Introducing the new sub-metering gateway Elvaco Edge

Easy to install gateway for quick and reliable access to your meter data The plug & play gateway, Elvaco Edge, developed for wired and wireless M-Bus communication and for both power supply and battery, is now available for ordering.

Elvaco AB is a provider of technology-open end-to-end solutions for energy suppliers, utilities and submetering companies, specialized in energy connectivity and infrastructure. The Swedish company has developed Elvaco Edge – a sub-metering gateway for remote reading of meters in larger buildings such as multi-storey apartment buildings. The gateway can read all wired meters and sensors that comply with the M-Bus standard EN-13757, as well as all OMS-compliant radio meters and sensors. It also works with either power supply or battery. With a battery lifetime of at least ten years in normal operation, Elvaco Edge is independent of the power supply and can be installed anywhere. The new gateway therefore offers a level of flexibility that is unique on the market. Comparable devices are either battery-operated or power supplied. The simple plug & play installation in field requires no IT knowledge from the user. Activation and configuration are done through the Elvaco Play App. A LED ring in the product’s housing provides the installer with feedback during commissioning. Elvaco Edge is now available for pre-ordering. Delivery will take place from the fourth quarter of 2024.    

In the submetering markets, there is a great demand for battery-powered gateways for reading of both radio meters and wired meters simultaneously. If a gateway is connected to the power grid and placed in a technical room in a basement, the performance of the gateway is often not sufficient to receive all the data from the meters and sensors in the entire building. This is why they are often installed in stairways. However, there are usually no power connection options in the stairway. And if there are, there is a very high risk of the power supply being interrupted by unauthorized persons. Most of the battery-operated gateways available to date do not have sufficient battery power. Elvaco has developed the new gateway specifically for flexible and uncomplicated installation anywhere in a building, regardless of power connections. This is because Elvaco Edge runs either on battery power or via a power supply unit. In publicly accessible areas, the housing of the gateway can also be sealed to prevent tampering. 

Erik Wikström, CCO of Elvaco AB, explains the special feature of the new product: "There are devices on the market which, like Elvaco Edge, can be operated with a battery or power supply. However, most of these devices only read wireless M-Bus, i.e. radio meters. Other gateways are used for wired M-Bus meters. Our major advantage with Elvaco Edge is maximum flexibility with one device. The Elvaco Edge can process both communication technologies in one device. The fact that wired M-Bus meters can also be read with a battery-operated gateway is something that has never been seen on the market before. When wired M-Bus meters are read today, the gateway always has a power connection. Elvaco is now the first provider to be able to read four wired meters and more than 1000 radio meters simultaneously via one gateway. Our unique technical solution makes this possible. Data is transmitted via the mobile networks with LTE-M and NB-IoT.”

Lack of skilled workers increases demand for battery-powered gateways   
For infrastructures with battery-powered devices, the remaining battery capacity is crucial information for operators. The Elvaco Edge continuously reports on the current status and the expected battery lifetime. In normal operation, for example with a daily transmission of hourly measured values, the battery of the Elvaco Edge lasts at least ten years.  

Elvaco believes that the demand for battery-powered gateways will continue to increase. As a result of the shortage of qualified workers, many of the metering specialist's customers are already unable to find qualified personnel for the electrical installations required to commission an IoT infrastructure with a power connection. Simple and streamlined assembly and installation processes help operators of remote reading infrastructures to save on personnel, time and costs.

Erik Wikström explains: "Our aim is to make handling of the entire process - from entering the building to completion and checking the installation - better and more user-friendly than other providers. We can ensure this with a complete plug-and-play solution. With the Elvaco mobile app, users can easily install and configure their devices to get instant access to their meter data. Elvaco Edge should also make it as easy as possible for our metering and submetering customers to meet the legal requirements of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive EED for remote reading."