ESSEN, Germany and SAO PAULO, August 22,
2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Elster (NYSE: ELT) today announced its
endorsement of the new standards published by the Brazilian
Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL), which define the minimum
functionalities for new electrical power measurement systems
installed in low voltage consumer units.
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With the new resolution, utilities, meter manufacturers and
metrology institutes have up to 18 months to start replacing meters
at customer request, including offering a time-of-use tariff or
so-called White Tariff. This White Tariff meter will be
installed at customer request and at no cost to
them. Additional features can be added to the meter, with the
cost differential charged to customers. The standards mark a
milestone in the modernization of Brazil's power grid distribution system.
"While not a mandate, ANEEL has taken an important and very
positive step forward regarding the deployment of Smart Meters in
Brazil," said Geraldo Guimaraes, Elster Integrated Solutions'
vice president for Latin
America.
"Elster fully supports Brazil's
transition to the Smart Grid, as it looks to improve the
reliability and quality of energy supply and reduce operational
costs and non-technical losses. With Elster's portfolio based
on globally-accepted protocols and open standards, we are
well-positioned to meet the anticipated demand for interoperable
systems that enable Latin
America's largest utilities to bring the benefits of AMI to
consumers," Guimaraes added.
Elster's technical solutions that meet these requirements are
already successfully deployed with several leading electricity
utilities including Light S.A., AES Eletropaulo, Neoenergia and
Coelce.
Elster's Garnet solution allows utilities to deploy up to 12
single-phase electric Smart Meters in one unit, which is typically
installed on the top of an electric transformer pole to prevent
unauthorized access to the equipment. The Garnet solution has a
secure all-weather stainless steel casing and the embedded metering
technology has comprehensive self-diagnostic functions that can
identify tampering, fraud or irregular operation and can
immediately alert the utility. Equipped with radio frequency (RF)
mesh communications and networking features, the solution allows
for remote measurements and remote connection and
disconnection.
Elster's Dracon solution is based on the Garnet concept and
provides the same security features, but is designed for individual
meter units to enable the collection of energy consumption data in
locations such as densely populated urban areas, complex building
layouts and underground areas. It includes a wireless RF collector,
which enables the capture of meter readings at a range of up to 50
meters. Data can also be collected from up to 10 units
simultaneously, adding safety, reliability and agility to metering
and data collection.
The company's Garnet and Dracon solutions are developed and
manufactured in Brazil and have
been deployed in some of the most challenging access areas to
ensure the safe, efficient and affordable supply of electricity.
Elster has had a manufacturing base in Brazil for more than 45 years, and has
expanded its local presence by establishing an office in
Sao Paulo to manage delivery of
end-to-end solutions to utilities across the Latin American
region.
The new ANEEL standards are available at its official website
www.aneel.gov.br
About Elster
Elster (NYSE: ELT) is one of the world's largest
electricity, gas and water measurement and control providers. Its
offerings include distribution monitoring and control, advanced
Smart Metering, demand response, networking and software solutions,
and numerous related communications and services – key components
for enabling consumer choice, operational efficiency and
conservation. Its products and solutions are widely used by
utilities in the traditional and emerging Smart Grid markets.
Elster has one of the most extensive installed revenue
measurement bases in the world, with more than 200 million metering
devices deployed over the course of the last 10 years. It sells its
products and services in more than 130 countries across
electricity, gas, water and multi-utility applications for
residential, commercial and industrial, and transmission and
distribution applications.
For more information about Elster, please visit www.elster.com
and follow us on Twitter at www.elster.com/twitter.
SOURCE Elster