Vision For Future
We are in for another exciting 75 years of business.
New technological challenges, new market demands, new sustainable solutions.
But connectivity remains.
It has led us through the past 75 years and it will guide us
further into the future. Let us unite in search of a vision that reaches beyond our jobs.
Thank you for choosing to look ahead in time with us!
A journey
of connectivity
START OF OPERATIONS
Iskraemeco’s operations began in 1945, when Strojna tovarna, which was set up in the 1920s at the location of the present-day company, expanded its production range to include development and manufacture of electricity meters.
THE FIRST INDUCTION METER
In 1946 the company developed and designed its first single-phase induction meter, called E1. The design of the product was fit for high-volume production and regular production began soon afterwards. After 1953 the company was no longer able to meet the rising demand for electricity meters despite serial production, so the company, then known as Iskra, opened its first assembly line in 1954. The line with a daily capacity of 400 meters stayed in operation for 40 years.
THE FIRST MILLION METERS MADE AND PRODUCTION OF THREE-PHASE METERS
In mid-1958 the company reached a major milestone by producing its first million of single-phase meters. And it did not stop there. Since its early days, Iskraemeco has had an appetite for growth and in that same year it started the production of three-phase meters, which were also developed on-site.
THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL AMR SYSTEM
The company’s focus on research and development grew through the years. Having developed the first electronic precision meter in 1975, the company’s focus on own development base and future led to the launching of a new industrial meter in 1988. The new meter already used the Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) technology. A decade later, the company launched its first AMR household meter.
THE FIRST AMR ROLL-OUT ABROAD – THE INTRODUCTION OF SMART METERS
The new millennium brought new challenges. Two successful projects in the Nordics became the cornerstone for future smart metering projects. Iskraemeco won a major project abroad and completed the roll-out of a comprehensive system for remote meter reading in cooperation with the largest Swedish utility Vattenfall. In 2004 we supplied the first generation of smart meters MT35X for the Swedish electricity grid. The partnership with a Finish telecommunication company, Telia Sonera and Vattenfall established a metering system based on GSM/GPRS communication with 600.000 smart meters in the network.
THE NEW STRATEGIC OWNER AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR ISKRAEMECO
In 2007, Iskraemeco has been acquired by Elsewedy Electric. A shared vision of a smarter, more energy-efficient future was the driving force that connected the two companies in energy ventures. By joining the Elsewedy group, Iskraemeco attained a valuable business partner and unprecedented opportunities for growth and development.
NEW SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS, INCLUDING METER INTEROPERABILITY
Since 2008 Iskraemeco has seen one successful project after another. In 2008 Iskraemeco joined a pilot project initiated by the largest utility in the European Union, ERDF (Electricité Réseau Distribution France), which aimed to set up a new system for the collection and processing of electricity consumption data. Within the framework of this project, Iskraemeco developed, manufactured and delivered a total of 100,000 (of 300,000) new meters developed specifically for the French market. The French utility EDF (Electricité de France) named the meters 'Linky'. A year later Iskraemeco, Itron and Landis+Gyr joined the initiative to develop interoperable smart meters. With interoperable meters, utilities are no longer tied to a single meter supplier. In 2013 Iskraemeco’s smart meters, data concentrators and SEP2W software solution were supplied to Manchester Airport, which ranks among the busiest airports in Great Britain. Also in 2013, Iskraemeco developed a smart and environment-friendly EV charging solution in cooperation with the Dutch service provider Eneco/Utiliq.
THE FAIR METER PROJECT AND THE CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY
In 2015 Iskraemeco teamed up with several of its Dutch customers and started the Fair Meter project. Fair Meters are smart meters based on the principles of 'fairness', which means that we know exactly where, how and from what components each metering device is made. The primary goal of Fair Meters is to reduce the environmental and social impact of the product. Iskraemeco’s Fair Meter won the Slovenian Golden Innovation Award in 2018. As part of its sustainability efforts, the company adopted a sustainability strategy and set high standards for the entire smart metering industry.
THE YEAR 2020 AND ISKRAEMECO'S NEW STRATEGIC ORIENTATION
For Iskraemeco, the anniversary year 2020 began with a major award. Frost & Sullivan presented Iskraemeco with the 2020 Growth Excellence Leadership Award in the Global Smart Metering Industry in recognition of its focus on building high-level customer satisfaction, establishing relationships based on transparency and trust, as well as its commitment to sustainable technology, bold strategic initiatives and strong overall performance. In 2020 we presented a portfolio of smart solutions which provide energy utilities with tools to shape the future of power generation and management in the digitalized world.
NEW 75 YEARS
We are in for another exciting 75 years of business. New technological challenges, new market demands, new sustainable solutions. But connectivity remains. It has led us through the past 75 years and it will guide us further into the future. Let us unite in search of a vision that reaches beyond our jobs. Thank you for choosing to look ahead in time with us!