German powerline products specialist Devolo has entered the Irish market, where the government has set a target of installing 2.2 million smart meters in all households by 2020 as part of its national smart grid strategy. The company is selling its flagship G3-PLC modem 500k, which operates in the 150-500 kHz band, for data communication in the electricity distribution network. Devolo has appointed Ciaran O’Breartuin as its company representative in Dublin. source: http://www.telecompaper.com/news/devolo-targets-irish-smart-meter-market–1109247
Communication for smart energy networks
Future energy supply systems face the major challenge that different participants to a variable extent and at unpredictable times to feed energy, remove or offer and make use of various services (eg, energy consulting, property management). These votes require a reliable and secure bi-directional exchange of information. As a communication channel for this information, the existing energy networks can be used, which is now no longer transmitted only energy but also information (English Powerline Communication PLC). In this way, the existing infrastructure can be used independently of other communication media.
Network topology
Network topology is constructed in the way that every house will communicate with the distribution station via the power lines. The energy data is relayed from the smart meter gateway to the 500 kHz PLC access modem made by devolo. From there, the energy data is transmitted to the distribution station. At the distribution station, the media converter collects the energy data of the entire network and relays it in bundled form to the energy provider.
Source: http://www.fliuch.org/germanys-devolo-targets-irish-smart-meter-market/