Consumers Energy, a major Michigan utility, has selected Elster's EnergyAxis Smart Grid solution as part of a pilot program to evaluate cutting edge smart grid technologies.

Officials with Elster said that Consumers Energy plans to install the company’s EnergyAxis residential and commercial smart meters as part of its smart grid pilot program this spring and plans to use the results of that program to help shape its future smart grid investment decisions. 

“After seeing the successful large scale deployments of EnergyAxis with other utilities, and testing it extensively in our labs, we are looking forward to seeing how the EnergyAxis solution will perform in our system and how this technology could support our efforts to provide efficient and cost-effective service to customers,” said Wayne Longcore, director of enterprise architecture and standards for Consumers Energy, in a statement. 

The company officials said that 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 and reduce outage response and repair time. 

“Smart grids will enable natural resource conservation, improve the way utilities operate their distribution systems and provide new options which empower consumers to manage their energy usage,” said Mark L. Munday, president and CEO, Elster, North America. 

Munday said that Elster has an established track record of delivering reliable, innovative solutions to the customers and the company looks forward to showcasing its technology to an industry pioneer like Consumers Energy. 

Elster is a provider of electricity, gas and water meters, and related communications, networking and software solutions which are key components for enabling energy efficiency and conservation.

In addition to the pilot program, Consumers Energy's Smart Services Learning Center also is testing a variety of state-of-the-art Elster smart grid technologies.