Smart Metering

Smart Metering: Eaton also covers the left-hand side of the switching cabinet

Vienna … As a pioneer in protection technology, Eaton is well represented on the right-hand side of the distribution panel with its circuit-breakers and RCCB switches. Now Eaton is also increasing its products for the left-hand side and is cooperating here with the Echelon Corporation in the USA. Previously the world upstream of the distribution panel was the domain of energy suppliers and distributors, whilst the world behind it was the domain of the consumers. Eaton is now bringing both worlds together with a comprehensive smart metering solution. For this a cooperation has been formed between three strong and prestigious partners - Echelon in the meter business, Eaton in the power distribution, industrial and building automation sector, and Kapsch BusinessCom, a leading system integrator for solutions in the telecommunication and network sector.

For a long time already Eaton has been working on the issue of energy saving with innovative products such as the central off function, the energy manager or the energy measuring sensor. This product line is being further developed thanks to the impetus given by the EUP Directive of the EU: A value-added reseller partnership with Echelon has enabled Eaton to enter the meter business. In future, Eaton and Echelon will be providing the direct communication path between the meters and the xComfort range behind it - wirelessly.

The official start took place at the Metering Europe fair in Barcelona in September 2009: With its NES (Networked Energy Services) system, Echelon has been successful in the field of smart metering for several years. Echelon provides the basic know-how and the NES infrastructure for smart metering and measuring, whilst Eaton provides its value-added solutions on top. This has been simplified through the use of an MEP (Multipurpose Expansion Port) interface which is provided as an onboard interface on Echelon's latest generation of meters.

The electricity meters supplied by Echelon are normally designed for use in houses and apartments. The meter family offers the metering of up to four tariffs and multichannel load recording in addition to remote reading via the integrated Powerline Communication (PLC) modem. A wired or wireless connection of gas, water and heat meters is provided by means of an integrated MBus interface, whilst the Multipurpose Expansion Port (MEP) provides the gateway to a wide range of applications from the home automation sector. This interface now enables the Echelon meter to also be compatible with xComfort. The wide range of Eaton devices (meters, energy measuring sensors) measure, visualize (room manager, displays, TVolutionX) and control (home, room, energy manager) private energy consumption.

According to the Energy End Use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive 2006/32/EC, an energy saving potential of 20 percent must be achieved by 2020. In future, energy suppliers must regularly - not just once a year - provide information about who consumes too much energy and also suggest improvements. This requirement is the basis of smart metering. Eaton is developing a comprehensive solution - with a portfolio ranging in future from the meter, to consumption visualization, all the way to the control of devices in place. Intelligent systems are likewise planned for using electricity outside of peak load times.

Eaton Industries GmbH
Electrical Sector
Hein-Moeller-Straße 7-11
53115 Bonn
Phone: +49 (0)228 602-0
Fax: +49 (0)228 602-2275
E-Mail: PresseEGBonn@Eaton.com
Internet: www.moeller.net

Please direct your enquiries to:
Corporate Communications, Phone: +49 (0)228 602-2915

  (86 KB) Text as Word file

  (391 KB) Image as ZIP file

Eaton's Moeller Business

Since April 2008, Moeller has been a part of the Eaton Electrical Sector of the Eaton Corporation, a diversified power management company with 70,000 employees and an annual turnover of about US$ 11.9 billion in 2009. www.eaton.com/moellerproducts

Eaton's electrical sector

Eaton's electrical sector is a global leader in power distribution, power quality, control and industrial automation products and services. Eaton's global electrical product lines, including Cutler-Hammer®, Moeller®, Powerware®, Holec®, MEM®, Santak®, and MGE Office Protection Systems™ provide customer-driven PowerChain Management® solutions to serve the power system needs of the data center, industrial, institutional, government, utility, commercial, residential, and OEM markets worldwide.

Eaton Corporation

Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with 2009 sales of $11.9 billion. Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 70,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit

For more information, visit www.eaton.com.