MET Laboratories Contracts to Test Texas Smart Meters

Monday, 17 May 2010 16:40

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Navigant Consulting has contracted MET Laboratories to perform side-by-side accuracy testing for smart watthour meters in Texas. The testing is scheduled to begin this week.

To test the accuracy of the smart meters, each test will compare two sets of 25 meters while they undergo changing temperature and load conditions. According to MET Laboratories, “One set of meters will be solid state smart meters with integrated communication modules.  The control set will be electro-mechanical single phase meters.”

The testing is being conducting at the request of the Texas Public Utility Commission of Texas as well as the transmission and distribution service providers the Commission regulates, which includes CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC; Oncor Electric Delivery Company, LLC; AEP Texas Central Company, and AEP Texas North Company.

MET Laboratories is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, with office locations in Union City and Santa Clara, California, as well as Shenzhen in China. The company is leader in testing and certifying electric meters in order to “ensure accuracy, reliability and safety of watt-hour meters in homes and business throughout America. Independent testing ensures that all meters are subject to the same standards and requirements.”

MET’s stated mandate is to verify the proper performance and accuracy of electricity meters in accordance to ANSI C12 requirements; ensure that RF devices and AMI components do not adversely affect the accuracy of the meter under environmental or fluctuating voltage conditions; and verify meter accuracy at the full temperature and external environment requirements of ANSI standards. According to MET, “Testing includes extreme temperature, humidity, salt-fog, UV, lightning surges, and vibration.”

For more information about MET Laboratories, please visit www.METLabs.com.