Vector Metering started as a subsidiary of Meridian Energy. Launched in 2003, operating under the business name; Arc Innovations. It was established to develop and deploy electricity meters using advanced meter infrastructure. In 2014, Vector Limited was granted clearance to buy Arc Innovations from the Commerce Commission from Meridian Energy with the sale completed for an undisclosed price on 1 December 2014. As of 2022, & subject to commerce commission approval, Vector has sold 50% of Vector Metering to Queensland Investment Centre (QIC) for 1.7B. Arc Innovations was the first company to introduce

Smart Meters A smart meter is an Electronics, electronic device that records information such as consumption of electric energy, voltage levels, current, and power factor. Smart meters Telemetering, communicate the information to the consumer for greater c ...

in New Zealand, rolling out the country’s pilot Smart Meter program in Central Hawkes Bay in 2005. Arc Innovation’s smart meter network relies on a mix of

GPRS General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data standard on the 2G and 3G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was established by European Telecommunications Standards Insti ...

, RF

Mesh network A mesh network is a local area network topology in which the infrastructure nodes (i.e. bridges, switches, and other infrastructure devices) connect directly, dynamically and non-hierarchically to as many other nodes as possible and cooperate wit ...

and satellite for the meter’s two-way communication.

History

Following Arc Innovation’s launch in 2003 the company spent two years researching and developing smart meters. The introduction of this first generation of smart meters saw 6,000 meters installed in Central Hawkes Bay over 2005 and 2006. Following this, 125,000 smart meters were deployed to the wider Christchurch area. In 2009, approximately 70% of Christchurch homes were installed with smart meters, making it the largest smart metering network in Australasia at that time.

Christchurch earthquake

Following the two major

earthquakes An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

in September 2010 and February 2011, smart meters in Christchurch were able to be used to provide information to the city’s

distribution network Electric power distribution is the final stage in the delivery of electric power; it carries electricity from the transmission system to individual consumers. Distribution substations connect to the transmission system and lower the transmissi ...

about power outages to individual homes. Christchurch’s smart meter

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...

was also used to switch on hot water cylinders in several hundred homes following the February earthquake.

References

{{Reflist Electric power companies of New Zealand