Working together, GridSmartCity™ partners are pursuing a goal to speed the development and deployment of Smart Grids and Smart Grid devices that enable utilities, industry, and consumers to use energy more wisely.

GridSmartCity™ will assist consumers to learn more about Smart Grids, time differentiated prices and in-home energy management tools. A better understanding of their energy use helps consumers to manage their electricity cost more successfully.

Elster Canada, a leader in Smart Metering and Smart Grid systems and solutions, is another key founding partner of GridSmartCity™.  Burlington Hydro has selected Elster’s EnergyAxis® System to support the utility’s GridSmartCity vision.

As part of the GridSmartCity™ initiative, Burlington Hydro will install EnergyAxis Smart Meters, related communication equipment and back office systems with installations beginning in the spring 2009.  The installation of Smart Meters will fulfill the Ontario Government’s Smart Meter Plan to have Smart Meters installed in all households, businesses and institutions across the province by the end of 2010.

Building on our past Smart Meter test pilots, and ongoing installations in new residential developments in Burlington, the full roll-out of Smart Meter installations began June 1st, 2009.

Also by the end of 2010, the Ontario government has established a goal of collecting hourly interval data from every home in the province. The EnergyAxis System will allow Burlington Hydro to leverage the collected hourly usage data, and then implement actions to help its consumers better understand and manage their electrical usage in support of the utility’s energy conservation efforts. The system will also provide valuable information for future Smart Grid applications.

The EnergyAxis System is already employed by other Ontario utilities and currently gathers more than 1 million meter points of hourly billing data from a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial Ontario energy consumers.

The province’s Smart Meter mandate pre-existed the new Green Energy Act, although Smart Meters are considered a key enabler of Smart Grid intelligence.  Investments and cost recovery associated with the installation of Smart Meters are regulated under the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998.