Host of new smart energy products launched at European Utility Week in Amsterdam

Host of new smart energy products launched at European Utility Week in Amsterdam

(Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 15, 2013) – European Utility Week opened today with a flurry of new product announcements.  The Amsterdam event is bigger than ever this year with some 8,000 of the utility industry’s leading minds and vendors of the latest technology in attendance (see also Smart energy challenges in focus as industry gathers for European Utility Week).

Itron, Inc. has announced its new smart solution for water, the Intelis residential ultrasonic water device.  It features the latest in measurement technology and high-performing embedded communications and sensors to help utilities gather more accurate, detailed information about their water distribution systems, giving them more insight to efficiently manage their systems.

The meter measures and captures enhanced flow rates data and temperatures and can detect air in pipes in addition to measuring water volume. It also has data logging capabilities, recording consumption in configurable intervals. With no moving parts, the meter allows for protection against unplanned maintenance costs and provides highly accurate measurement over the entire product life.It can be installed in nearly any environment, including direct sunlight and flooded areas, and is read with an advanced mobile or fixed network data collection system.

 

“The Intelis ultrasonic water meter is the most advanced water measurement device available today. By combining ultrasonic, sensing and communication technologies, we’ve created a device that gives utilities unprecedented visibility into their distribution systems so they can better manage water resources,” said Gavin van Tonder, President of Itron’s water business. “As a global leader in water utility automation solutions, Itron is committed to creating products that meet our customers’ needs so they can address the various challenges they face.”

 

Itron has also announced the expansion of its gas product portfolio with a commercial smart diaphragm meter with electronic volume conversion. The Ecora gas meter is an all-in-one device with embedded communications (GPRS modem) and sensors to help utilities streamline operations and reduce costs.

Ecora combines the accuracy and long-term stability of diaphragm meter technology with an electronic index, offering integrated electronic conversion of gas volume for pressure and temperature variations. The device has a highly accurate low flow rate and magnetic fraud detection, thus improving billing accuracy for utilities. It is easily installed in a “plug and play” fashion.

 

“Hybrid diaphragm meters with electronic conversion and GPRS are an optimal choice for very large AMR roll-outs, where utilities want to limit the risks on revenue collection and decrease their operating costs” said Jean-Paul Piques, Vice President of product marketing for Gas at Itron. “This is another example of Itron’s innovative technologies that help improve revenue protection, operational efficiency and customer service for utilities around the world.”

 

Meanwhile, Trilliant has introduced its next-generation Smart Meter M2M System, allowing utilities the flexibility to choose meters and mobile network operators while ensuring a secure and scalable smart meter solution.

With the recent decision by the UK Government to use mobile networks as a key component of the British smart meter rollout, the viability of mobile networks to connect a smart meter system has been validated.  The Trilliant Smart Meter M2M System, which has been successfully deployed for smart metering in the UK, helps utilities and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) deploy smart meter and smart grid communications projects with the confidence that the systems are secure, scalable and flexible.

Purpose-built for smart metering and able to link to existing MNO M2M management platforms, the Trilliant Smart Metering M2M System gives utilities a fully integrated connectivity experience, from commissioning of Smart Meters to downloading of energy tariffs and requests for meter data.  Trilliant is working with industry partners to accelerate the deployment of the Smart Meter M2M System in smart meter rollouts across Europe and around the world.

 

“Many utilities around the world would like to leverage mobile infrastructure to provide the benefits of smart metering to their customers,” said Rob Conant, Chief Marketing Officer of Trilliant.  “However a secure and scalable implementation requires an in-depth understanding of both smart metering and networking, and the Trilliant team has been able to address these challenges.  With this next-generation Smart Meter M2M System, the Trilliant platform can provide secure use of mobile networks that scale to even the largest of the global utilities.”

 

Texas Instruments (TI) is showcasing a number of new technologies which will allow smart grid developers to make the next generation of products for smart metering, grid infrastructure and communication systems, including smart homes and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Implementing an efficient smart grid requires the addition of intelligence and communication to the utility distribution and transmission infrastructure, metrology devices and to connectable devices within a home or building. TI has developed industry-leading technology and tools with its complementary analogue, embedded processing and connectivity portfolios that help developers create secure, economical and future-proof solutions for the smart grid and provide the flexibility to adapt a device for many countries, regions or standards. 

 

TI’s has a growing portfolio of Sub-1 GHz wM-Bus solutions, such as the SimpleLink™ CC1120 RF transceiver, which is perfectly suited to support the massive smart water and gas meter deployments in France, Italy and the U.K. TI has developed a reliable MCU and RF combo solution with a longer range and more robust communication for difficult environments across Europe and Asia. TI’s wM-Bus technology allows flow meter and sub-meter manufacturers to meet standards requiring batteries to last more than 15 years in the field.

 

Texas Instruments has also announced its new ultrasonic flow meter with ultimate level of flexibility and accuracy. Featuring advanced software and robust hardware, TI’s ultrasonic flow metering solution contains the industry’s best combination of accuracy, intelligence and flexibility. The UFM-EVM solution is a complete ultrasonic flow meter reference design with advanced early leakage detection for gas, water and heat meters that balances the demands of power, accuracy and connectivity to provide an ideal starting point for developers in Europe and Asia.

Finally, Quby is launching its smart energy display in six languages. In addition to the Dutch version used in the display “Toon” sold by the Dutch utility company Eneco, demos are now available in English, German, French, Spanish and Chinese. These products make the display marketable throughout the world.

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