Elster Group S.a.r.l. (Elster), Luxembourg-based provider of smart metering and smart grid system solutions, said that Burlington Hydro Inc. (Burlington Hydro) has selected its EnergyAxis System to support the utility’s GridSmartCity vision. As part of the GridSmartCity initiative, Burlington Hydro will install EnergyAxis smart meters, related communication equipment and back office systems with installations beginning in spring 2009 and completion expected by 2010.
The Burlington Hydro contract represents the ninth contract signing for an Ontario utility with Elster in the last month and highlights Elster’s momentum in the Ontario market.
GridSmartCity is Burlington Hydro’s initiative to begin transforming today’s electricity system into the smart grid of tomorrow. With GridSmartCity, Burlington Hydro is accelerating this process by partnering with technology developers and other interested firms to combine all the major elements of a smart grid into an integrated suite of projects that will demonstrate the full capabilities of a smart grid.
To meet Ontario’s Smart Meter Initiative, the Ontario government has established a goal of collecting hourly interval data from every home in the province by 2010. The EnergyAxis System will allow Burlington Hydro to leverage the collected hourly usage data, and then implement actions to help its consumers better understand and manage their electrical usage in support of the utility’s energy conservation efforts. The system will also provide valuable information for future smart grid applications.
Burlington Hydro president and chief executive officer, David Collie said, The EnergyAxis System will play an important role for Burlington Hydro, serving as one of the key enablers of our GridSmartCity vision. The flexibility and model for integration with our existing engineering was a key determining factor.”
“The opportunity to partner with Burlington Hydro, recognized for its automation leadership, is exciting news for Elster,” said Jack Robertson, general manager, Elster Metering in Canada. “We are confident the EnergyAxis System will make a key contribution to the Burlington Hydro smart grid vision, while enhancing value for its consumers.”
The EnergyAxis System is already employed by other Ontario utilities and currently gathers more than 1 million meter points of hourly billing data from a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial Ontario energy consumers.
Burlington Hydro is a Canada-based energy services based company.