The awards will be held in Sydney, Australia on February 27th, on the evening of the first day of the Australian and New Zealand Smart Metering conference and exhibition. The awards recognise achievement, excellence and innovation in smart metering from utilities and service providers and acknowledge those that play a defining role in moving the industry forwards.

Chameleon Technology is very proud and excited for the chance to be recognised internationally for our design and development achievements. Our in-home displays are contemporary and stylish, feature intuitive navigation, are easy to use, technically robust and cost effective.

For more information on our products, please click here.

www.smartmeteringaustralia.com

The awards will be held in London on January 26th, on the evening of the first day of the Smart Metering conference and exhibition. The European Smart Metering Awards are Europe’s leading awards ceremony for the Smart Metering Industry. There are over nine award categories for utilities and solution providers. The awards aim to reward companies for their achievements and for playing a defining role in moving the industry forward.

Chameleon Technology is very proud and excited to be recognised for our design and development achievements. Our in-home displays are contemporary and stylish, feature intuitive navigation, are easy to use, technically robust and cost effective.

For more information on our products, please click here.

www.smartmeteringuk2012.com

Mr Hendry presented an update on the government’s plans for the Smart Metering Implementation Programme and the progress expected for the year ahead.

A vital programme
“Smart meters will deliver a range of benefits to consumers, energy suppliers and networks. Consumers will have real time information on their energy consumption to help them control energy use, save money and reduce emissions. Suppliers will have access to accurate data for billing and to improve their customer service. And energy networks will have better information upon which to manage and plan current activities, paving the way for the development of a smarter electricity system. This is a programme in which government, industry and consumers have much at stake.”

2012 will be a key year
Mr Hendry stated this is a critical period. “We must ensure industry and consumer readiness for the mass rollout. This phase will give industry the space to build and test the necessary systems,” Hendry said. He confirmed the Government is working closely with industry and other stakeholders to make sure this stage is a success and that the lessons are learned and shared.

By March 2012 the Government plans to publish specifications for meters that will count against supplier’s rollout completion obligations. Looking into the critical issue of interoperability and whether further specifications could support this is also a priority. Reviewing the performance of HAN solutions over the next few months and notifying a core set of requirements early in 2012 is also planned.

IHDs achieve the greatest savings
Mr Hendry stated that trials in the UK and overseas supported the decision that IHDs should be provided to all households to achieve the highest energy savings. ESMIG research of 100 pilot programs “… showed savings of 5-6% rising to nearly 9% with the provision of an IHD.” Further trials will help to consolidate this experience and maximise these benefits.

Consumer Engagement Strategy
To maximise savings, evidence suggests that additional engagement activities are required. A Consumer Engagement Strategy will be developed to make sure the greatest possible benefits are achieved for consumers.

“That’s a big agenda,” said Hendry. “But we have a good project team in place. We will continue to take decisions as quickly as we can, to give industry certainty, and to ensure that the consumer and other benefits of this program are realized.”

Chameleon Technology progress on track
Chameleon Technology’s Managing Director, Mike Woodhall, welcomed these commitments and the support of IHDs as a vital part of the rollout in particular. “It’s promising to hear the Government remains strongly committed to an ambitious rollout program. We share Mr Hendry’s priorities and are working with our partners on trials, consumer engagement and the critical issue of interoperability. 2012 is going to be an exciting year for us all and we look forward to sharing our experiences with the industry through CEDIG”.

CEDIG is the newly created Consumer Energy Display Industry Group, of which Chameleon Technology is a founding member. For more information on CEDIG please click here.

For more information on Chameleon Technology and our bespoke in-home displays and related HAN technologies please contact us.
info@chameleontechnology.co.uk
press@chameleontechnology.co.uk

Chameleon Technology is a founding member of CEDIG – a new group established to give the in-home display industry a formal voice within government and the wider smart metering programme.

The Consumer Energy Display Industry Group or CEDIG, brings together individual manufacturers to represent the sector at a crucial time, as specifications are being formulated and industry growth is set to accelerate.

The formation of CEDIG was announced by Dr Howard Porter, CEO of BEAMA and applauded by Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy, at a parliamentary reception for the smart meter industry, which he hosted on 7 November 2011.

As one of the founding members, Chameleon Technology recognises the creation of CEDIG as a significant development for the in-home display industry.

Chameleon’s representative within CEDIG, the company’s Managing Director Mike Woodhall, said: “We are very pleased to be a founding member of CEDIG and are keen to take a proactive role to ensure that the industry group can start to be effective at the earliest possible stage. This will be of great benefit to the wider smart metering community and, ultimately, the consumer. We have to work together to ensure the consumer is put in control of their energy consumption and costs.”

Given that it is now universally accepted that positive customer engagement will be critical to the UK roll out of smart meters, it’s recognised that in-home displays and related products that sit within the HAN will play a crucial role throughout the process.

Indeed, a recent worldwide independent report has highlighted the importance of in-home displays for reducing energy use through increased customer engagement. The review of 100 smart meter pilots and rollouts found that customers who received an in-home display with their smart meter achieved the highest reductions in the amount of electricity they used, with savings of up to 19%. With its excellent track record in consumer engagement and a range of stylish products that give clear and meaningful information and are intuitive to navigate, Chameleon is perfectly placed to become key player in the industry.

The group will strive to ensure that, when it comes to the mandated roll out of smart meters, in-home displays are adequately catered for as far as technical specifications and that they meet self-imposed defined standards of performance and manufacture. Ultimately, the objective is that the consumer should receive maximum benefit from their smart meter and be better informed about the status of their consumption and costs

This collaborative approach is a welcome proactive stance on the industry’s part. It shows a commitment to setting standards on display performance, including a minimum level of service to the consumer, while at the same time allowing for innovation and competition.

The development of CEDIG was driven by the British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers Association (BEAMA) in recognition of the fact that in-home displays will form a crucial part of customer engagement by providing an important interface between the consumer and the smart meter.

BEAMA is the independent expert knowledge base and forum for the electrotechnical industry in the UK and across Europe. Representing more than 300 manufacturing companies in the electrotechnical sector, the organisation has significant influence over political, standardisation and commercial policy both in the UK and internationally.

The Beama Smart Metering Association (BSMA) represents manufacturers and service providers employing advanced technologies for metering and data communications for the home automation industries. BEAMA’s work in bringing together leading manufacturers in the in-home display sector under the umbrella of CEDIG is an important and welcome step in the development of this new industry.

For more information on BEAMA and BSMA please visit www.beama.org.uk

CEDIG unites in-home display manufacturers to give a single voice to this new industry. The formation of CEDIG was announced by Dr Howard Porter, CEO of BEAMA and supported by Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy, at a Parliamentary reception for the smart meter industry on November 7th, 2011.

As a founding member, Chameleon Technology believes this is a major development for the in-home display and smart meter industry. Chameleon’s Managing Director, Mike Woodhall, who represents the company within CEDIG, said “We are very pleased to be a founding member of CEDIG and are keen to take a proactive role to ensure that the group can be effective at the earliest possible stage. This will be of great benefit to the wider smart meter market and ultimately the consumer.”

To speak to us about CEDIG, or Chameleon’s role, please contact Mike Woodhall at mike.woodhall@chameleontechnology.co.uk or on 07525 859 213.

On the home page we are excited to announce that we are Zigbee Alliance members and that our in-home displays and other smart products are Zigbee certified. By designing and building our products incorporating Zigbee technology we are reinforcing Chameleon’s position as a leading operator, well placed to bring reliable and innovative solutions to our customers.

This month meet our new Technical Director Tim Boyle. Tim joins us from ADI after a long and successful career in engineering. Tim will lead the technical development of new products and brings with him a wealth of experience in the energy sector. Tim’s appointment strengthens our engineering expertise and our ability to provide pioneering technology in our smart products. You can also meet the rest of our management team. We’re an enthusiastic, dedicated bunch and are excited about the challenges of the smart meter market.

The website also outlines Chameleon’s products and services. All of our in-home displays and smart home solutions are bespoke – we work closely with our customers to respond to their specific requirements. Our technical call centre facility is a comprehensive service we can provide to all of our major customers.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you.  Contact me at jennifer.woodhall@chameleontechnology.co.uk or pick up the phone to 01423 815 911. We look forward to seeing you soon.

The premier UK based smart metering event will feature a multi-streamed conference providing a complete overview of the latest developments, strategies & opportunities in the UK & European smart metering roll-outs. Over 30 top level speakers will present alongside a 30 booth interactive exhibiton area showcasing the latest technologies in smart metering & smart grids.

The European Smart Metering Awards are Europe’s leading awards ceremony for the Smart Metering Industry. There are over nine award categories for utilities and solution providers. The awards aim to reward companies for their achievements and for playing a defining role in moving the industry forward.

Chameleon will be attending the conference and exhibition and entering the Smart Metering Awards. To meet us there please contact our Managing Director Mike Woodhall on (+44) 7525 859 213 or mike.woodhall@chameleontechnology.co.uk

www.smartmeteringuk2012.com

Meanwhile, the Alliance is lending its leadership and expertise in a breakthrough certification and testing program for Smart Energy Profile 2. The Alliance will share its expertise in certifying home area network products and products for the Smart Grid. The Consortium for SEP 2 Interoperability teams ZigBee with the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Wi-Fi Alliance and HomeGrid Forum to establish a certification program based on a consistent test plan. The program will certify wireless and wired devices that support IP-based smart energy applications as well as end-user devices such as thermostats, appliances and gateways. The Consortium’s program will address devices operating on one or more of a variety of underlying connectivity technologies and provide the smart energy ecosystem — including utilities, product vendors and consumers — assurances of application and device interoperability.

Chameleon is proud to be a ZigBee alliance member. Our range of innovative in-home displays for smart meters incorporate ZigBee technology and follow ZigBee certified protocols, representing quality, advanced technology and interoperability.

www.zigbee.org