Itron wins the Metering Excellence Award for the Pearl-Qatar Smart Metering project

Dubai — 5 May, 2009 — Itron is pleased to announce that it has won the Metering Excellence Award for the Pearl-Qatar project. Metering International magazine recognises excellence amongst worldwide electricity and water utilities and meter solutions suppliers with this award. Nominations are proposed for innovation in metering technologies, systems and projects.

Itron International, formerly known as Actaris, has been selected for this award thanks to its participation in the Pearl Qatar smart metering project. As the unique solution provider of the integrated AMI system for this project, Itron will supply 50,000 multi-energy meters (electricity, water, cooling, gas meters) with the associated data collection system and data management software.

The Pearl-Qatar, a Riviera-style man-made island covering 400 hectares of reclaimed land in Doha, is Qatar's first international urban development venture. 41,000 international residents in more than 15,000 dwellings will inhabit this island that will also house a full range of diverse technological services and solutions, thus creating a dynamic "Smart Island" for integrated systems.

Itron International is supplying the complete end-to-end smart metering solution that will be linked to the overall network on the island and will cover the various energies and multiple communication protocols. Itron International will provide 16,000 water meters, 16,000 cooling meters and 16,000 electricity meters to be used for both residential and commercial applications. Two hundred gas meters will also be supplied for commercial applications only. This multi-protocol, flexible solution adapts to the many topologies of the island (buildings, villas, harbours, commercial units, substations) with the operating AMI system utilising the existing communication infrastructure of optical fibre and power cables to transport energy data.

A consolidated database will allow the utility company to benefit from better resource planning, greater revenue protection and optimisation of energy management. All metering data (electricity, water, cooling and gas) will be collected and managed on one system allowing the utility company to offer an integrated service to the end-user.

A web-based service will allow the end-user to access real-time consumption and billing information thus leading to increased energy management and control over monthly bills.

"We are very proud to receive this Metering Excellence Award for this unrivalled project at Pearl Qatar. Thanks to its unique expertise in electricity, water, cooling and gas, Itron International has been selected as the single solution provider for the Pearl-Qatar project, itself a prime example of a multi-energy project covering all aspects of energy management", says Malcolm Unsworth, President and Chief Executive Officer, Itron, Inc.

"This project at Pearl Qatar highlights Itron International's know-how in providing a smart metering solution. Our knowledge of the Middle Eastern market and the presence of our local partner, Qatar International Trading, also played a major role in implementing this project", explains Marc Lippmann, Sales & Marketing Manager, Middle East Electricity Business Line.