Apator and Griffin Group Energy join forces, to develop smart meter in OSGP technology

Polish suppliers of modern technologies for power industry, Apator and Griffin Group Energy signed agreement on cooperation in the scope of elaboration, implementation to manufacturing and supply to domestic and European market of the Polish smart meter of new generation operating in OSGP technology.

The aim of the cooperation of Polish suppliers of technologies for power industry is to build the business synergy which will allow to create the modern solution for domestic DSO facing the mass exchange of the traditional meters into smart ones. New Energy Law predicts that till the end of 2028 meters with remote reading of energy consumption will be installed in at least 80% of final consumers in Poland, including at least 80% of households. According to the estimates of distribution network operators, currently around 1.9 million end customers have smart meters installed. The target total number of end customers is estimated at around 16.3 million. So there are about 14.4 million of the meters to be replaced.

Apator is the largest Polish manufacturer of smart metering equipment for all utility services, recognized both on domestic and European markets - emphasizes Mirosław Klepacki, CEO of Apator SA. - We want to participate in the roll of smart metering in Poland by the supply of high quality electricity meters, adjusted to the expectations of domestic DSO's, operating based on various communication technologies. One of them is OSGP standard.

Apator and Griffin Group Energy decided to combine their technical and business competence in the project, the result of which will be a modern metering solution, using engineering potential of Polish companies and experience gained during implementation of smart solutions on the domestic market. Both companies participated in the project carried out for Tauron Dystrybucja - Smart City Wrocław, which included the installation of a complete smart metering infrastructure AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure). In the capital of Lower Silesia more than 400 thousand smart meters have been implemented, thanks to which in real time customers have access to metering data and consumption profiles, while the distribution company is able to monitor the quality of the low and medium voltage network.

Griffin Group Energy is a board member of the OSGP Alliance, which manages the development of the protocol and the ecosystem of suppliers, utilities and other organizations using the OSGP protocol to realize smart grids and achieve business benefits from their operation.      

On the foundation of this technology, 40 million such meters have already been deployed in Europe by more than 60 renowned utilities. The key advantages of OSGP is the safety and efficiency of communication, which are crucial in this type of implementations of the country's critical infrastructure - emphasizes a member of the Board of the OSGP Alliance and Griffin Group Energy's Director of Strategy and Development, Adam Zalewski.

This is a very important aspect, because smart meters will work in the power grid, crucial for the country's security. Suppliers of such devices should be thoroughly verified and the safety of the devices and systems they provide should be confirmed by reliable audits.

The new OSGP meter is a fully Polish technical solution, which should be appreciated especially by the boards of energy companies owned by the State Treasury. The conceptual work of Polish engineers, worked out in national R&D offices and then translated into technological and manufacturing processes in Apator factory located in Toruń is the long-term investment in Polish economy, work places and national industrial infrastructure.

- For some time, the product mix in Poland has been changing due to dispersion of the energy market and growing number of prosumers. Instead of the meters without communication, the customers order the devices with remote reading.

Today, Apator's meters work in the majority of PV micro installations. The replacement of the equipment on large scale within domestic roll out will be high effort and logistic challenge, therefore, the operators should entrust it with proven domestic and European suppliers - says Mirosław Klepacki, the President of Apator. - The key element, which the ordering parties should take into consideration, is on the spot support of engineering and service teams of the supplier. Combined teams of Apator and Griffin Group Energy have necessary experience and resources which can be used by Polish operators.

Representatives of both companies unanimously confirm that smart metering is a necessary element supporting energy transformation and further development of RES. It also opens opportunities for the development of new functions and services related to more efficient and sustainable management of energy utilities.

Smart metering of all consumers in Poland will undoubtedly increase the attractiveness of this market for those who want to exist in it as suppliers of services of selling energy or producing it from renewable sources, but also on the side of consumers who will receive a tool allowing them to better understand the product which is energy and how to manage it more efficiently. On the basis of this knowledge they will be able to use the potential of energy even more consciously to achieve various goals. It is extremely important for us as a Polish company to create together with Apator - a Polish leader in electricity meters - a completely new, technologically advanced Polish product using proven and safe OSGP technology - summarizes Griffin Group Energy's Vice President Dariusz Wawrzynów.

According to plans, the meter will be available in the offer already in 2021 and will be offered not only to domestic DSOs, but also to customers in demanding European markets.

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Griffin Group S.A. Energy Sp. k. is a Polish company with many years of experience in the energy industry. The company's main area of activity is the segment of energy storage, smart grids and meters. Operating in the field of energy storage Griffin Group S.A. Energy can boast of experience in completed projects throughout Europe and in Poland.

Griffin Group Energy is a partner of the world's leading suppliers from the energy sector on the Polish market. It operates in the energy sector - both in the public and commercial segments. It specializes in comprehensive project management in the field of analysis, feasibility studies, installation, configuration and maintenance - "end to end" projects.  The Company offer includes: smart grids and meters, energy storage.

Apator S.A. is the leader of international capital group of experienced manufacturers of metering equipment and systems and suppliers of solutions for automation of power network operation. Within three specialized business segments (Electricity, Water and Heat and Gas) Grupa Apator implements on the market technologically advanced products and services including electricity meters, gas meters, water meters and heat meters, systems for remote reading of utility services, specialist equipment for protection, supervision and control of power network and systems supporting management of utility services distribution networks. The Polish brand has found recognition among demanding customers in developed markets. The Group offers its solutions in over 60 countries worldwide. The largest recipients, except for Poland, are British, German, Belgian and Dutch markets. Recently Grupa Apator has developed the offer of solutions supporting the implementation of the RES technologies and applied in local energy management.