Hera Group and Panasonic Industry together for the diffusion of NexMeter on the national market
March 05, 2024 at 09:24 am EST
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The Japanese electronics leader collaborates with the multi-utility to distribute the NexMeter 4.0 gas meter, with advanced features in the field of measurement With Panasonic Industry Europe, the operating company of the Japanese multinational world leader in the production of electronic products and components, we renew the long-standing collaboration with the signing of a commercial agreement aimed at expanding the diffusion of the innovative NexMeter meter in the Italian gas distribution market.
There are several utilities that have already demonstrated their interest in our device and further future prospects for partnerships with European operators cannot be ruled out.
The collaboration with Panasonic dates back to 2019, when we launched our smart gas meter 4.0, equipped with advanced safety and leakage reduction functions, which subsequently evolved over time: since 2021 it has been made with recycled plastic components and has obtained the compatibility 'stamp' for green gas mixtures such as hydrogen and biomethane.
NexMeter has now been a consolidated reality for several years and has already made it possible to provide an important technical contribution within our activities. Its anti-seismic vocation has now led to over 250 thousand meters already installed mainly in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Emilia-Romagna, areas classified as high seismic risk, and the additional functions of NexMeter in leak detection have also made it possible to intervene successfully in potentially critical situations, avoiding even serious risks to people and things. Furthermore, we have already activated the first Italian trial of introducing a mixture of methane and hydrogen into the city's gas distribution network two years ago in the province of Modena.
Today the collaboration with Panasonic is further consolidated to make this innovative device available to all operators in the sector, which represents an excellent ally for decarbonisation. Starting from our know-how and consolidated experience in the field, Panasonic's technological excellence will, in fact, enrich the NexMeter device with further functions and will make available to all Italian operators a meter that exceeds national standards, with additional performances aimed not only at improving the safety and sustainability of the service, to the benefit of the end consumer, but also at making gas distribution more efficient and reducing costs, for the benefit of the distributors themselves.
Panasonic Holdings Corporation (formerly Panasonic Corporation) specializes in manufacturing and marketing of consumer electronic equipments. Net sales (including intragroup) break down by family of products as follows:
- domestic equipments, appliances and audiovisual equipment (42.5%): lighting devices, photovoltaic devices, wiring devices, health and care devices, furnishing materials, air conditioning and ventilation equipments, air purifiers, refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, dryers, vacuum cleaners, irons, microwaves, fans, cooking appliances, dishwashers, TVs, digital cameras, audio and video equipment, fixed telephones, showcases, etc.;
- electronic and electromechanical components (13.2%): relays, switches, power supply systems, industrial motors and sensors, capacitors, coils, resistors, materials for electronic circuits, semiconductors, LCD panels, etc.;
- automotive multimedia equipment and electronic accessories (12.4%);
- avionics, industrial automation, communication and entertainment systems (10.8%): in-flight entertainment and communication systems, electronic component assembly machines, welding equipment, projectors, professional audio-visual systems, computers, tablets, mobile communication systems and equipment, etc.;
- energy storage systems (8.9%): cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, dry batteries, primary/secondary lithium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium-ion batteries, energy storage modules and systems;
- other (12.2%).
Net sales break down geographically as follows: Japan (43.2%), China (13.4%), Asia (14.7%), Americas (18.7%) and Europe (10%).
PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION 
