Danish utility sends smart metering into the cloud

Denmark now has its first cloud-based smart metering solution, targeted at small utilities and communities that previously found such technologies out of their financial reach.

Smart-grid firm Echelon announced this week that Eltel Networks, one of its value-added resellers, has teamed up with Danish utility co-op EnergiMidt  to offer the cloud-based solution. The offering is based on Echelon’s smart metering system.

Working with Eltel, EnergiMidt deployed 170,000 Echelon NES smart meters between 2009 and 2011. When plugged into a meter data management (MDM) system from Goerlitz, the meters’ Control Operating System (COS) application framework enables EnergiMidt to provide hosted — that is, cloud-based — billing and operational support services to smaller utilities and cities that previously couldn’t afford such services.

Last year, the first utility to piggyback onto the software running in EnergiMidt’s data center was Bjerringbro. Next came Kjellerup Elnet. Like Bjerringbro’s 3,000 customers, Kjellerup Elnet’s 2,500 customers will receive Echelon’s NES smart meters and related communications and control infrastructure. The rollout for Kjellerup Elnet customers is scheduled to be completed early next year.

The hosted service offering from EnergiMidt and Eltel helps smaller utilities and municipalities introduce hourly meter readings, load control, remote connect/disconnect, better outage management and other smart-grid improvements.

“Danish utilities and their customers want a smarter grid but the costs of achieving the vision haven’t always made economic sense,” said Jonas Vestin, president of Eltel Networks’ smart metering business unit. “With this ground-breaking new cloud-based solution, even the smallest utility or municipality can adopt a smart grid with a business case that makes sense for everyone in the value chain, including customers, investors and owners of the utility.”