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Enel and Endesa took a major step forward in the implementation of global smart meter solutions. Mr Livio Gallo, Head of Enel Distribuzione SpA, and Mr José Luis Marín López-Otero, General Director of Endesa Distribuciòn SA, announced the setting up of  an  international non-profit association METERS AND MORE under Belgian legislation. The Association will operate and promote the new generation communication protocol METERS AND MORE and will be open to third parties.
 
The Association will be based in Brussels and its legal personality will be granted by means of a Royal Decree.

The protocol enables bidirectional data transfer between smart meters and central billing systems in an Advanced Smart Metering environment. The METERS AND MORE initiative is a concrete step aimed at implementing the EU Commission Mandate 441 to achieve standard pan-European Smart Metering solutions.

The Association will further develop the protocol specifications, certify compliance of the new equipment with such specifications and promote the protocol’s application throughout Europe. Membership of METERS AND MORE will be opened to other industry players, leading research institutes and universities, that will be able to access to and further develop the protocol, hence supporting the standardisation of communication solutions across the continent.

Enel’s “Telegestore” is the unique AMM solution in operation worldwide over 32 millions customers. METERS AND MORE will be applied to the new generation of smart meters that Endesa will install at its 13 million Spanish customers.
“I am really proud to announce the extension of ENEL’s METERS AND MORE communication protocol to other international utilities, which are invited to join the METERS AND MORE Association.” Stated Mr Livio Gallo, Head of Enel Distribuzione. “Thanks to METERS AND MORE, global advanced metering solutions will be made available across Europe. This is an important step in the development of the smart grid vision”.

 “I am honoured that Enel and Endesa have joined forces to promote this important initiative.” Stated  José Luìs Marín López-Otero, General Director of Endesa Distribuciòn. “The METERS AND MORE Association, open to all international partners, will enable the implementation of smart grid solutions as well as promoting the creation of a reliable and cost-efficient standard, which will be applied to millions of meters worldwide”

In 2001, Enel began an investment program of around 2 billion euros that sought to replace traditional electromechanical meters with new modern electronic devices over five years.  These new smart meters, managed by the Enel AMM Solution now available to all of the Group’s 32 million customers in Italy, can be locally and remotely managed. The project was successfully completed in 2006 and, as a result of this experience Enel has become the world leader in smart grid technology and operations. The first utility in the world to project and install those devices and the company with the largest number of meters currently installed.

Working synergically together with Enel to bring the most from these advanced technologies, Endesa will begin a first controlled replacement of its electro-mechanical meters with the new smart meters in 2010. The successful completion of this first stage will be followed by the mass roll-out of 13 million smart meters throughout Endesa’s entire Spanish distribution network.

Thanks to the establishment of METERS AND MORE, Enel and Endesa will make their field-proven technology available to projects, such as “OPEN Meter”, that are currently implementing the European Commission mandate to standardise remote meter management solutions across the continent.