CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Cleveland Utilities is taking its first steps toward a smart-grid system for its Electric Division.
Utility board members last week voted to approve Elster Metering, a German firm with a manufacturing plant in Raleigh, N.C., to provide automated metering infrastructure.
So-called smart meters, when linked with controllable appliances and programmable thermostats, can limit energy waste and measure power usage for time-of-day pricing based on demand.
Board members also approved a new bond issue in the 2011 budget, accounting division manager Ken Webb said. The $7.5 million bond issue will include $5 million for the smart-grid system plus the cost of other improvements.
Cleveland Utilities expects installation of the smart grid to take three years.
The process began in July when eight advanced metering infrastructure vendors responded to a request for qualifications. Four finalists were chosen in October and asked to submit proposals.
The request for proposals included 176 detailed questions about software, hardware, communications and how the company would work as a partner with Cleveland Utilities, CU General Manager Tom Wheeler said.
“They went through a lot of evaluation, because this is a big step towards a smart grid,” Mr. Wheeler said.
He said Elster Meterin is based in Essen, Germany.
“Their roots are in Westinghouse,” Mr. Wheeler said. “They started as a division of Westinghouse and were sold to ABB in 1997 and then to the Elster Group in 2002.”
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