We spoke with Zoe Rossi, Marketing Manager for EMEA & APAC, responsible for all marketing strategy and delivery within these regions, at Sense to hear what led her to the energy sector, and what could be done to encourage more women to see the opportunities in this field.

What initially interested you, and led you to this industry?
My journey in the Energy industry began at BP, where I managed marketing and strategic product brands in one of their businesses. This helped with my understanding of the energy sector. Later, I shifted to technology/SaaS collaborating with inspirational founders to grow start-up and scale-ups. The combination of Energy experience and passion for tech innovation led me to Sense. I was particularly interested in their ClimateTech vision and the chance to be part of meaningful environmental impact.

Do you have any advice for other women who may not have thought to join this industry?
Honestly, the energy/utilities sector wasn’t initially on my radar. However, with transferable marketing skills, I decided to try it, despite the daunting sight of being among a few women at my first energy conference. Soon, I started to see the many opportunities, especially with digital transformation leading the way. I found it exciting! My advice to other women: don’t let predefined perceptions deter you. Your skills and insight are assets, and we need good people and clever minds to keep driving innovation forward.

Do you have any insights into what could be done to encourage more women into this sector?
To encourage more women into this sector, we need to reshape the narrative around career paths. I’m a believer that careers are squiggly, not linear, so we shouldn’t feel constrained to climb one single ladder, in one sector. With transferable skills and talent, you can transition freely across sectors and the industry knowledge will fall into place once in role. It’s also a fascinating time to be in this sector. We’re on a mission to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, which is not only inspiring but also gives a sense of purpose. Early education also plays a role. If you ask my daughter, what I do for a living, she doesn’t mention ‘grid edge intelligence or smart meter technology’; she says I’m, ‘trying to save the planet.’ Her interest in climate change has been piqued by this, leading her to join Eco-club which teaches children about the environment. Making topics like renewable energy engaging and tangible from an early age.

What do you as a woman bring to the industry?
I contribute fresh insights gained from my experiences across various sectors. I also bring a positive attitude and optimism, which benefits our work dynamics. While these traits are more about my personality than my gender, I hope they enhance our ways of working.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
In 5 years, I’m looking forward to seeing how Sense has transformed the industry. It’s such a powerful ClimateTech proposition, and the potential is exciting! Millions of people across the EMEA and APAC regions will benefit once they have a Sense enabled meter in their homes. Being part of this journey is a great career opportunity.

Find out more about Sense.

The post Celebrating International Women’s Day with Zoe Rossi appeared first on ESMIG.

In an article for Enlit World, ESMIG’s Managing Director, Tomás Llobet, delves into the significance of smart meters, how they are changing the energy landscape, and how to unleash their full potential, while also addressing the need to speed up their rollout and deployment across EU member states.

Highlighting the importance of speeding up the rollout, according to the latest available figures, at the end of 2022, only 13 or just about half of the EU member states had reached the 80% target, of which 11 had reached rollout rates well above 90%. To address this, in a positive development, a new ‘Smart Meter Act’, adopted earlier in 2023, includes a binding roadmap with clear targets for the installation of smart electricity meters by 2032.

Read the full article here.

The post The need for speed on smart meter rollouts appeared first on ESMIG.

Based in Toruń, Poland, Apator operates as an international capital group of experienced manufacturers of metering equipment and systems, as well as providers of solutions for the automation of power network operations. Within three specialised business segments (Electricity, Gas, Water and Heat), Apator implements technologically advanced products and services, including smart class solutions and systems for the active management of power utility distribution networks.

Following their successful application, Tomás Llobet, ESMIG’s Managing Director said, “We are glad that Apator has joined the ESMIG community. Apator’s advanced products, solutions and services align perfectly with our mission to promote innovation and collaboration in the energy sector. We look forward to working closely together, strengthening our network and contribution to a green and digital energy ecosystem in Europe.’’

In response, Łukasz Zaworski, Member of the Management Board and Chief Product Officer at Apator stated, ‘’Effective cooperation among European smart energy solution providers is essential to support the energy sector in the face of its current challenges. The combination of high engineering competencies and experience among ESMIG member companies will enable us to develop regulatory and technical solutions that are effective in building safe, reliable, and sustainable smart power grids.’’

Find out more about Apator here.

The post Apator joins ESMIG appeared first on ESMIG.

The engineering company, established in 1992 in Vilnius, Lithuania, specialises in the development and production of a wide range of smart electricity meters.

Moreover, together with partners, they offer complete solutions for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) applied for utilities to manage metering, data collection and storage as well as its analysis, comprising all the necessary constituents of AMI. This includes MDMS, communication infrastructure and smart metering devices, based on open standards, and fully scalable and flexible.

Following their successful application, Tomás Llobet, ESMIG’s Managing Director stated, “We are glad that Elgama-Elektronika has joined the ESMIG community. With the addition of Elgama-Elektronika to our network, we increase our pool of expertise and our ability to promote innovation and collaboration in the energy sector. I look forward to working closely with our new members in our shared goal of contributing to technological advancement and a greener and more digital energy ecosystem.’’

Martynas Čereška, CEO of Elgama-Elektronika stated, ‘‘In 2023, Elgama-Elektronika faced and conquered numerous challenges, marking it a year of both trials and triumphs. Among our notable achievements, we proudly delivered more than one million smart electricity meters to Polish and Ukrainian utilities. Furthermore, we successfully executed a PLC + RF pilot project in Ukraine, showcasing our adaptability and technological solutions. In Warsaw, we achieved another milestone by implementing a PLC project with more than 230,000 smart electricity meters. To fortify our commitment to smart metering and embark on even larger ventures, Elgama-Elektronika has decided to join ESMIG. We trust that our extensive 30-plus years of experience in electricity metering solutions will prove valuable to this community of dedicated companies, fostering mutual growth and innovation.’’

Find out more about Elgama-Elektronika here.

The post Elgama-Elektronika joins ESMIG appeared first on ESMIG.

Both René and Mannu will now take an active role in helping to drive ESMIG as an association and tackle key issues for our industry.

The Executive Committee, led by the President, Luis Goncalves, meets monthly to address key operational issues that ensure the smooth running of the association as well as taking a strategic role in steering ESMIG’s work plan, activities, and objectives.

Following his appointment René stated; “As part of the Executive Committee, I look forward to supporting ESMIG in its aim to support a clean, fair, and smart European energy transition that contributes to the creation of a competitive energy market through the development of architectures and open standards that allow efficient implementation and integration of new energy management technologies and services.’’

Mannu further stated; “We are committed to supporting ESMIG in achieving its goals for advocating smart energy solutions as a key enabler for achieving green deal objectives and net-zero targets, driving smart meter adoption and energy innovation; harnessing our experience from providing digital infrastructure for Britain’s smart metering roll-out which has 29 million connected meters as of today.”

Following the meeting, ESMIG’s Managing Director, Tomas Llobet, added “Having the active support and dedication of our members, and reflecting their diversity, is crucial for achieving our goals as an association. I am very pleased to work closely with René and Mannu, alongside fellow Executive Committee members going forward, taking full advantage of their experience and insights from different markets.’’

Find out more about ESMIG’s mission and key activities here.

The post General Assembly elects two new Executive Committee members appeared first on ESMIG.

We spoke with Javier Rodríguez Roncero, Head of EMEA Bid Strategy & Management at Landis+Gyr, to find out more about the company and their thoughts on the role of smart energy solutions.

What is your company’s mission? 

Our mission is to help the world manage energy better. We do this across our 3 pillars of smart metering, grid edge intelligence, and smart infrastructure. As a leading provider of integrated energy management solutions for electricity heat and gas utilities we deliver innovative solutions to help utilities boost efficiency, ensure grid resilience and reliability and empower consumers to monitor and manage their personal energy usage while reducing their environmental footprint for the benefit of society as a whole. We also help accelerate the transition to e-mobility though our interactive charging solutions. Our smart meters, smart chargers and energy management solutions offer customers peace of mind through precision metrology, reliable communications, streamlined processes and robust software platforms.

What drove you to become an ESMIG member?  

Becoming an ESMIG member was a natural choice, aligning seamlessly with our mission to help the world manage energy better. As a founding ESMIG member, Landis+Gyr has been pivotal in shaping the European smart metering sector. The ESMIG membership allows us to deeply grasp our clients’ challenges and collaborate effectively with industry leaders. Besides ESMIG’s pioneering work in demonstrating the societal advantages of smart meters, their commitment to promoting standardised, secure, and interoperable smart metering solutions in Europe has delivered substantial benefits. By joining ESMIG, we fortify our dedication to a smarter energy future and continue contributing to the advancement of the industry.

How does ESMIG help your company to achieve your goals and support your company’s mission? 

ESMIG plays a vital role in supporting our mission by connecting us with like-minded organisations and experts in the field. Working with other influential members in ESMIG has allowed the group to drive innovation, shape policies, and foster collaboration within the European energy industry. This in turn advances the development of sustainable and innovative solutions that enhance energy management. By sharing knowledge and expertise within the ESMIG community, we can collectively drive advancements in smart metering and grid edge intelligence, ultimately helping utilities and consumers manage energy better.

What do you see as the biggest challenge and opportunity for the energy industry in Europe today?

In a world marked by supply chain disruptions, climate worries, and geopolitical changes, our decentralised and dynamic energy ecosystem encounters fresh challenges in energy management: from balancing to resilience and cybersecurity. Yet, these challenges also present opportunities for process optimisation, waste reduction, flexibility management and enhanced reliability. This will take innovation and investments in smarter, data driven solutions that help utilities to get greater visibility and control on the grid and at the edge – including demand side applications and flexibility management.

Where do you see smart energy solution providers making a difference in addressing these challenges? 

Smart energy solutions are pivotal in addressing the challenges faced by the energy industry in Europe. By delivering greater visibility and control of the energy ecosystem, smart meters and smart grids enable a safer, smarter and faster energy transition through real-time monitoring and management of energy supply and demand. This improves grid reliability and facilitates the transition to sustainable energy sources. Moreover, demand-side management technologies empower consumers to optimise their energy consumption.

In an ideal world…consumers would be better empowered, renewables and EV charging would be better integrated, and the energy grid would be a safer, smarter and sustainable infrastructure.  At Landis+Gyr, we envision this future becoming a reality through our industry-leading products and solutions. Our goal is to empower both utilities and consumers to monitor and manage their energy efficiently, reducing not only their bills but also their environmental footprint. Together, we can create a more sustainable and prosperous society.

Fun facts about Landis+Gyr:

• The company is over 125 years old! Since its founding in Zug, Switzerland, in 1896, Landis+Gyr has gone from manufacturing state-of-the-art electricity meters for European utilities to being a global provider of smart energy and utility management solutions.
• Landis+Gyr has delivered over 320 million smart meters worldwide and has the worlds largest IoT Utility network with 1.3 billion reads every day at 99.9% accuracy.
• Landis+Gyr received its 6th consecutive global AMI company of the year award from Frost and Sullivan in 2022.

Want to find out more about? Check out their website!

The post Meet our members: Javier Rodríguez Roncero introduces Landis+Gyr appeared first on ESMIG.

The signatories representing associations of leading strategic net-zero manufacturers and civil society organisations share key recommendations to ensure that the NZIA keep focusing on clean tech manufacturing and that the delivery of a Regulation is targeted and impactful.

We strongly welcome the work that has been put into the discussions so far, which have moved some of the key elements of the proposal forward. We are, however, deeply concerned by some of the recent developments which, if confirmed, will weaken the delivery of the EU’s climate and energy action agenda. Our coalition therefore hopes that the EU Member States representatives will consider the following key points recommendations while preparing for the meeting of COREPER I on 6 October:

• Ensure the Net-Zero Industry Act brings home clean tech production, to send a strong signal to investment in strategic clean technologies vital for the net-zero transition
• Link the Net-Zero Industry Act to a coherent and existing framework that supports the Union’s energy and climate objectives

Read the full letter to Ambassadors here.

The post Letter to Ambassadors on Net-Zero Industry Act ahead of COREPER meeting appeared first on ESMIG.

With this increasingly connected environment comes the risk of vulnerabilities, which could affect the reliability of the energy system, and the trust of consumers. Therefore, securing the smart grid and the related communications systems is essential for a successful energy transition.

With  smart meters being one of the key ICT components of the smart grid, ESMIG has actively contributed to the CEN-CENELEC-ETSI Coordination Group on Smart Meters to establish a harmonised European approach for the security of these devices.

As a first big success, back in 2019, the first set of harmonised requirements for security certification of smart meters in Europe, was developed by the CEN-CENELEC-ETSI Coordination Group for Smart Meters, with the support of the ESMIG.

These requirements, called the ‘Protection Profile’, were officially certified under Common Criteria by the Dutch certification body NSCIB.

This means that smart meter certification that is performed based on this Protection Profile, by any of the official certification bodies, will be recognised across the 17 European countries that have signed the SOG-IS agreement.

In addition to this, the Protection Profile has also been accepted by CEN-CENELEC as an official Technical Specification.

Currently, the SOG-IS agreement is being transferred into an official European certification framework (EUCC) by ENISA as required by the Cyber Security Act (CSA) of the European Commission. Once this framework is put into force it can be used to prove compliance with not only the CSA but also the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) that is currently being developed.

Bringing a multitude of benefits, the recognition of the Protection Profile as an official framework will provide not only the basis of security certification for smart meters in Europe but allow Member States and regulators to hold smart meter vendors to a common set of requirements based on an industry standard. This will allow increased cross-border grid security, reduce the cost of certification, and accelerate digitalisation.

Ultimately,  a European approach to certification avoids further fragmentation in the European market, decreases costs for end-users and supports the integration of smart meters into the smart grid. All crucial elements for a green and digital energy transition that brings tangible benefits for consumers.

Find a copy of the Protection Profile here.

The post Smart Meter Protection Profile increases grid security and reduces costs for consumers in Europe appeared first on ESMIG.

In doing so, we are pleased to present our latest annual review, detailing our work at political and technical level, working with EU institutions and in close cooperation with our members and partner organisations.

Inside you will find out:

• How we are supporting Europe in achieving a clean and fair energy transition
• How our work is contributing to a European energy market that places consumers at its heart
• What we have done to achieve the right legislative conditions for the smart energy industry
• Who our members are and what they are up to

Download the report HERE.

The post Annual Review 2023 – out now appeared first on ESMIG.

Based in Rome, Italy, Gridspertise offers end-to-end cloud-edge platform solutions and services to accelerate the digitalization of electricity distribution grids in three main areas: metering and grid edge, network infrastructure, field operation. The company’s portfolio is designed as an open ecosystem, easy to integrate with DSOs’ legacy systems, combining intelligent grid devices with ready-to-use modular applications, running at central level as well as on the edge. Gridspertise works with more than 50 DSOs and in different geographies such as Europe, Latin America and North America and is expanding towards Asia-Pacific and Africa.

Following their successful application, Luis Goncalves, ESMIG’s President stated; “I am pleased to announce that Gridspertise has joined the ESMIG community. Gridspertise’s advanced grid analytics technologies and expertise, as well as its innovative approach, align perfectly with our mission to promote innovation and collaboration in the energy sector and foster a greener, more efficient energy ecosystem. Their commitment to sustainability and their ability to optimize grid operations will enhance our collective efforts to increase efficiency and integrate renewable energy sources. As President of ESMIG, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Gridspertise as I am confident that their valuable insights and contributions will strengthen our network, allowing us to expedite the adoption of smart grid technologies and propel the energy market forward. I look forward to witnessing the fruitful collaborations, knowledge sharing, and collective achievements that Gridspertise’s membership will bring to our vibrant community. Together, we will continue shaping the energy industry’s future and build a resilient and sustainable energy ecosystem.”

In response, Luiz Antonio Correa Gazulha Junior, Head of Business Strategy and Partnerships at Gridspertise,  stated ‘’We are proud to join ESMIG and collaborate to shape the future of the European smart energy industry with some of the most creative and visionary companies in this field. We see membership as a strong opportunity to promote the new and modern paradigm of power grids: a network capable of making end customers active participants and a key enabler of the energy transition. Our mission is fully aligned with ESMIG and other association members, aiming at promoting a more sustainable energy market. Gridspertise is an outspoken advocate of the benefits of end-to-end cloud-edge solutions for power distribution grids around the world and we truly believe that membership with ESMIG will echo our voice in this sense.’’

We are excited to begin this chapter of working together!

Find out more about Gridspertise here.

The post Gridspertise joins ESMIG appeared first on ESMIG.