Itron Inc's subsidiary, Actaris, has been chosen by ERDF, the distribution subsidiary of Electricité de France (EDF), as part of a consortium for its automated meter management (AMM) project. The consortium, led by the systems integrator Atos Origin, will participate in one of the largest pilot projects in Europe that will initially install 300,000 smart meters.

Actaris will supply 100,000 power line carrier (PLC) smart meters and 3,500 GPRS concentrators. This system allows the transmission and receipt of up-to-date information that will help manage energy consumption and will provide better service to the end-users through remote meter reading, billing based on actual consumption, flexible tariff offers and improved network management. The communication protocol via PLC will ensure inter-operability between the meters installed in the field, the concentrators synchronized by the cellular system and ERDF’s information system.

The total project will encompass the replacement of 35 million EDF meters with smart meters and represents a significant technological leap driven by the policy for the preservation of energy resources. The pilot phase involves the deployment of 300,000 meters and 7,000 concentrators in the regions of Tours and Lyon in 2010. Actaris is well positioned for the second deployment phase, which will replace all 35 million meters by 2017.