Perhaps the most common characteristic of large buildings in commercial real-estate markets like New York City or Boston is the lack of commonality. The primary mechanical systems in these buildings are typically patchworks that encompass decades of technological change. To make matters still more complex, the degree of customization that occurs in the process of integrating new systems or standards into an existing building is extensive. The result is that the built environment has become the Wild West.

GE Energy , a subsidiary of Schenectady, NY-based industrial conglomerate, is betting that the building automation industry will embrace a high accuracy, revenue-class power meter called the Multilin EPM 6010 designed to restore some modicum of order to the prevailing anarchy in big buildings.

The Multilin EPM smart meter facilitates converge of in building automation systems standards by allowing communication using both the BACnet/IP and Modbus TCP protocols. Per the press release :

"The BACnet protocol is used today in building automation projects to integrate HVAC, lighting, elevators and other devices to building management systems to better control energy usage and costs. The EPM 6010 provides accurate and timely energy use data allowing the automation system to better respond to changes in demand. The Multilin EPM 6010 gives building management systems access to an impressive 40 predefined BACnet objects, which allows the meter to seamlessly integrate into the automation system. In addition to BACnet, the meter’s Web interface allows users to track energy usage remotely with a standard browser, and the Modbus TCP interface permits interoperability with HMI software such as Multilin EnerVista Viewpoint Monitoring."

The EPM 6010 meter, which provides high-resolution measurements of voltage, current, power and frequency, is being marketed as an enabling technology for buildings pursuing  LEED certification or similar sustainability initiatives.  The field of competitors in the building automation space is expanding rapidly as new products hit the market from Johnson Controls , Schneider Electric and Honeywell Building Solutions to mention only a few.