PRI Ltd - A Company Profile

PRI is at the forefront of smart meter innovation and manufacturing.  The company, with operations in 50 countries worldwide, provides intelligent energy management solutions for clients around the globe.  PRI is dedicated to pushing the edge of smart technology capabilities in order to better manage resources in the most efficient manner and reduce carbon emissions at the same time.

The company has developed smart electric and gas metering products and communication technologies to facilitate better power management.  In addition to smart meters, PRI’s product line includes display devices, controls, and data retrieval, energy management software, and managed services.

PRI has long been a technological leader in the UK having produced the first tariff-approved electronic meter two decades ago.  The company encourages innovation and continues to invest heavily in research and development through its association with parent company Entity Group.

Customers of the company have implemented advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solutions, and utilities have provided its smart meters to their own customers.  Adaptations of smart technology have enabled entirely new market sectors to develop and thrive.  PRI is able to provide smart metering solutions tailored to its customers’ needs.

PRI’s in-home displays, works in conjunction with smart meters, support utility pre-pay and credit programs for both electricity and gas.  The user interface ranges from simple text to full-colour graphical displays with smart controls for the home.  Whatever the needs of an energy provider, PRI is able to provide.

The Customer Interface Panel (CIP) features an LCD screen and displays information using both text and graphics.  It is suitable for both pre-pay and credit applications and supports time-of-use energy rates.  It communicates wirelessly using the ZigBee protocol that is rapidly emerging as a smart metering standard.

Another unit, called the Home Energy Controller (HEC) is able to integrate energy efficiency heating controls, and a customer’s utility account into a single user-interface.  Consumers are able to gain complete understanding into their energy usage and conservation efforts with the HEC installed.

PRI also offers Carbon View, a product capable of monitoring water, gas, and electricity usage in an entire building or community.  Carbon View provides instant information that updates in real time.  It integrates official Government carbon emissions guidelines so building or site managers can monitor adherence to established emissions standards.  

As outlined within the Carbon Reduction Commitment Scheme (CRC) in the government’s Energy White Paper from 2007 emissions trading will become mandatory within sizable commercial and public sector organizations.  Carbon View will help site managers reach these goals.  The Institution of Mechanical Engineers currently uses Carbon View at its London headquarters and has reported great success in its effort to conserve energy and reduce the size of its carbon footprint.

Products currently under development include the Plug IT which attaches to a wall outlet to provide real-time and historical energy data describing cost and carbon emissions.  It is also capable of predicting energy usage and can communicate wirelessly.  

As more and more utilities and governments realize the benefits a smart grid has to offer, PRI will be available to meet rising demand for its products.  The company has three factories already which provide a manufacturing capacity exceeding 2 million meters annually and has made investments that will increase that capacity.

PRI Ltd.
PRI House
Moorside Road
Winchester
Hampshire
SO23 7RX
UK

http://www.pri.co.uk