CFE Selects Elster's EnergyAxis(R) Smart Grid Solution to Deliver Operational Efficiencies

RALEIGH, N.C., April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Elster today announced that the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), Mexico's state power company, has successfully integrated Elster's EnergyAxis® Management System (EA_MS) with CFE's customer information and billing systems to provide additional operational efficiencies for the utility.

Elster is the first and only AMI provider to have received a Certificate of Compliance from CFE, which certifies the integration of its two-way EnergyAxis system with CFE's enterprise system.

The two-way integration allows CFE to automate its data collection process, detect non-technical losses, improve customer service and execute remote disconnections more quickly and cost effectively.

Enabled by EnergyAxis, CFE is currently reading residential and commercial meters remotely. The Elster technology provides CFE with the capability to efficiently and remotely interrupt service on overdue accounts and to promptly reconnect service once an overdue account balance is paid. CFE customers can now reconnect their service immediately by paying their bill at any CFE ATM machine located throughout Mexico.  

CFE has successfully deployed eight EnergyAxis Systems throughout Mexico, making the EnergyAxis solution the largest two-way AMI system currently deployed in the country, with more connected endpoints than any other system.

"Elster and CFE have been partners for many years, and we are delighted to continue this productive long-term relationship by providing another advanced technology solution that delivers reliability, flexibility and important energy information and customer service solutions to CFE," said Mark L. Munday, president and CEO, Elster Solutions, North America.  

EnergyAxis, a field-proven Smart Grid solution with more than 3.5 million endpoints deployed with utilities across North America, enables utilities to:

• Realize operational efficiencies;
• Implement demand response programs that can conserve resources and reduce costs, especially during periods of peak demand;
• Improve customer service;
• Reduce outage response and repair time;
• Provide real-time information to end consumers to allow them to better manage their energy consumption; and
• Conserve environmental and economic resources by reducing the loss of electricity, gas and water as they move from the supply source to homes and businesses.

About Elster

Elster is one of the world's largest providers of electricity, gas and water meters and related communications, networking and software solutions, which are key components for enabling energy efficiency and conservation. Its products and solutions are widely used by customers in the manual-read meter and Smart Grid markets.  

Elster has one of the most extensive installed meter bases in the world, with more than 200 million metering devices deployed over the course of the last 10 years. It sells its products and services in more than 130 countries across electricity, gas, water and multi-utility applications for both residential and commercial and industrial customers.

With a heritage of more than 170 years of providing metering solutions, Elster enjoys a reputation as a leading innovator and has played, and continues to play, an important role in shaping industry standards with respect to performance, reliability, accuracy and functionality.

Elster was acquired by funds advised by CVC Capital Partners in September 2005.

For more information about Elster, please visit www.elster.com.

SOURCE Elster