Smart meters may be the most widely discussed form of electrical grid technology in 2012. Their benefits for utilities and perceived risks for customers have resulted in huge installation projects, as well as spirited public debates nationwide.
Companies such as GE, Eschelon and Itron have rolled out robust product lines to serve swelling demand for smart meters, and Utility Dive has compiled a list of some of their most prominent wares, what they do and what features they come equipped with:
1 . IEC SINGLE PHASE SMART METER
Made by: Eschelon
Eschelon's 65 A max and 100 A max smart meters are made for residential and small commercial consumers. The meters come loaded with profiling, billing, and pre-pay features, as well as remote-controlled switches and the ability to analyze the quality of service that a customer is receiving.
2. ANSI SMART METERS
Made by: GE
The ANSI family of smart meters from GE includes their I-210 single-phase meters with integrated communications technology for residential use, as well as their kV2c line of commercial and industrial meters. The latter packs in GE's Fitzall technology, which is meant to reduce inventory and associated costs.
3. IEC SMART METER
Made by: GE
This solid-state family of meters complies with IEC standards, including single configurations, polyphase configurations and direct-connected and transformer-connected polyphase options. The line also divides into residential and commercial or industrial options, which come equipped with communications settings and cost-of-service measurement abilities.
4. ICON A RESIDENTIAL METER
Made by: Sensus
The iCon A Residential Meter from Sensus touts FlexNet AMI onboard with a power outage and restoral notification system. The meters can be remotely disconnected or configured and keep track of power quality time-of-use.
5. OPENWAY CENTRON SMART METERS
Made by: Itron
Itron went with an open-architecture design for its OpenWay smart meters, which come with security features on the network and application levels and can integrate solar power into the grid, all while helping customers to understand how they are using energy and where it is coming from.
6. CENTRON II METER
Made by: Itron
Itron's Centron II meters boast communications and measurement options for residential customers, measuring time-of-use and providing utilities with details performance and demand-management data.
7. AS220 ELECTRONIC SMART METERS
Made by: Elster
Elster's AS220 has been adapted to meet EU requirements for smart metering, including modular communication options and remote connection or disconnection abilities. The units are built to be compliant with DIN, IEC and MID standards.
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