Key executives from Meralco and Aclara recently signed a smart meter supply agreement during a ceremonial event held at the Meralco Operating Center in Pasig City.
Agreement coverage
The undertaking covers the supply of more than 72,000 Aclara smart meters, which will be deployed across Meralco’s franchise area starting this year.
Aclara Meters Philippines president and general manager Waldo Darvin said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to innovation that is practical, secure, scalable, and anchored on operational excellence.
“We stand here today ready to commit the resources, people, processes, and technology to ensure a reliable and smooth rollout of meters for deployment,” Darvin said.
Aclara smart meters enable real-time monitoring, remote reading, and improved grid intelligence. These devices transmit usage data, detect outages, and support smart grid applications designed to enhance operational efficiency.
Advancing digital grid
Smart meters are expected to strengthen Meralco’s capability to measure, monitor, and understand customer-level energy usage in real time.
For households and businesses, the technology enables remote meter reading, connection and disconnection services, faster outage detection, and more efficient energy management.
The initiative forms part of Meralco’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Program, under which the company aims to roll out around 12 million smart meters to all its customers over the next decade.
To date, about 196,000 smart meters have already been deployed across its franchise area.
Meralco senior vice president and head of networks Froilan J. Savet highlighted the role of AMI in supporting the company’s planned Grid-Edge Operations and Control Center (GEOCC).
Expected to be operational in the coming years, the GEOCC will integrate low-voltage conditions into daily grid operations, allowing the system to adapt to evolving customer energy demands.
“These technologies are designed to enhance secondary network visibility, particularly as distributed energy resources, residential batteries, and electric vehicle charging stations continue to expand across the grid,” Savet said.
Customer-centric strategy
Executive vice president and COO Ronnie L. Aperocho said the collaboration strengthens Meralco’s digital transformation journey.
“This partnership places smart metering at the center of how we deliver reliable service and provide consumers with better tools to manage their energy use,” Aperocho said.
He added that smart meters are not simply electronic devices but enablers of transparency, efficiency, and innovation. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
