NXP Semiconductors and Landis+Gyr have developed smart meters with integrated NFC wireless technology enabling NFC-enabled devices to connect and smoothly interact with smart meters. NFC is a revolutionary wireless technology by which utilities and end users will be able to access and read smart meter data in real time using smartphones. The new smart meters were demonstrated at Metering Europe as well as showing case studies where an NFC smartphone replaced the LCD display in smart metering devices, showing a handset being used to visualise energy consumption, via a mobile app, and based on data stored in the meter.

      Daniel Lauk, Head of Platforms and Innovation EMEA at Landis+Gyr, said, “NFC opens up new possibilities for the smart grid. It will enable secure, bi-directional communication between metering points and utilities, as well as between smart meters and end consumers. We can also envisage cost effective NFC solutions tailored specifically for local market needs – from enabling secure pre-payment via NFC-enabled phones to equipping consumers with mobile apps for personal energy management. We welcome customer feedback on the use cases we’re demonstrating together with NXP as we continue to explore new innovations in smart metering.”

     The smart meter demonstrator integrates with the Landis+Gyr E350 modular electricity meter and the NXP PN512 contactless transceiver IC supporting NFC. Both NXP and Landis+Gyr are supporters of US and EU-driven initiatives to establish smart grids. The demonstration will show how an embedded secure element in NFC handsets can be used to manage privacy, yet provide the right level of access for installation and service technicians, enabling them to download metering information to handsets or tablets as well as upload firmware as required. Devices can also be paired to utilise home area network (HAN) communication, and NFC-enabled smartphones can be used for secure and convenient pre-payment of electricity and other utilities, together with contactless cards.

     Henri Ardevol, Vice President and General Manager of Secure Transactions Semiconductors at NXP, noted, “The NFC ecosystem is growing and extends far beyond mobile payments. The smart meter demonstrator we’ve developed with Landis+Gyr is another example of the numerous use cases for NFC, as new industries take advantage of its security and convenience, as well as the interaction it enables between the physical and virtual worlds. We are thrilled to be working with Landis+Gyr, the leader in advanced energy metering solutions, to explore how utilities and consumers can benefit from the growing pervasiveness of NFC-enabled mobile devices, while making the most of existing energy metering infrastructure.”

     NFC technology was co-invented by NXP in 2002 and evolved from a combination of contactless identification (RFID) and interconnection technologies. The new NFC smart meter demonstrator will also be at CarteS 2011 to be held in Paris, France in November, in the ‘At Home’ demo area of NXP’s stand.