Networked Energy Services: Smart meters, utility collection systems and low-voltage grid analytics

Networked Energy Services supplies smart meters, distributed control nodes and software for utility metering and low-voltage grid monitoring.

Summary

Best for
Distribution utilities combining billing readings with low-voltage network visibility.
Less suited to
A small building retrofit needing only a standalone Modbus submeter.
Deployment
Meters and control-point modules, distributed control nodes and utility system software.
Data in
Electricity consumption, generation, supply-quality measurements and device events.
Pricing
Pricing was not established from the reviewed technical sources; request a quote for the exact configuration.

Overview

Networked Energy Services supplies the field devices, collection infrastructure and software used in utility smart-metering networks. Its system overview describes three layers: meters and other grid devices, distributed control nodes, and software at the utility's data centre. This gives the meter a role beyond producing a billing total, since its measurements can also help explain conditions on the low-voltage network.

The Patagonia platform uses those readings for applications such as energy balancing, topology mapping and transformer loading. These are utility-network functions. They are most relevant when a project has access to a population of connected meters and their network relationships, rather than a few unrelated building submeters.

Offering

The NES datasheet catalogue distinguishes MTR 1000 single-phase IEC meters, MTR 3000 polyphase meters, MTR 3500 current-transformer meters and MTR 5000 ANSI meters. The electrical arrangement and applicable meter format are therefore separate selection questions. The catalogue also lists DCN 3000 distributed control nodes and the CPM 6040 control-point module, which occupy different positions in the communication architecture.

On the software side, the same catalogue retains NES System Software, Grid Navigator, Grid Flow and Grid Operations. Grid Watch addresses security monitoring. These names should not be collapsed into one generic dashboard: collection, network analysis, operational management and security each use the metering infrastructure for different purposes.

Products and platforms

  1. Patagonia Energy Applications Platform

    Grid platform

    Distributed intelligence and low-voltage network applications.2

  2. NES Professional Services

    Services

    Support for smart-grid infrastructure projects.7

Technology

NES describes its system in terms of OSGP and DLMS, with power-line communication playing an important role in its deployed architecture. The product overview explains that distributed control nodes communicate with system software over IP backhaul and provide local processing resources. This separates the field-meter network from the onward connection to the utility's systems.

The software documentation also identifies XML and SOAP web-service interfaces and enterprise authentication integration with Microsoft Active Directory. It names meter-data-management connections from Siemens, Oracle, Görlitz, Schneider Electric and Powel. Those are documented enterprise integration routes, distinct from claiming that a meter itself implements every interface used by the head-end software.

Markets

The Electrica Romania project illustrates utility modernization involving smart metering and integration into the wider business. The Ravdex Denmark case focuses on visibility into the distribution network. Together these examples distinguish operational grid information from the billing-read collection that first motivates many smart-meter deployments.

NES also offers professional services around its system. This is relevant to utilities maintaining an installed estate while extending applications: the work includes the collection architecture and software as well as meter hardware. Comparing the supplier therefore involves its support for the operating system of meters and control nodes, rather than treating each endpoint as a standalone purchase.

Company

NES was formed in October 2014 through the spin-off of Echelon Corporation's Grid Modernization Division. Its official history separately traces the predecessor business to Echelon's establishment in 1988 by A.C. Mike Markkula. The founding date shown here refers to NES as a company, rather than assigning it the older predecessor date.

The same history identifies corporate headquarters in San Jose, California, and describes earlier utility projects with Enel and the Dutch operator then associated with Nuon. The technology lineage explains the continuing emphasis on networked devices, power-line communications and distributed intelligence. The current product catalogue retains both meter hardware and the software applications built around those networks.

Alternatives in power metering and monitoring

What to look for in power metering and monitoring

References

  1. NES history, 2014 spin-off and corporate headquarters (opens in a new tab)
  2. NES three-layer system and enterprise integrations (opens in a new tab)
  3. NES exact meter families and application catalogue (opens in a new tab)
  4. NES Grid Watch and security platform (opens in a new tab)
  5. Electrica Romania smart-energy project (opens in a new tab)
  6. Ravdex Denmark grid-visibility case (opens in a new tab)
  7. NES professional services (opens in a new tab)

This profile does not imply a commercial relationship with Networked Energy Services and may contain inaccuracies.