Awards granted for "BEST INNOVATION Gorenjska 2004"

At the solemn extended meeting of the Management Board of the Regional Chamber for the Gorenjska Region and the Managers Association of the Gorenjska Region on 14 June awards were presented for the "BEST INNOVATION Gorenjska 2004". The awards were granted to nine companies and one individual person.

On behalf of the Iskraemeco company the golden award and recognition for the innovation "Automatic meter reading system for household electricity meters" was handed over to Karl Rozman, the President of the Management Board. The golden award for innovation was also granted to the company’s innovators Milan Kozole, Ale? Petri?i? and Nenad Me?eral.

The automatic meter reading system (AMR) for household electricity meters includes meters with a communication module for data transfer across low voltage network, data concentrators in transformer stations enabling the communication with the centre via GSM/GPRS-network as well as hardware and software in Data reception and processing centre.
The system functions in real time and is also capable of, apart from performing its basic function - readout of electricity meters, integrating other types of energy, controlling the consumption, recording mains failure and other events within the network, preventing fraud or even disconnecting users.

The innovation is closely connected with the introduction of a free electricity and gas market for household users. Automatic meter reading system monitors the real time consumption of different types of energy in households and has an impact on it by supplying feedback information. By different modifications we can adjust it for all user levels. There is an option for including hot water and gas consumption, etc.
In 2004, we penetrated with the AMR system the Scandinavian market, which is the leading market for such systems (automatic meter reading) and serves as an orientation for other European countries which will have to introduce them over the next few years. In 2004, Iskraemeco obtained and carried out two large projects at two Swedish electric utilities – Vattenfall and Sydcraft - supplying the total number of more than 70,000 meters. In 2005, new quantities of products will be supplied thanks to the two established systems. Despite severe competition, Iskraemeco was chosen mainly on account of technical advantages of the two systems. The projects implemented in 2004 are an excellent reference for the company’s entering other European and world markets.

Indirect effects of this innovation on the environment, connected with the opening of electricity market, are quite considerable. They are reflected in more rational energy consumption, more steady electricity consumption in the network, fewer production capacities required, and in stimulating the production and consumption of "green" energy. The introduction of the AMR-systems for all energy users involves the functions which are explicitly focused on rational use of different types of energy included in the system. Its impact on the environment therefore mainly lies in lowering the burden for the environment. The products were developed in accordance with ecological principles, and no ecologically disputable elements which might disintegrate into hazardous waste were integrated.