Z-Wave Alliance strengthens its leading position in the smart metering market

Citation

(2011), "Z-Wave Alliance strengthens its leading position in the smart metering market", Sensor Review, Vol. 31 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2011.08731bab.003

Z-Wave Alliance strengthens its leading position in the smart metering market

Article Type: News From: Sensor Review, Volume 31, Issue 2

The Z-Wave Alliance has announced its newest member: Kamstrup, the Danish manufacturer of metering solutions, which now joins the leading industry consortium in the field of home control solutions. With the addition of Kamstrup, the Z-Wave Alliance further reinforces its major role in the integration of energy-saving and smart metering solutions into intelligent home networks.

Kamstrup is a globally active hi-tech company specialising in the field of system solutions for energy metering. It serves energy suppliers with sustainable technologies that automatically collect and administer data regarding energy consumption in electricity, cooling, heating, water and gas units, in a clear and cost-saving manner.

Z-Wave technology is the leading two-way wireless communications protocol for smart metering products, with over 300 home control products already on the market. Z-Wave’s advanced energy control (AEC) framework allows energy providers and smart metering manufacturers to establish an intelligent, forward-looking and environmentally friendly energy management system for households. Kamstrup is planning to integrate Z-Wave technology into its meter modules in the second quarter of 2009. This will allow energy consumption data to be sent to smart energy displays, home control centres and energy suppliers.

“As a leading international company in the field of metering solutions Kamstrup knows the importance of integrating Z-Wave technology”, says Lis Muusmann, Marketing Manager at Kamstrup.

“Companies like as Kamstrup enrich the Z-Wave ecosystem with Smart Metering solutions, which will bring consumers an important step further towards reducing their energy consumption”, comments Raoul Wijgergangs, Chairman of the Z-Wave Alliance.

Z-Wave as a key to energy conservation

The Z-Wave AEC represents the latest advances in the field of domestic energy management. It is the industry’s largest ecosystem, as it combines and guarantees interoperability between over 300 products from the areas of smart metering and home control. Investments in Z-Wave technology are future-proof, for both consumers and energy utilities. Z-Wave technology lets homeowners obtain a clear overview of the energy consumption of their electric and heating devices. This new level of usage transparency allows consumers to make effective decisions on reducing consumption. Z-Wave integrates functions such as smart metering, consumer notifications, automated load shedding and whole-home control. This enables real-time energy management that reduces consumption and costs, and provides active control of all energy-consuming appliances. The Z-Wave ecosystem makes it possible to view the current status at any time and from any place in order to ascertain, for example, at what time the most resources are used, and allow adjustments as required. Furthermore, homeowners can also make the most of the availability of various billing methods, such as billing in accordance with duration of use or in accordance with certain tariff times. This allows consumption to be reduced at peak times, and also gives energy providers the opportunity to adjust their production levels to actual demand.

Secure transmission to the provider

Assurance of security is central to metering applications: data transmissions to providers contain personal information about consumers along with the readings and settings from the meters. Z-Wave provides a secure, dynamic and scaleable end-to-end data transfer between metering devices and energy provider. The Z-Wave AEC standardises the communication and/or the remote automated meter reading (AMR) process that occurs between the meter in the building and the energy supplier. The method of transmission is specially configured for AMR, which means that the accuracy and security of the data can be guaranteed. AES 128-bit encryption is used to enable provision of secure access to metering devices from any computer via the internet.

For more information about Z-Wave, please visit: www.z-wave.com