PRESS RELEASE

Elster to Offer Advanced Smart Grid Solutions Using Cisco Technology

Cisco's Connected Grid Endpoint reference design SDK to be used with Elster's EnergyAxis® System

SAN JOSE, CA and RALEIGH, NC – Sep. 18, 2012 – Cisco and Elster announced today that Elster will offer smart grid solutions for field area networks using Cisco's technology. The solutions will integrate the Cisco Connected Grid Endpoint reference design with Elster's EnergyAxis System, and will showcase the power and flexibility of Elster's Universal technology while demonstrating support for Cisco's expertise in standards-based and interoperable communication solutions.

Through this integration of communication functions into advanced meters, utility customers will be provided with an even more flexible, secure, and economical Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) communications infrastructure. The combined solution will integrate the Elster EnergyAxis architecture within the Cisco IPv6 RF Mesh reference design.

Cisco has developed a complete suite of communications solutions for the smart grid. These include the Connected Grid Endpoint reference design as well as a full suite of switching, routing, network management and security products for the Field Area Network, Transmission & Substations, and Grid Operations. Plus Connected Grid Services to architect and optimize Smart Grid communications systems.

In addition to providing a comprehensive suite of AMI capabilities, Elster's EnergyAxis architecture enables smart meters to act as sensors for Distribution Automation and Asset Management applications such as Outage Notification, Voltage Monitoring, Asset Monitoring, and Loss Detection.  These advanced solutions enable utilities to extract even more value from their AMI investments. Elster is licensing the Cisco Connected Grid Endpoint reference design and software development kit (SDK).The addition of the Connected Grid Endpoint reference design further expands the EnergyAxis System interoperability and standards-based optimization.

With its innovative Software-Defined Radio and advanced software based metrology, Elster's REXUniversal meter platform offers utilities the flexibility to deploy this device with the Cisco GridBlocks^TM Solution Architecture, the Landis+Gyr GridStream^TM architecture (previously announced), as well as the Elster EnergyAxis Architecture.

Elster intends to develop EnergyAxis communications firmware that will operate within Cisco's 1000 Series Connected Grid Routers, and leverage application programming interfaces from the Cisco Connected Grid Network Management System.

"Cisco is committed to supporting our customers' need for interoperable vendor solutions," said Lionel Chocron, Vice President, Connected Energy Networks at Cisco. "By licensing the reference design to industry leaders such as Elster, we are enabling utilities to combine AMI communications over a common, reliable and secure communications infrastructure."

"As a Smart Grid solutions industry leader, Elster is committed to true interoperability and innovation," said Ed Myszka, President of Elster Solutions. "This announcement builds on Elster's track record of collaboration and integration to deliver the next generation of interoperability needed by utilities as they deploy Smart Grid solutions."

About Cisco

Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking, is helping the energy industry modernize the electrical grid from generation to distribution to consumption - with highly secure, reliable and scalable communications solutions. The Cisco Connected Grid solutions include: Transmission and Substation, Field Area Network, Grid Security, Data Center and Grid Operations. To learn more, please visit www.cisco.com/go/utilities.

About Elster

Elster is one of the world's largest electricity, gas and water measurement and control providers. Its offerings include distribution monitoring and control, advanced smart metering, demand response, networking and software solutions, and numerous related communications and services – key components for enabling consumer choice, operational efficiency and conservation. Its products and solutions are widely used by utilities in the traditional and emerging Smart Grid markets. 

Elster has one of the most extensive installed revenue measurement bases in the world, with more than 200 million metering devices deployed over the course of the last 10 years. It sells its products and services in more than 130 countries across electricity, gas, water and multi-utility applications for residential, commercial and industrial, and transmission and distribution applications.

For more information about Elster, please visit www.elster.com.

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News release from Burns & McDonnell:

Burns & McDonnell dedicates new Smart Grid Laboratory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2012

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Burns & McDonnell has significantly expanded and upgraded its Smart Grid Laboratory as a result of a move into a new larger testing and development facility equipped with more than $1 million in state-of-the-art diagnostics and testing equipment. The new facility was formally dedicated during a Jan. 27 open house for employee-owners and clients. The new testing facility is now open and available for the exclusive use of Burns & McDonnell clients.

Located in a 600-square-foot space within the Burns & McDonnell World Headquarters, the lab incorporates the technologies clients are using to modernize the power grid. These include:

• IEC 61850 - GOOSE, MMS, and Sampled Values messaging for both control and process bus implementations
• DNP 3.0
• Protective relaying over packet networks
• Network technologies including SONET, Ethernet, IP, and MPLS
• Fiber and wireless communications technologies
• Substation automation logic controllers
• SCADA Remote Terminals
• Data Concentrators
• Fault Recorders
• Metering equipment measuring power quality and harmonics
• GPS and IEEE 1588 time synchronization.

The laboratory is intended to demonstrate how advanced information technologies can be integrated with power delivery equipment as the industry moves toward highly automated, "self-healing" distribution systems. The lab allows Burns & McDonnell engineers to work with clients to configure and test solutions during design and installation, therefore improving project success and speed of deployment.

The Burns & McDonnell Smart Grid Laboratory was first built in 2007 as testing facility for select clients who were interested in demonstrating interoperability of software, two-way communications equipment and other automation equipment in preparation for deployments of Smart Grid projects. In addition to the latest technologies and devices, the lab is capable of simulating two complete substations and varying power conditions. It has the equipment many utilities have been deploying, enabling testing of interoperability between multiple vendors and vintages of equipment.

Equipment and systems in the lab can test advanced substation and distribution feeder automation using IEC 61850 and DNP 3.0 testing applications between multiple vendors and relay types. It can also stage demonstrations of high speed tripping using GOOSE messaging, HMI interoperability, substation visualization and automation systems. Communications with deployment of Ethernet, IP, and MPLS technology can focus on a converged networking platform for security, automation and protection.

Another issue facing Smart Grid deployment is interoperability of legacy and advanced equipment. By demonstrating how legacy and advanced equipment can be integrated together in a unified design, investments in IED relaying incorporating the latest technologies can be justified. The lab has successfully demonstrated solutions such as tying IEC-61850 to the power line carrier and integrating advanced protection and control systems with legacy equipment using RS-232 and DNP interfaces.

Additionally, security tests can be implemented through firewalls and gateway devices with card access and physical security sharing a converged network. These tests have been helpful in showing how to integrate security into substation design.