently use energy and other natural resources has become a pervasive reality. It began with a relatively simple idea. If you add embedded intelligence and a communications link to a traditional metering device, you have the ability to remotely access the data that the smart meter has collected. However, through this seemingly simple enhancement of a communications link, a network was born, and with it came an explosion of applications and innovations transforming the way energy is measured, priced and consumed.
[img:Phillip.thumbnail.jpg|Philip Lewis, CEO, VaasaETT Global Energy Think Tank]Helsinki, Finland --- (METERING.COM) --- December 22, 2010 - 2009 was a record year for electricity customer switching, with a global average switching rate of 6.12 percent – around one percentage point higher than two years ago, according to the World Energy Retail Market Rankings 2010.
[img:KH.thumbnail.JPG|Grant signing in New Delhi]New Delhi, India --- (METERING.COM) --- December 22, 2010 - The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) has been awarded a grant from the United Sates Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to support a smart grid feasibility study.
The $453,350 study will help to develop the requirements and specifications for a smart grid implementation plan that will enable the integration of smart meters and automated meter reading into BESCOM's distribution system. Ultimately, this program will advance BESCOM's efforts to meet the challenge of growing demand for energy from its diverse customer base.
[img:ofgem-logo.thumbnail_0.gif| ]London, U.K. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 22, 2010 - A review of metering arrangements in the U.K. in the transition to smart metering by the regulator Ofgem, has found several specific areas where a change of policy is required, including commercial interoperability, vertical integration and network companies' obligations, and gas metering price controls.
[img:water_drop_0.jpg| ]Essen, Germany and Jiangxi, China --- (METERING.COM) --- December 22, 2010 - Elster and the Jiangxi Sanchuan Water Meter Company Limited have entered into a joint venture agreement to produce and supply C&I water meters to the Chinese water industry.
Elster will have a 55 percent stake in the joint venture and will be enabled to introduce its advanced C&I water metering technology into China, the world's largest water meter market by units.
[img:Peter_8.jpg|Peter Porteous, CEO, Blue Line Innovations]San Francisco, CA, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 22, 2010 - Google PowerMeter™ has broadened its device partners by adding connectivity to the PowerCost Monitor™ from Blue Line Innovations.
Using energy information provided by the PowerCost Monitor, Google PowerMeter enables a user’s home energy consumption to be monitored from anywhere online. It incorporates features such as tracking energy over time, always on power, predicting costs, budget tracking and community sharing.
[img:ofgem-logo.thumbnail_0.gif| ]London, U.K. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 21, 2010 - Britain’s smart meter trial program, which was started in 2007, is beginning to wrap up, with data collection having finished in September and final analysis of the data now under way.
According to the latest progress report on the project, the final database contains over 800 million meter readings as well as a “huge amount” of other information that was collected.
[img:pl_desgagnes.thumbnail.jpg|Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Senior Director, Strategic Planning and Government Affairs, Hydro-Québec]Montreal, Canada --- (METERING.COM) --- December 21, 2010 - Hydro-Québec and Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc. have launched an electric vehicle trial with the arrival of the first five all-electric i-MiEVs in Boucherville.
[img:Usnap_0.jpg| ]Morgan Hill, CA, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 21, 2010 - The USNAP Alliance has announced the final release of its 2.0 Specification for enabling interoperable home area network (HAN) deployments.
Manufacturers of devices such as consumer appliances, thermostats, in-home displays, energy management systems and gateways can use USNAP communication modules (UCMs) to connect to a HAN using a variety of connectivity options such as ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave and FM radio, creating a universal HAN device ecosystem.
[img:Pace.thumbnail.JPG|James Pace, Senior Director of Business Development, Silver Spring Networks]By James Pace, Senior Director of Business Development, and John Doyle, Director of Solutions Development Europe, Silver Spring Networks
Ofgem’s highly anticipated prospectus for the rollout of smart meters to every home and small business in the U.K. is currently under consultation. The Smart Metering Implementation Program is central to the government’s ambition for a low carbon economy and its commitment to giving consumers greater control over their energy usage.
In our opinion, Ofgem has done an outstanding job of balancing a set of often conflicting objectives. In a uniquely complex market structure optimized for consumers to benefit from retail competition, how will the government ensure that the goals of energy independence and carbon reduction are achieved while grid reliability and future capabilities are built in? Perhaps most challenging, how will the government shepherd the establishment of functional requirements for both meters and grids while simultaneously accelerating the roll out of smart meters?
