devolo AG, of Aachen, Germany, is expanding its SmartGrid business area. This includes adding to its portfolio two products, the "devolo smart meter gateway" and the "devolo control box". At the energy conference "Energietage" in Vienna, Austria and at Metering Days in Fulda, Germany - both events in September 2015 - devolo will be introducing a new product portfolio and presenting the results of the extensive G3-PLC pilot test that is being carried out in Hamburg and Berlin.
devolo SmartGrid has experienced a considerable increase in personnel in 2015. This increase in workforce and expertise has brought with it a multitude of new possibilities in research, development and marketing in the Smart Metering and Smart Grid area. "We are using this clear focus to underscore our commitment to the energy revolution and the accompanying conversion of the mains supply to a smart grid throughout Europe," explains Heiko Harbers, CEO of devolo AG.
The development of a BSI-compliant production environment for the Smart Meter Gateway, quickly scalable production capacity, and strong logistics will be the central tasks for the hardware manufacturer in the energy industry. With its many years of experience and market leadership in the Powerline business, devolo AG has a global supply chain that stands for the highest quality and reliability.
Additional production capacity of nearly unlimited proportion can be set up in fewer than four months at the manufacturing sites. Co-operating with renowned logistics specialists ensures minimal delivery times and guarantees high planning predictability for the customer. "With multiple manufacturing locations, a large logistics center in Germany and plenty of experience in high-volume markets, we are perfectly prepared for a massive roll-out", explains Heiko Harbers, CEO of devolo AG.
Data communication over existing power lines (power line communications, PLC) is a central communication technology on a smart grid. The benefits of Powerline technology compared to wireless technologies and telecommunications networks are especially great in wide-branching distribution networks. With G3-PLC technology in a frequency band of 150-500 kHz, not only is the needed data rate achieved without difficulty, but so is the required range.
With this in mind, devolo, the Powerline pioneer, has been producing the "G3-PLC modem 500k" for data communication in the mains supply network as a batch series product since the beginning of 2015. "We already provide an appealing product for high-performance and future-proof Powerline communication in the mains supply in the form of our G3-PLC modem 500k", says Dr. Michael Koch, Vice President and Director of the SmartGrid business area.
In addition to data communication, data security is also a key aspect within the smart grid sector. devolo has recognized this early on and added the "devolo smart meter gateway" to its product portfolio, which is to be launched next year. The devolo product portfolio will also be complemented next year by the "devolo control box". It allows network operators to control decentralized energy suppliers and consumers, such as photovoltaic systems, heat pumps, electric vehicles and thermal storage heating systems, and thus maintain stability of the mains supply network.
