Electrica Expands its NES System by Executing Option for Smart Grid Project in Romania

San Jose, CA, April 02, 2020: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAP^TM), announced today that Electrica's SDEE Muntenia Nord has exercised an additional option to purchase and install an additional 32,000 NES smart meters and associated data concentrators and software associated with the NES System and solution. Electrica is a utility in Romania with three DSO companies, including SDEE Muntenia Nord, and about 3.7M electricity customers. This project further expands the NES infrastructure and project with Electrica, which includes cooperation with local project partner Adrem Engineering as well as integration with the IDSpecto MDM System from Görlitz AG.

This enacted optional order provides confirmation of the success and performance of the NES System for Electrica, which follows several previous successful projects in Romania with SDEE Transilvania Nord and SDEE Muntenia Nord, where the NES System is effectively delivering 15 minute load profile data for the installed meters at a daily availability rate that is greater than 99.7%. This outstanding daily availability is achieved through the use of the industry leading OSGP (Open Smart Grid Protocol) based power line communication technology.  The 15 minute load profile data provided by the system includes billing consumption data and power quality voltage data (minimum, rms values, and maximum) for each phase connected to the meter – providing a rich source of information to support low-voltage grid operations, capacity management and transmission loss reductions.

Prior to the new order, Electrica's DSO SDEE Muntenia Nord previously selected Adrem and the NES System as a result of a public tender procedure. Besides proven ability to provide remote reading of metering and power quality data, the solution provides the opportunities for innovation and differentiation offered through the NES Patagonia Energy Applications Platform. This platform, built on the distributed intelligence and computing resources in the NES System, enables Electrica’s customers to actively participate in energy conservation programs and allows Electrica to implement NES Applications, like Grid Navigator and Grid Flow, to identify and help reduce the amount of losses in its low voltage network. In addition, this allows Electrica to introduce Grid Watch that adds intrusion detection and response capabilities. These are in addition to the NES Patagonia Platform’s extensive industry leading security features, such as automatically changing unique meter keys and AES-128 encryption, which are designed to help protect, detect and respond to cybersecurity threats in an efficient and timely manner.

"By exercising this option, Electrica has demonstrated their confidence in the value of the NES System as the market’s premier smart metering system and Adrem as a trusted project management partner,” said David Thomson, President and CEO of NES. "We are excited to continue working with Electrica and our partners in this expanded project in Romania. This project showcases how our Patagonia Energy Applications Platform enables the smart energy transition enabling utilities to respond to and actively lead market change, by providing future proof metering infrastructure, smart grid apps and extensive security features."

 “Electrica’s decision to continuing expanding the use of the NES Patagonia Platform and IDSpecto directly compliments the Romanian Smart Grid strategy because of its rich features, proven reliability, and superior security capabilities,” according to Andrei Berechet, Director of Business Development for Adrem. “We continue to be impressed by the NES future proof solution that can incorporate value added smart grid applications through their Energy Applications Platform, as well as allowing remote upgrades to smart meters to provide new security enhancements and new features. This will ensure the DSOs in Romania can stay aligned to developing regulatory requirements, continue to innovate in their consumer services and make the transition to smart sustainable energy.”

About Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES)
Networked Energy Services Corporation is a global smart energy leader in the worldwide transformation of the electricity grid into an energy control network, enabling utilities to provide their customers with a more efficient and reliable service, to protect their systems from current and emerging cybersecurity threats, and to offer innovative new services that enable active, intelligent use of energy. NES was formed as a result of the spinoff of Echelon Corporation’s Grid Modernization Division in October 2014. NES is headquartered in the US with R&D centers located in Silicon Valley, North Dakota and Poland, and sales offices throughout the world. NES’ smart grid technology is used in nearly 40 million smart meters and other smart end devices around the world. NES is a member of the OSGP Alliance, a global association of utilities and smart grid companies, which promotes the Open Smart Grid Protocol and cooperates to provide utilities greater value by enabling true, independently-certified, multi-vendor interoperability based upon open international specifications and standards. You can find out more information about NES, its Patagonia Energy Applications Platform^TM (including grid management software, distributed control nodes, and smart meters) and services at: https://networkedenergy.com/en

About Adrem Engineering
Adrem Engineering develops and implements comprehensive energy infrastructure solutions, from complex general contracting to in-house equipment development. The company's history began in 1999, when Adrem Invest entered the automation market by establishing the SCADA &Automation Division. What followed were 20 years of research, development and implementation of SCADA and process automation solutions. A key moment in the history of the division was the adaptation of its project portfolio to the concept of "Energy Efficiency through Technology" and introduction of Smart Metering and Smart Grid solutions to its portfolio. Since 2014 the division began operating as an independent company and has proven itself as one of the market leaders for Operational Technology, serving utilities in the electricity, gas, water &heating and transport electrification markets. Additional information is available at: https://adrem.ro/