smart metering

Fortum Norway awarded a smart grid project to Echelon partner Telvent to deploy Echelon's smart metering system to Fortum Norway's 100,000 electricity customers, Echelon announced today. Fortum is making the first significant deployment decision that directly addresses Norway's new push to spread smart metering to the country's 2.6 million electricity customers by the end of 2016.

Volume deployments of Echelon's Networked Energy Services (NES) smart grid infrastructure system are targeted to begin in August 2013 and go through 2015.

Integrated Device Technology (IDT) announced today that they have joined forces with Chinese–based Fudan Microelectronics to create a smart meter reference design for developers of smart meter solutions. The new reference design combines IDT's 90E2x power metering device and Fudan Microelectronics' FM3308 microcontroller unit (MCU). According to IDT the new reference design will shorten the development cycle of smart meter manufacturers and improve time-to-market.

Research firm Northest Group has release its latest report on the smart grid market in developing countries title “South America Smart Grid Market Forecast (2011-2020)”. Accroding to the firm the smart grid market in the region will value at $25.1 billion and up to 104.5 million smart meters deployed by 2020. Brazil, Chile and Argentina are highlighted as the countries to begin large-scale roll out, with Brazil being first.

Semitech Semiconductor Powerline communication SoC (System-0n-Chip) solution has been selected by GK Smart Energy for European Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) deployment. The Semitech SM6401 chipset will be integrated into the GK Smart Energy Solutions AMI platform, which allows operators to remotely manage smart meters, street lights and connected machines.

Toshiba Japan has announced the acquisition of Swiss electronic metering company Landis+Gyr AG for $2.3 billion in cash. This purchase will give Toshiba access to one of the smart grid’s market leading component suppliers’ customer base. They also grow their share of the global smart-grid market which is predicted to grow to $71 billion over the next decade, according to Toshiba.

Integrated Device Technology, the Analog and Digital Company delivering essential mixed-signal semiconductor solutions, today announced a new family of poly-phase power metering ICs that offer the widest dynamic range and lowest temperature coefficient in the industry. These new devices allow smart energy meter manufacturers to increase performance while consolidating functionality and lowering cost. The poly-phase power metering ICs expand on IDT’s award-winning 90E2x family of single-phase devices.

The pilot is initiated by grid operator Enexis, in cooperation with power company Greenchoice and development corporation HEJA. Using special devices, residents of two neighbourhoods in Breda are able to select the most favourable time for using energy, which can be the cheapest or the most sustainable. A special website informs them about this. The test lasts for 2 years and will show if people are prepared to use these options or not.

IBM has found a network and communications solutions provider to partner with for its smart meter monitoring software. They have announced a partnership with Cable and Wireless to develop a UK Smart Energy Cloud to support the UK’s smart meter implementation programme.  Using its smart meter data gathering and analytic platform and supported by Cable and Wireless communications infrastructure IBM hopes to collect and store data gathered from the 50 million smart meters to be install in the in UK homes and business over the next nine years.

There is a wide window of opportunity at the moment for smart meter and communications vendors, according to the latest IDE Energy Insight report “Worldwide Quarterly Smart Meter Tracker”.  IDC predicts that global smart meter shipments are expected to grow 13% from 2010 to 2015.  The report pointed out Europe and Asia Pacific – mainly China as the main growth areas for the next five years.

IBM has rolled out a new range of monitoring and analytic software that will help core infrastructure providers manage their systems.  The applications, according to IBM aim to advance smarter cities and industry transformation across water, energy, transportation and healthcare.  Connected to a network of sensors, 4G wireless networks, RFID tags, smart grid network, real-time information can be collected to understand system status and the ability to monitor and analyse new streams of data.