44 / 93
AMNYTT VEDLEGG
ARC Insights, Page 3
AMNYTT #4
2012
AMNYTT VEDLEGG
45 / 93
ARC Insights, Page 4
AMNYTT #4
Meter customers also come in vastly different sizes – from large investor-
engage these firms through partnerships that involve integrating their me-
owned utilities and national utilities that may deploy tens of millions of
ter products with various network technologies.
meters to municipal utilities of all sizes, rural cooperatives, and many other
embedding a dedicated communication module in the meter design, sadly
small organizations. These utilities may also provide multiple services be-
with minimal help from standards.
This is done by
sides electric power. They may provide electricity in some combination
with natural gas, water, and even VoIP and Internet access. The require-
Meters
Meter Communications
Grid Equipment
ments of smart meters for water and gas utility services are much different
Elster*
Ambient Corp.
ABB
than for electricity, in that the value proposition of add-on applications (like
GE
Cisco
Cooper Industries
Itron
Current Group
Eaton
Landis+Gyr*
RuggedCom*
GE
Sensus
Silver Spring Networks
Schneider Electric
Echelon
SmartSynch*
Siemens
demand response) is low and the meter circuits must operate from batteries
since they do not have access to electricity. This further complicates the
product strategy of a major meter supplier.
Communications More Attractive to Majors
No single technology solution exists for meter communications. The layout
of electric distribution networks generally favors wireless communications
in North America and power-line carrier communications in EMEA. Optimal communications technology also depends on the geographic density of
meters. A utility may have widely different densities within its service area,
often consisting of urban, suburban, and rural regions.
Older AMR meters have limited one-way communications and were designed to communicate only with readers supplied by the same
manufacturer. Suppliers used this technology as a differentiator and as a
means of customer lockup. Limited communications capability (combined
with the extremely long life expectancy of meters and their high cost of installation)