Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said Wednesday it has teamed up with US-based Itron Inc. to accelerate its smart grid modernization efforts, initially covering 73,000 endpoints in Metro Manila.
The partnership with Itron, a global leader in energy and water resource management, is a crucial step in Meralco’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) program.
AMI is designed to help Meralco build a smarter, more responsive, and customer-centric energy system that aligns with the country’s transition toward a digital economy and a more sustainable energy future.
“This collaboration is pivoted in our AMI journey. With Itron’s Gen five solution, we are building a smart grid that not only supports the country’s push toward advancing the digital economy but also enhances Meralco’s customer-centricity through improved billing services, greater customer visibility into their energy use, and improved response times to outages,” said Ronnie Aperocho, Meralco executive vice president and chief operating officer.
The rollout will see Itron’s AMI solution with Intelligent Connectivity managing 73,000 endpoints across Metro Manila, with plans for a multi-year expansion to cover the rest of the areas serviced by Meralco.
John Marcolini, Itron senior vice president of networked solutions, cited the flexibility of the solution. “Our proven, scalable Gen five solution is upgrading the way Meralco delivers, measures and manages electricity. The solution is designed to support multiple meter brands, giving Meralco the flexibility to scale without vendor lock-in,” he said.
Itron’s AMI solution, a key component of its Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio, features an open, IPv six-based network that leverages Gen five mesh and cellular technologies.
The framework enables smart metering and supports a wide range of grid edge and smart city applications, laying the groundwork for future innovations such as distributed energy resources (DERs), electric vehicles and enhanced outage management.
By deploying Itron’s solution, Meralco will enable near real-time, two-way communication between its operations and customer endpoints. This capability allows for faster outage detection and restoration, improved billing accuracy, and greater transparency in energy consumption, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and operational resilience.
Meralco, which serves 8.2 million customers, is investing in smart technologies and strategic initiatives to enhance grid and network resilience, meet evolving requirements, and ensure long-term energy security for the Philippines.
