Brazil drives growing market for smarter energy, water use

Energy and water efficiency are driving significant investments in Brazil, and those improvements are proving especially good for metering companies’ bottom line.

Elster, for example, says it will install 63,000 new water meters for Companhia de Saneamento de Minas Gerais (COPASA), Brazil’s second largest water utility. The deployment is aimed at providing more accurate usage measurements and increased revenue for the utility, which has been an Elster customer since it was first established in 1963.

Elster is also deploying new water meters for the Brazilian utilities EMBASA and SABESP, and electricity meters for Light SA. Earlier this year, Elster announced the formation of a business unit in Sao Paulo to expand the company’s presence in Latin America.

Jerry Lauzze, executive vice president of Elster’s global water business, said the region is proving to be “a strong emerging market in the global effort to improve water management and conservation.”

The new water meter deployment for COPASA, which has more than 3.5 million meters installed, will enable the utility to expand its current service area. The project is scheduled to begin in July 2011 and be completed by the end of the year.