Echelon Corp.'s Networked Energy Services (NES) smart meter has received certification from Measurement Canada. Echelon’s NES meter, which includes a built-in, remotely controllable 200-A service disconnect switch and built-in power line networking communications, has been approved for measurement of active (kWh) and reactive (kvarh) energy as well as for use as a bi-directional meter with registers for delivered and received energy — making it the first meter with this combination of advanced features approved for revenue use in the Canadian market.

Nearly one million NES meters have shipped to date, all built on the same set of proven ANSI and IP standards and the same core electronics and networking technology that have been approved for use in the Canadian market. Echelon’s NES system has been deployed in some of the world’s most advanced metering infrastructure projects in Australia, Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, the United States, and other countries. The same fundamental networking technology is also being used in the world's largest metering project, where 27 million electric meters running on the largest electric distribution network in Italy use Echelon’s networking technology.

“Achieving Measurement Canada certification is an important milestone for Echelon,” said Frits Bruggink, senior vice president and general manager of Echelon’s Service Provider Group. “With this certification, our value-added reseller partners can now offer their system solutions built on the NES platform to utilities in Canada.”

Echelon’s NES meters are intelligent, fully featured ANSI-style communicating electronic meters with an integrated software-controlled disconnect; a wide range of energy, power quality, theft detection, and data recording capabilities; and remote firmware upgrade support to provide a “future-proof” platform to address the requirements of today and the future.

As part of the NES system, NES meters provide a secure, reliable two-way communications path between the utility and its customers that can bring benefits to every aspect of a utility's operation, from metering, to customer services, to distribution operations, to value-added services. Through the use of Echelon’s ANSI standards based high-speed power line signaling technology, the NES system can offer superior cost of ownership and simplified logistics by enabling multiple meters to share a single wide-area connection. This unique capability eliminates the need for every meter to bear the cost and complexity of its own dedicated radio module, while overcoming the limited bandwidth capabilities of legacy power line automated meter reading (AMR) systems.