Echelon to host Smart Grid conference in Mumbai, India

Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON) today announced that it will host an energy efficiency and smart grid conference in Mumbai, India, August 25-26, 2010. The conference will address energy management technologies and strategies, economic and market drivers, regulatory developments and industry trends in energy efficiency and will provide best-practice case studies for implementing smart grids and energy management systems

Southeast Asia's rapid economic growth has raised substantial energy concerns for the region. India suffers from high energy costs, electricity transmission and distribution losses, inadequate use of natural resources for power generation, and chronic power shortages. The Government of India is analyzing over 750 large energy users in an effort to reduce energy consumption by approximately 10,000 megawatts (MW) per year. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency in India is mandating specific energy consumption decreases in large energy-consuming industries such as railways, manufacturing plants, steel industries and power generation plants. 

Using smart energy infrastructures in the form of both advanced metering and control networks reduces energy demand and helps offset the pressure to increase generation capacity while enabling demand management in real-time in response to grid conditions.

"India will soon implement industry targets regulating energy usage, and the drive towards energy efficiency is rapidly accelerating. The time to act is now, and we must make significant changes in how we view and use energy," said Dalip Singh, president of The Society of Energy Engineers and Managers.

"We aim to bring together government officials, energy solution providers, installers and end-users to discuss how to save money and the environment by improving energy efficiency," Anders Axelsson, Echelon's senior vice president of LWI sales and market development. "Decision makers from business, industry and government are now seeking integrated energy solutions to ensure a reliable and affordable power supply, and effective management of energy-related costs which affect ROI."

Axelsson continued, "According to a recent U.S. Department of Commerce trade mission to India regarding energy efficiency, the market potential for industrial energy efficiency is approximately $27 billion and the potential for green buildings is over $3 billion. India represents a tremendous opportunity for energy service companies."

Key topics to be discussed at the conference include:

• Smart grid concepts including automated demand response for energy conservation;
• Energy management systems for commercial buildings, schools and manufacturing facilities;
• Indoor and outdoor lighting systems technology and case studies showing up to 50% reduction in energy use;
• Concepts and technologies for Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI);
• Enterprise energy management systems – technology and case studies;
• Alternative energy sources – Echelon powered solar systems;
• LonWorks Open System case studies and best practices.

About Echelon Corporation
Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON) is leading the worldwide transformation of the electricity grid into a smart, communicating energy network, connecting utilities to their customers, enabling networking of everyday devices, and providing customers with energy aware homes and businesses that react to conditions on the grid.

Echelon's NES System – the backbone for the smart grid – is used by utilities to replace existing stand-alone electricity meters with a network infrastructure that is open, inexpensive, reliable, and proven. The NES System helps utilities compete more effectively, reduce operating costs, provide expanded services and help energy users manage and reduce overall energy use. Echelon's LonWorks® Infrastructure products extend the smart grid, powering tens of millions of energy aware, everyday devices made by thousands of companies – connecting them to each other, to the electricity grid and to the Internet. LonWorks based products work together to monitor and save energy; lower costs; improve productivity; and enhance service, quality, safety, and convenience in utility, municipal, building, industrial, transportation, and home area networks.

Source : www.echelon.org