Landis+Gyr to make lives of 90,000 Finns ‘smart’ with key deal

January 13, 2011 – Landis+Gyr, the world leader in energy management solutions, has signed an agreement with Oulu Energy in Finland for the delivery of the Landis+Gyr Gridstream smart metering solution and smart metering hardware. The deal is one of the largest of its kind in Finland, and rollout will take place between 2011 and 2012.

Ari Tolonen, Managing Director of Landis+Gyr Finland, says: “Our smart metering solution Gridstream supports multi-energy measurement, and we are already actively involved in the district heating and gas businesses. Although national legislation does not impose any requirements on bodies other than electricity utilities, multi-energy companies have shown a keen interest in the benefits of smart metering. We are also actively participating in the development of water smart metering, which holds enormous potential for savings through energy efficiency.”

Antti Timonen, Managing Director of Oulun Energia Siirto ja Jakelu Oy, said: “New energy management tools will have a huge impact at the national level: they allow us to participate in the reduction of our total energy consumption and the fulfillment of the energy efficiency targets set for Finland.”

The introduction of smart metering systems by Finnish utilities is in full swing, after national legislation on billing and smart metering came into force in spring 2009. Utilities are now preparing to meet the requirement that 80 percent of households be equipped with smart metering by the end of 2013.

This latest announcement sees Landis+Gyr’s Gridstream solution continue to expand its footprint as deployment of smart metering in Europe, which forms the foundation of the smart grid, begins to take shape. Finland is at the forefront of smart metering in the EU, and well ahead of the timetable laid down in the 3rd Energy package to have 80 percent of European households enjoying the benefits of smart metering by 2020.

The agreement between Landis+Gyr and Oulu Energy covers meter reading services of 90,000 metering points for seven years. The deal also includes the delivery of 62,000 new smart meters, as well as communications and integration to Oulu Energy IT systems. Landis+Gyr is responsible for the solutions planning and installation project. The service agreement covers also the existing 28,000 smart metering points, which were also delivered by Landis+Gyr.

The EU recently released its Energy Infrastructure Package, which cites the expedited rollout of smart metering as a key step in achieving its 2020 goals. Smart meters and power grids are highlighted as the key to realizing the full potential for renewable energy and energy savings, and as essential to the smooth functioning of the European energy market and to the security of energy supply.

Landis+Gyr’s smart metering solution Gridstream offers a complete portfolio of meters, standardised communication technologies and software for multi energy smart metering. The complete end-to-end
solution ensures seamless flow of information and provides tools for personal energy management and network management support, forming the foundation of the smart grid.