About NES

NES was formed as a result of the spinoff of Echelon Corporation’s Grid Modernization Division in October 2014. However, the beginnings of NES go back much further than October 2014. Echelon Corporation was founded in 1988 by A. C. "Mike" Markkula, an original principal in Apple Computer, and led by M. Kenneth Oshman, one of the four founders of Rolm Corporation. Mike Markula was an angel investor for Apple Computer and also the second CEO of Apple Computer. The original vision for computer networking - connecting all kinds of devices ranging from industrial components to refrigerators and thermostats in the home - was ahead of its time. It ultimately found expression in systems that insure efficient energy use, known today as the “smart grid” and “IOT or the Internet of Things.” Echelon started as a private company that later successfully completed a public offering in July 1998.

NES has more than 20 years of experience working with utilities companies worldwide to supply the infrastructure for automation and value-added services for a broad range of applications. Ever since its birth, NES has been deeply involved in the world’s leading networked smart metering system deployments for utilities and DSOs, including more than 100 smart metering / smart grid projects and pilots in more than 25 different countries. In June 2000, Echelon entered into a research and development agreement with Enel, the world’s largest publicly traded utility, under which we integrated our PLC technology into Enel’s remote metering project in Italy. In this project, the largest meter replacement and upgrade project ever undertaken in the world, Enel replaced its more than 30 million existing stand-alone electricity meters with powerline communicating solid-state meters. Our NES System builds upon the same core PLC communications technology, data concentrator technology and open standards employed in Enel’s Contatore Elettronico project and provides utilities with an extremely cost-effective system that can be deployed quickly to deliver immediate cost savings and operational improvements.

In September 2002, Echelon began a technology trial with Continuon Netbeheer, a leading Dutch utility grid operator and subsidiary of the Dutch utility Nuon, now known as Alliander. The initial trial progressed to a larger deployment of the initial NES system, including the first of its kind joint deployment of smart electric meters and smart gas meters on the same communications infrastructure, with full connectivity through to Continuon’s information systems and business processes. Following these projects, NES has worked on numerous advanced smart grid meter deployments with large utilities such as Vattenfall and E.ON in Sweden, Fortum (Caruna) in Finland, Duke Energy in the U.S, Tauron in Poland, SEAS-NVE (Cerius), NRGi (Konstant), EnergiMidt (Eniig) and ELRO in Denmark, and Alliander in the Netherlands as well as numerous other deployments and trials with utilities throughout the world. Today, NES’ smart grid technology is used in more than 40 million smart meters and other smart end devices around the world.

In the early stages of its existence, the NES System was composed primarily of Smart Meters, Data Concentrators and a head-end data collection system. The collection of devices and software tools that comprise the NES System has expanded since that time. In 2017, the Patagonia Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM) was launched with two applications in hand: Grid Navigator and Grid Flow. Grid Navigator is the analytics foundation of the Energy Applications Platform and provides the essential visibility of the Low Voltage grid while Grid Flow allows utilities to take preventive action based on insights related to power quality issues and load imbalances. Two new applications, Grid Watch and Grid Operations, were added to the EAP suite in 2018 to provide security teams with clear indicators of cyber threat and attack and support utilities in achieving the desired level of operational competence quickly.

These smart grid applications followed the introduction of OSGP (Open Smart Grid Protocol) Modules. OSGP Modules vastly expanded the capacities of the NES system by providing the capacity to transform basic electric meter and devices into smart, communicating meters capable of interoperating with the Networked Energy Services (NES) system in much the same fashion that meters manufactured by NES do. As part of this effort, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) published the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP). This specification, based largely on the way the NES system is designed, defines an open standard for smart grid device communication on networks such as the NES System, providing even more opportunity for the NES system to grow.

NES has continuously focused on improving and expanding its features and portfolio of products over the years. Some examples include a highly advanced Distributed Control Node that offers significant improvements over the earlier Data Concentrator models, new Generation of Smart Meters, and new tools to assist with the deployment and operation of the system.

NES looks forward to continuing to evolve and improve these products to offer the best and most efficient smart grid networking options possible.

NES was formed as a result of the spinoff of Echelon Corporation’s Grid Modernization Division in October 2014. However, the beginnings of NES go back much further than October 2014. Echelon Corporation was founded in 1988 by A. C. "Mike" Markkula, an original principal in Apple Computer, and led by M. Kenneth Oshman, one of the four founders of Rolm Corporation. Mike Markula was an angel investor for Apple Computer and also the second CEO of Apple Computer. The original vision for computer networking - connecting all kinds of devices ranging from industrial components to refrigerators and thermostats in the home - was ahead of its time. It ultimately found expression in systems that insure efficient energy use, known today as the “smart grid” and “IOT or the Internet of Things.” Echelon started as a private company that later successfully completed a public offering in July 1998.

NES has more than 20 years of experience working with utilities companies worldwide to supply the infrastructure for automation and value-added services for a broad range of applications. Ever since its birth, NES has been deeply involved in the world’s leading networked smart metering system deployments for utilities and DSOs, including more than 100 smart metering / smart grid projects and pilots in more than 25 different countries. In June 2000, Echelon entered into a research and development agreement with Enel, the world’s largest publicly traded utility, under which we integrated our PLC technology into Enel’s remote metering project in Italy. In this project, the largest meter replacement and upgrade project ever undertaken in the world, Enel replaced its more than 30 million existing stand-alone electricity meters with powerline communicating solid-state meters. Our NES System builds upon the same core PLC communications technology, data concentrator technology and open standards employed in Enel’s Contatore Elettronico project and provides utilities with an extremely cost-effective system that can be deployed quickly to deliver immediate cost savings and operational improvements.

In September 2002, Echelon began a technology trial with Continuon Netbeheer, a leading Dutch utility grid operator and subsidiary of the Dutch utility Nuon, now known as Alliander. The initial trial progressed to a larger deployment of the initial NES system, including the first of its kind joint deployment of smart electric meters and smart gas meters on the same communications infrastructure, with full connectivity through to Continuon’s information systems and business processes. Following these projects, NES has worked on numerous advanced smart grid meter deployments with large utilities such as Vattenfall and E.ON in Sweden, Fortum (Caruna) in Finland, Duke Energy in the U.S, Tauron in Poland, SEAS-NVE (Cerius), NRGi (Konstant), EnergiMidt (Eniig) and ELRO in Denmark, and Alliander in the Netherlands as well as numerous other deployments and trials with utilities throughout the world. Today, NES’ smart grid technology is used in more than 40 million smart meters and other smart end devices around the world.

In the early stages of its existence, the NES System was composed primarily of Smart Meters, Data Concentrators and a head-end data collection system. The collection of devices and software tools that comprise the NES System has expanded since that time. In 2017, the Patagonia Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM) was launched with two applications in hand: Grid Navigator and Grid Flow. Grid Navigator is the analytics foundation of the Energy Applications Platform and provides the essential visibility of the Low Voltage grid while Grid Flow allows utilities to take preventive action based on insights related to power quality issues and load imbalances. Two new applications, Grid Watch and Grid Operations, were added to the EAP suite in 2018 to provide security teams with clear indicators of cyber threat and attack and support utilities in achieving the desired level of operational competence quickly.

These smart grid applications followed the introduction of OSGP (Open Smart Grid Protocol) Modules. OSGP Modules vastly expanded the capacities of the NES system by providing the capacity to transform basic electric meter and devices into smart, communicating meters capable of interoperating with the Networked Energy Services (NES) system in much the same fashion that meters manufactured by NES do. As part of this effort, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) published the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP). This specification, based largely on the way the NES system is designed, defines an open standard for smart grid device communication on networks such as the NES System, providing even more opportunity for the NES system to grow.

NES has continuously focused on improving and expanding its features and portfolio of products over the years. Some examples include a highly advanced Distributed Control Node that offers significant improvements over the earlier Data Concentrator models, new Generation of Smart Meters, and new tools to assist with the deployment and operation of the system.

NES looks forward to continuing to evolve and improve these products to offer the best and most efficient smart grid networking options possible.