12 Nov 2019 Lagos, Nigeria -- SteamaCo, the company that solves connectivity for African utilities, today unveils a suite of energy automation products at Future Energy Nigeria. Building on the company's data-lite smart metering platform, the new product launch makes advanced metering infrastructure and workforce automation available in previously unreachable places.
African utilities face high operating costs and payment collection rates of less than 50%, leading to underinvestment and, as a result, huge unmet demand in many parts of urban and rural Africa. SteamaCo's automation products help utilities tackle these challenges, enabling them to transact efficiently at scale, even in locations with scarce connectivity.
Aerial view of Ariaria market, one of a number of sites where SteamaCo and its customers are upgrading Nigeria's energy infrastructure.
Introducing Edge 6, with Install Assist
The world’s most data-efficient smart meter is now half the size and half the weight, with powerful new features that keep operations running when connectivity is scarce.
Edge 6 offers a suite of loss protection features including an anti-tamper immobiliser, anti-tamper screws and meter bypass detection. And each device comes with a QR code for easy scanning and commissioning with Install Assist.
Site Maps
Site Maps improve the speed and effectiveness of field work.
Field technicians use Install Assist to activate meters, select networks and commission sites faster. Meanwhile, Site Maps plot the latitude, longitude, signal strength and commissioned status of each meter, helping to coordinate work across multiple sites.
Bluetooth add-on
Edge 6 sends energy data and notifications directly to Bluetooth-enabled smart phones and in-home displays in its local vicinity.
The Bluetooth add-on gives utility consumers a free, wireless way to access meter data and communicate with their utility. Free on-demand balance checks help consumers understand their energy use, while automatic payment confirmations and low balance notifications enable consumers to self-serve.
Harrison Leaf, CEO and Co-Founder at SteamaCo, said, "Edge 6, Install Assist and Site Maps are our latest contribution to Africa’s remarkable infrastructure development. Being largely unconnected to grid power, Africa is the world’s hotbed for distributed energy innovation and SteamaCo's exciting technology advancements are leading the industry in energy and workforce automation.”
Emily Moder, COO at SteamaCo, said, "These exciting product developments are the result of close collaboration with our customers, whom we are honoured to serve in some of the world's toughest operating environments."
Wesley Verne, CTO at SteamaCo, said, "Bluetooth Low Energy support is a particularly exciting feature for us, as it allows utilities to communicate with their consumers over a reliable, low-cost data channel."
Find SteamaCo at stand 803 of the Future Energy Nigeria conference 12 - 13 Nov 2019, and catch their live product demo in the conference Knowledge Hub at 12.30pm on 13 November.
For further information please contact enquiries@steama.co.
About SteamaCo
Utility operations require perfectly coordinated, repetitive execution. This coordination is more difficult in emerging markets due to connectivity challenges. In the hardest to reach places, consumers go un(der)served, relying instead on alternatives - diesel generators, wood fuel, kerosene lamps - that cost 10 - 100x more than grid power. As a result, 2 billion people have little or no access to electricity. To reach this kind of consumer, utilities need new technology.
SteamaCo makes the world’s most data-efficient smart meter. Our cutting edge connected devices, accompanying cloud software and mobile interfaces enable utilities to transact, reliably and cost-effectively, even when connectivity is scarce.
SteamaCo is a venture backed technology company headquartered at Manchester Science Park, one of the UK’s leading science and technology campuses, with satellite offices in Kenya.