Press release

Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, January 29, 2009 Elster and ABB announce partnership to combine technologies of Elster's advance metering infrastructure and ABB's instrument transformers

Elster, a leader in smart metering and smart grid systems and solutions, and ABB, a global leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance, today announce the development of a new revenue grade medium voltage metering node, uniquely suited to meeting critical medium voltage monitoring needs of the smart grid.

The smart grid medium voltage metering node combines ABB’s innovative instrument transformer technology, integrating power sensing in a combined voltage-current (CVC) self-contained package, with Elster’s industry leading ALPHA® metering platform resulting in an advanced, self-powered medium voltage polyphase metering node.

In addition to the benefits of simplified installation offered by ABB’s CVC, utilities also realize significant benefits from Elster’s ALPHA meter equipped with integrated communications from systems such as Elster’s EnergyAxis®. Through this integrated approach, data gathered from medium voltage locations can be combined and time-synchronized with other system-level data allowing utilities to more efficiently monitor and operate their distribution network.

“Elster is excited to have ABB participate in Elster’s Advanced Grid Infrastructure (AGI) Initiative. Elster and ABB share a common goal of providing products to help utilities realize the smart grid, and the medium voltage monitoring node is another example in our mutual heritage of utility industry innovation,” said Carl LaPlace, Elster senior AGI product manager.

“Our vast experience in development of medium voltage instrument transformer sensor technology allows ABB to realize innovative products like the CVC that meet both the high reliability and accuracy demands needed for grid modernization,” said Marco Machi, ABB sales and marketing manager. “Working with technology leaders like Elster results in new product solutions for utilities to harvest feeder information to drive new applications for smarter grid management.”