Landis+Gyr to bring 630,000 smart meters to Estonia

ZUG, Switzerland and JYVASKYLA, Finland, Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Landis+Gyr and the Estonian operations of Ericsson, Ericsson Eesti, will provide a residential smart metering solution to the electricity distribution company of Estonia's Eesti Energia, Elektrilevi. All Estonian households will switch to smart metering technology and consumption-based invoicing by 2017. In a further step, Landis+Gyr will help Elektrilevi to significantly enhance the efficiency of its electrical network operations.

Ericsson Eesti and Elektrilevi OÜ have signed an agreement for the implementation of the smart metering project. As the main partner of Ericsson Eesti, Landis+Gyr is responsible for providing the smart metering infrastructure for the project, including the smart meters, data concentrators and the head-end system (HES).

“This deployment is truly significant and strengthens Landis+Gyr’s position as the leading smart metering solutions provider in Europe. For us in Landis+Gyr Finland, it is also an interesting new market penetration into the Baltic region", says Ari Tolonen, CEO of Landis+Gyr Finland.

“By 2017, we will be able to extend smart metering to all our customers. The provision of hourly consumption data helps our customers to manage their energy consumption. We can also improve the quality of our customer service and increase customer satisfaction as our service is now based on customers’ real-time consumption data,” says Mait Rahi, Head of Smart Metering Programme at Elektrilevi.

Mr Rahi also states that smart metering provides the opportunity to raise Elektrilevi’s network management to a new level: “The power quality data is received regionally or at the individual metering point. This means that problems in the network can be located and fixed quickly. As a result, it is easier for the distribution company to target investments in the right areas of the network. For the end-customer, this means fewer and shorter power outages and better quality of electricity supply in general terms.”

Ericsson Eesti is responsible for the project and its implementation. It is also responsible for integrating the smart metering system into Elektrilevi’s systems. The Finnish operations of Landis+Gyr, Landis+Gyr Oy, will deliver approximately 630,000 smart household meters, just over 10,000 data concentrators and supply the Gridstream HES smart metering software. The solution utilises PLC data transfer, complemented by 2G/3G technology. Pilot installations of the system will start in autumn 2012; the project is due to be complete by January 2017.

According to Estonian national regulations, the metering system must measure hourly consumption as of 2017, and this is beyond the capability of the current metering infrastructure. Installing smart meters also helps Estonia to contribute to achieving the EU’s 20-20-20 policy goals.

About Landis+Gyr

Landis+Gyr is the leading global provider of integrated energy management products tailored to energy company needs and unique in its ability to deliver true end-to-end advanced metering solutions. Today, the Company offers the broadest portfolio of products and services in the electricity metering industry, and is paving the way for the next generation of smart grid. With annualized sales of more than US$1.5 billion, Landis+Gyr, an independent growth platform of the Toshiba Corporation (TKY:6502) and 40% owned by the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan, operates in 30 countries across five continents, and employs 5,000 people with the sole mission of helping the world manage energy better. More information is available at landisgyr.com.

Press contact

Landis+Gyr Finland,
Ari Tolonen, CEO, tel. + 358 44 044 1001, ari.tolonen@landisgyr.com