Mexico City, the oldest metropolitan area on the American continent, is earning a forward-thinking reputation with an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) program that will bring the advantages of the Smart Grid to its dense population of more than 20 million.
The Mexican Secretaria de Energia (SENER) and Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) will use a pilot test of The EnergyAxis System , made by the Elster Group, to evaluate the advantages and potential of this smart grid technology for future deployments.
The CFE is a company created and owned by the Mexican government. It generates, distributes, and markets electric power to almost 34.2 million customers, or 97.8 percent of the country’s population.
Elster is the first and only AMI provider to have received a Certificate of Compliance from CFE, which certifies the integration of EnergyAxis with CFE's enterprise system. To date Elster, a world leader in AMI based in Raleigh, North Carolina, has successfully deployed nine EnergyAxis systems throughout 14 of Mexico's 16 energy service areas on behalf of CFE – making EnergyAxis the principal AMI system with the most endpoints in the country.
As part of this project, Elster will deploy its EnergyAxis Smart Grid solution and smart meters in the zone of Polanco – a group of seven official residential neighborhoods (“colonias”) in Mexico City, including Los Morales, Del Bosque, Polanco Reforma, Polanco Chapultepec, Chapultepec Morales, Bosque de Chapultepec and Residencial del Bosque . About 50,000 people live in this area, which also is known for its upscale hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and corporate offices.
By demonstrating AMI features such as remote meter reading in hard to reach areas, energy usage monitoring, remote connect/disconnect, load management and AMI-DA (distribution automation) convergence in voltage monitoring, the Elster project will expand CFE's Smart Grid initiatives even further. CFE expects to leverage its investment in EnergyAxis to provide Smart Grid enhancements to other gas and water utilities
CFE will use the project to showcase AMI benefits including system improvements, increased productivity, reduced outages, more accurate readings, improved operational efficiencies related to fewer truck rolls and service calls, and a reduction in non-technical losses.
“Mexico City has a reputation for setting the standard for technology innovation and adoption. The city's selection of Elster's proven technology for its Smart Grid project reflects that reputation and can serve as a blueprint for AMI success across the region. We are looking forward to working with CFE on Mexico City's landmark Smart Grid AMI project,” stated Mark Munday, president and CEO of Elster Solutions.
Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
