With three decades of expertise in smart metering, KAIFA is accelerating the modernization of global utility infrastructure. By combining strategic digital transformation alongside stringent standardization, KAIFA delivers advanced smart energy solutions to utilities worldwide.
In a recent interview with Enlit World, KAIFA’s leadership shared key insights into the company's global footprint.
Global Integration: Leading Digitalization Through Localized Operations
Henry Chan, Sales VP, highlighted KAIFA’s commitment to seamless localized support. As a premier smart metering provider with 30 years of experience, KAIFA has built a robust service network across Europe, Central Asia, and South America. A prime example is the United Kingdom. Since establishing the UK subsidiary in 2012, KAIFA has deployed over 2.3 million SMETS2 smart meters, serving more than ten of the UK’s leading energy utilities.
KAIFA is now establishing a wholly-owned subsidiary and production plant in Brazil. This facility will anchor KAIFA’s South American presence, creating a comprehensive regional supply and service ecosystem. Most notably, the plant will provide the localized technical and logistical support required for Sabesp’s water metering modernization project. "This initiative is vital for reducing water loss and identifying leaks," noted Daniel Szlak, CFO of Sabesp. "KAIFA’s new plant is expected to create 300 jobs and significantly advance Brazil’s water metering technology."
Henry Chan concluded that by aligning R&D with local manufacturing, KAIFA maintains a competitive edge through both technical excellence and cost-efficiency.
Quality Assurance: Bridging Digital Expertise Across Europe
Carlos Rydin, Business Development Director for Europe, emphasized that quality assurance and information security are the cornerstones of KAIFA’s market strategy. Every smart meter undergoes exhaustive testing to meet rigorous international security standards.
Leveraging a solid foundation of 2.6 million smart electricity meters delivered to nearly ten utilities, KAIFA is now expanding its digital expertise into the Iberian water and gas sectors. This strategic move aligns with significant market momentum: the water sector is seeing rapid deployment fueled by the EU Recovery Fund, while the gas sector prepares for a nationwide infrastructure upgrade mandated by new government regulations.
This is a strategic deployment of KAIFA’s proven digitalization model. By applying the same rigorous standards that defined its success in the power industry, KAIFA remains dedicated to providing the secure, high-standard infrastructure necessary to support Europe’s evolving energy landscape.
Standardization: Pioneering a New Era for Smart Water
A major milestone in KAIFA’s technical leadership is the launch of its DLMS smart water solution. Ya Chen, CTO of KAIFA, who also serves as a DLMS UA Board Member and Chair of the Smart Water Working Group, stressed that standardized data exchange is vital for scaling smart water projects. "We aim to break down the barriers of incompatible protocols to ensure a more transparent and efficient flow of water metering data." said Ya Chen.
The new solution integrates remote configuration and firmware upgrades while ensuring compatibility with global cloud platforms like AWS and Azure. Through a three-year certification roadmap for Generic Companion Profiles (GCP), KAIFA is ensuring seamless interoperability to foster a truly unified global metering ecosystem. This standardized framework has been applied to the water metering modernization project in Brazil, driving the digital transformation of the region's water infrastructure.
KAIFA will continue to deepen its presence in the smart metering management. By anchoring digitalization as its strategic guide and standardization as its core development path, KAIFA aims to empower the global utility transition and define a smarter, low-carbon energy future.