Bitzio, Inc. (fka BTZO)

[griffinrc]

Interesting Write up I found on http://www.smart-buildings.com/

Wireless Meters: The Real Hotspot

With a global focus on energy and our constant dependency on wireless communications it's not a surprise that when you mix energy meters with wireless you're bound to get a market "hotspot" for control systems and automation. There was a time when meters weren't networked and didn't communicate and a facility technician or the utility's "Meter Reader" walked to and read the water or electric meter and recorded the numbers on paper or a spreadsheet. The utility industry has long ago moved to Automatic Meter Reading (AMR). However, for some large buildings and commercial or education campuses, manual reading of meters is still the way it's done.

It's fair to say that almost every existing building is in need of additional metering to better manage energy performance and could use a simple efficient way of collecting accurate and timely data. Unless you're determined to hassle with cabling an existing building space or have the time to deal with the difficulties of retrofitting conduit and proper containment for the cable, you'll need to go wireless to get those meters installed and transmitting data.

Fortunately manufacturers have stepped up and provide us with many wireless meter choices. Wireless communication can be built into the meter or a wireless transceiver can be added as an adjunct to an existing meter. What follows is an overview of the marketplace, the general configuration of the wireless meter networks and the choices you may have for a wireless metering network deployment.

Let's start with a sampling of some of the many offerings in the marketplace: (Click here to read about AIC Wireless, Veris, E-Mon, Measurlogic, and Triacta.) http://www.smart-buildings.com/pdf/Oct2010wirelesshotspot

Source: http://www.smart-buildings.com/