Understanding Zigbee Smart Meters
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This article provides a basic understanding of Zigbee-based smart meters and lists some Zigbee smart meter vendors/manufacturers. Smart meters based on Zigbee technology aren’t just for meter reading; they have many potential applications. Nowadays, electric, water, and gas meters are available that use Zigbee.
Let’s take an example of a Zigbee display that works with a Zigbee smart meter designed to read electricity consumption. Here’s how it generally functions:
The Zigbee-compliant display reads the real-time data transmitted by a Zigbee transmitter interfaced with the electric connection in the home. The display typically works within a range of about 30 meters from the smart meter. The live data is updated approximately every 45 seconds. It provides an estimate of the bill amount, including tariffs and the amount of consumption.
Zigbee Smart Meter Manufacturers/Vendors
Here’s a list of some Zigbee smart meter manufacturers:
- Silicon Labs (Website: www.silabs.com)
- Landis+Gyr (Website: www.landisgyr.com)
- Powertech Industrial Co., Ltd (Website: www.power-tech.com.tw)
- Southern California Edison (Website: https://www.sce.com/)
- EnergyHub, Inc. (Zigbee smart meter from Itron)
- Rainforest Automation, Inc. (Energy monitor, Zigbee smart meter gateway)