Elster, Landis+Gyr team up to integrate their smart-grid apps

Metering firms Elster and Landis+Gyr plan to work together to jointly develop integrated advanced metering hardware for smart-grid applications.

Under a new agreement between the companies, each firm will work to integrate communication functions into advanced meters with the goal of providing utility customers with a choice of meter platforms. Both companies aim to develop firmware that will make advanced meters work within each company’s respective communication systems.

Landis+Gyr is developing its Gridstream communications firmware to operate within Elster’s integrated residential REX meter platform, and enable the meter to operate within the Gridstream network without the need for a Landis+Gyr-specific communications module.

In the same way, Elster will develop its EnergyAxis communications firmware to operate seamlessly within Landis+Gyr;s integrated residential FOCUS meter, without the need for an Elster-specific communications module.

Unlike traditional second-source agreements that require network-specific communications modules, the Elster-Landis+Gyr agreement is aimed at creating an integrated meter and communications platform for use within EnergyAxis or Gridstream smart-grid networks. Utilities will be able to accommodate technology advances simply by updating the radio firmware in their meters.

“We know that utilities want flexibility and future readiness from their advanced metering systems,” said Jerry Figurilli, chief operating officer at Landis+Gyr. “By enabling hardware interoperability, we will be able to provide utilities more choice in the selection of advanced meters.”