China Water & Gas Smart Metering, AMR/AMI & Smart Grid Conference & Exhibition, organized by GSL Events, successfully ended on September 16, 2010 in Hangzhou, China. The 3-day event, started from September 14, was specially designed to focus on water/gas smart metering & smart grids development and give priority to “forward-looking, innovation and development” as the theme of this international event. It's our pleasure to gather nearly 500 participants from 100+ organizations/companies to attend the event and share their experience and opinions about water/gas metering industry.

Via professional speech, technical exhibition, experience sharing, interactive discussion and other forms, this event analyzed international background of energy-saving and emission reduction, new energy policy, technical innovation, international case study, management innovation & application, outlook and other aspects, which indicated the status of industrial development, especially the encountered challenges and problems, as well as the direction to move forward.

Through discussing the influential aspects in different sessions of the conference, all the experts can clearly understand the conference theme, which is "forward-looking, innovation, development". Applausive comments/feedbacks are received from most participants.

Water & Gas METERINGChina 2010 is the only international & professional forum to focus on water & gas smart metering. About 30 experts were invited to share their cherish experience and opinions with all the participants, who got the clear understanding of present challenges and problems, as well as the future developing direction.

In the opening ceremony of September 14, the five keynote speakers from National Administrative Center for Energy-saving, China Gas Association and Zhejiang Provincial level Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision as well as two leading companies Hangzhou Jingda and Sensus expatiated on the energy resource metering management, latest policies and regulations of China gas industry, and the encountered problems of vendors etc.

In the following sessions of the next two days, firstly, the vendors from famous firms introduced technical innovation and solution program, and the next international case study complemented the technical experience for all the participants, which force vendors to improve technologies in the fierce competitions. Secondly, the experts from China utility departments mainly share their lessons and experience, which provided useful suggestions to other utility departments, and also indicated their requirements of smart meters and AMR/AMI system for vendors. In the end the interactive panel discussion perfectly summarized the conference under the background of the Internet of Things and smart grids etc.

It would be quite natural that different even contrary opinions come out for new technology, just like this event. After making a summary of different opinions in this event, we think that it is acceptable for most participants that photo-electric direct reading smart meters and M-BUS communication way are favorable. Surely we should communicate and discuss further about the other technical problems, therefore, most participants are looking forward to the next Water & Gas METERINGChina event.

In the exhibition hall, total 12 vendors showcased their latest smart water and gas meter products and AMR/AMI systems as well a advanced technologies and concepts. For example, Hangzhou Watermeter Company displayed its own direct-reading long-distance transmission system as well as large diameter water meter, large diameter water meter supervisory control system, which has not been widely used in China now. Anhui EMI Intelligent Meter Company, a new face in water metering industry, also attracted eyeballs by their own R&D products - liquid sealed vane wheel optic-electrical direct reading remote water meter.

While attracting a lot of Chinese utilities, the exhibition also embraced many international buyers, who inquired with exhibitors in details about their products. This is by no means a good chance for domestic export companies to promote brands, meeting targeted customers, more important, meeting international buyers without going abroad.

Remarks: ★★★ represents Chief sponsor while ★ indicates sponsor partner and special sponsor.

After the conference, the organizer led nearly 30 delegates to visit Hangzhou Waterworks Group to see its remote meter reading system for large customers. The system was built by Hangzhou Waterworks Group together with the Department of Hangzhou Digital City Management. According to the principle of resource integration and full usage, Hangzhou Waterworks Group completed data monitoring and real-time transmitted data to digital city management department through 10M fiber. It perfectly combined data monitoring and water-saving planning management. Remote meter reading system for large customers includes five parts: front-end collecting system, GPRS/GSM network, monitoring center, network monitoring platform and online water-saving monitoring system.

With visit and panel discussion as well as Q&A, most visitors thought the system is rarely available in water utilities and were quite interested in it.

In summary, the global metering industry is in a booming development as the investment on advanced metering projects is an effective and long-term way to stimulate the economy. Especially in water and gas industry, many Chinese and international metering leading suppliers are also aware that this will be a great opportunity in the metering market. The success of smart metering/smart grid development can not be achieved without any party within this ecosystem. The communication will bring us to the bright future. GSL Events will make an effort as ever to contribute to the development of this industry.