Echelon Corp. and Holley Metering Ltd will initially collaborate to develop advanced smart metering products that meet the stringent requirements for the vast China market set by the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. (CSG). The partnership will leverage Echelon’s experience in energy control networking systems, including reliable power line control and communications hardware and software components for smart grid applications, and Holley Metering’s breadth of metering solutions and customer relationships.

In China, utilities generally prefer to use the low voltage power line for “last mile” smart grid communication and control to maximize reliability, provide broadest capabilities and minimize deployment costs. Together, Holley Metering and Echelon will design Echelon’s power line smart transceivers into meter communications modules and adapt Echelon’s Control Operating System (COS) and control modules to the unique standards of the China marketplace. This will provide Chinese utilities with a reliable communications system and a broad range of advanced features including adapting meshing and automatic topology management. The end result is utilities will be able to offer a richer set of services to their customers and extract more value from the grid.

Over the coming months, the companies will develop and certify the advanced smart metering products created under this agreement in China, with plans to secure pilots with current Holley Metering customers in early 2012.