IBERDROLA installs Spain’s first three million smart meters within the framework of the STAR project

• Within the framework of the STAR project for implementing next generation power grids
• This initiative, underway in nine autonomous communities, will conclude in 2018 and have an overall investment of € 2,000 million
• By the end of the year, the Company will have renovated 35% of its metering fleet in Spain in compliance with the law

Bilbao, Spain, 12-8-2014 — /EuropaWire/ — In the month of July, IBERDROLA finished installing Spain’s first three million smart meters within the framework of the remotely managed and automated grid system project, otherwise known as the “STAR” project, or Sistema de Telegestión yAutomatización de la Red, underway in all Spanish autonomous communities with distribution grids. The Company has likewise adapted 14,500 transformation stations to enable them for remote management, supervision and automation.

After reaching this milestone, the Company will have renovated 35% of its metering fleet within 2014 in keeping with the plan defined by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism. Overall, this initiative will conclude in 2018 with a global investment of approximately € 2,000 million, including the replacement of 10.3 million meters and the adaptation of some 80,000 transformation stations.

The STAR project provides the Company with the means to pursue a two-fold objective. Firstly, to fulfill legislative requirements calling for remote management development and, secondly, to make use of this deployment to evolve technologically while improving the Company’s distribution grid. IBERDROLA will thus become the first company worldwide to attain this installed volume of connected smart meters, having adapted, at the same time, the corresponding distribution grid through the necessary incorporation of real-time supervision and automation.

Since this deployment began in the city of Castellón in 2010, IBERDROLA has proceeded to install this technology throughout the remaining regions and has already issued a total of 18.7 million bills based on remote meter readings through remote management.

Moreover, once signed up at the I’BERDROLA Distribución Eléctrica website, clients who have these smart metering systems can check their usage, compare it with other clients in their area or regions, and even search usage history.

With smart grids, IBDERDROLA is successfully detecting grid incidents much earlier, remotely and automatically reconfiguring as necessary. This consequently improves service quality, reduces losses and increases the likelihood of catching fraud.

The installation of smart grids also denotes a remarkable new opportunity to generate jobs for numerous companies furnishing services to the power sector, and thus serves as a driving force for the economic development in Spain. In this regard, the Company has awarded smart-grid related contracts to various manufacturers and suppliers over recent years for € 450 million.

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IBERDROLA installs Spain’s first three million smart meters within the framework of the STAR project