Vendor Study

Aug 2026 · pipeline + protocol benchmark · citations required · SparkMeter / EarthSpark TC2.0 refresh

Living comparison for village-meter procurement: cited protocol scores, outreach status, and contacts. Target northbound contract: northbound MQTT v0.1 + VMRS. Web/datasheet pass only — nothing marked tested. SparkMeter / EarthSpark detail also on TC2.0 review.

1 · Protocol benchmark — DLMS, STS, VMRS, and northbound APIs from datasheets and public docs (doc / claim / interop / no / —). Grouped by vendor role; do not compare SunSpec inverter rows to STS meter rows.

2 · Outreach pipeline — brochures, pricing, field references, and ISV follow-up history. Operational, not proof of interoperability.

3 · Directory & context — full contact directory, generation-side DER notes, industry cost bands, and bibliography (expand below).

Method · scoring legend · known gaps

8 industry + 22 vendor-primary + 3 ISV sources (53 citations). Cells: doc = datasheet/spec cites the protocol · claim = marketing claim without ICD · interop = HES/platform claims it can talk standard DLMS to third-party meters (not that the vendor’s own meters publish an open DLMS ICD) · no / —. VMRS = documented OBIS export, not full ICD. Confidence T0–T3.

Gaps this pass

No public developer API for SteamaCo Nimbus or live TC1.x ThunderCloud SaaS. SparkMeter field meters stay on proprietary SparkNet RF (not DLMS). TC2.0 (Jul 2026, Apache-2.0) is open source but pre-production — not a drop-in for every live basestation. Inhemeter DLMS docs partner-gated. Rare published $/meter pricing.

Field — meter / CIUDLMS/COSEM · STS · Modbus · proprietary RF/OEM

Edge — DCU / EMSDLMS client/server · RF mesh / PLC · LTE uplink

Cloud — platformIEEE 2030.5 · REST/MQTT · proprietary HES/MDMS

Protocol benchmark

One table, three vendor classes. VMRS = documented OBIS export toward northbound-mqtt-v0.1, not a full COSEM ICD. Confidence T0–T3.

Vendor	Role	Product	DLMS	STS	VMRS	SunSpec	2030.5	Transport	Northbound	Lock-in	$/conn	Conf.	Evidence
Meter OEM & DCU hardware
Donsun	meter + DCU	DS1000/1600/3000, DSC100 DCU	doc	doc	doc	N/A	N/A	RF, PLC, GPRS/3G/4G on DCU; RS-485 DLMS HDLC [28][29]	DLMS → HES (HES not bundled)	—	`—` ISV quote only	T1	IEC 62056 + STS on DS1000 brochure [4]; DSC100 DLMS+DL/T698 [28]
Inhemeter	meter	i210 / i310 (DDZ1513 / DTZ1513)	doc	doc	doc	N/A	N/A	PLC, RF, GPRS, 3G/4G, NB-IoT modules [14][15]	DLMS COSEM server; CIU via PLC/RF	—	`—`	T1	OBIS/IEC62056-21 optical on brochure [15]
Calin	meter	CAM168-G, CAM368-G	doc	doc	claim	N/A	N/A	PLC / RF / GPRS / LoRa options [18]	DLMS to AMI head-end	—	`—`	T1	IEC62055 + IEC62056 on product page
Mojec	meter + AMI	STS prepay + PLC AMI	claim	doc	claim	N/A	N/A	PLC NAN; GPRS WAN via concentrator [16]	Proprietary AMI + STS vending	—	`—`	T1–T2	DLMS/COSM in AMI slide deck [17]; STS on R&D page
Full-stack AMI & mesh platforms
SteamaCo	full-stack	Nimbus AMI + Savi	interop	doc	claim	—	—	Savi: GPRS/PLC/RF mesh [2]	REST API (customer login); MPM plugin sync [1][30]	partner	`platform` + SaaS [23]	T1–T2	`interop` = Nimbus marketed as DLMS/COSEM-interoperable HES/MDMS (third-party meters) [3] — not an open Savi meter ICD. Savi STS + mobile money [2]; Donsun-supplied meters [6]
SparkMeter ops: EarthSpark	full-stack	SM meters + CIU · Firefly · GroundBolt · ThunderCloud	no DLMS	—	—	N/A	N/A	SparkNet RF NAN (Firefly); SparkNet-HTTP at site [52][9]	Field: TC1.x managed SaaS. Open path: TC2.0 GroundBolt ± ThunderCloud (Apache-2.0, Jul 2026) [52][53]	opening	`$40–110` band [22]	T2	Sep 2025 EarthSpark took EM ops (~1M people on meters) [53]. Meters stay proprietary SparkNet — not utility DLMS. Soft-lock easing via open HES/site stack, not via open meter wire. Detail: TC2.0 review
Okra	mesh nanogrid	Harvest + Pod	N/A	N/A	N/A	—	—	DC mesh; Harvest cloud [19]	Harvest cloud; mobile money + cash	closed	`—`	T1	Prepaid kWh or daily rate in Harvest [19]; no public API spec
Edge platform (not a revenue meter)
New Sun Road	platform	Stellar Edge + OS	N/A	N/A	N/A	—	—	Modbus RTU, CAN, REST cloud UI [11][12]	Modbus RTU, CAN, REST cloud UI	agnostic	`platform`	T1	Modbus RTU documented; SunSpec not claimed on vendor pages
Named in pipeline — no protocol sheet retrieved this pass
Hexing · Kelin	meter	Utility AMI	Hexing HXP100DII cited in industry minigrid examples [22] — no vendor protocol sheets retrieved
Schneider · Jinco · Growatt · Studer · Dohon	mixed	—	Original watch list — no verified protocol documentation retrieved this pass

Outreach pipeline

Procurement follow-up only — see protocol columns above for STS/DLMS/VMRS scores.

Brand	System	Role	Outreach	Brochure	Pricing	Field refs	Notes
Donsun	DS series meters + DSC100 DCU	meter + DCU	Yes ISV	Yes [28]	ISV quote ISV	Deployed in multiple African utilities per vendor trade listings [5]	SteamaCo lists Savi meters as Donsun-supplied [6]
SteamaCo	Nimbus AMI + Savi meters + DCU	full-stack	Yes ISV	Yes ISV	—	Kenya mini-grid deployments cited (e.g. Kudura) [7]	API exists; public developer portal not found [1][8]
New Sun Road	Stellar Edge + Microgrid OS	platform	Yes ISV	Yes [11][12]	—	Vendor claims 1,000+ microgrids / 21 countries [10]	Not a revenue meter — edge controller + cloud OS
SparkMeter / EarthSpark	SM meters + Firefly + GroundBolt + ThunderCloud (TC1.x field · TC2.0 open)	full-stack	partial [52]	Yes [52][9]	quote form [13]	~1M people on meters after EarthSpark ops takeover (Sep 2025) [53]; EFC lists 22 countries historically [9]	TC2.0 Apache-2.0 hub + GitHub (Jul 2026) — pre-production; live fleets still TC1.x SaaS. SparkNet RF stays proprietary. ISV Phase 1 map: TC2.0 review
Inhemeter	i210 / i310 (DDZ1513 / DTZ1513)	meter	—	Yes [14][15]	—	—	Partner DLMS docs gated per ISV field notes ISV
Mojec	STS prepay + AMI (Nigeria)	meter + AMI	—	partial [16][17]	—	IBEDC vending; Port Harcourt & Ikeja AMR cited [16]	DLMS mentioned in Mojec AMI deck [17]
Calin	CAM168-G / CAM368-G etc.	meter	—	Yes [18]	—	—	DLMS/COSEM + STS on same product lines
Okra	Pod + Harvest platform	mesh nanogrid	—	partial [19][20]	—	Haiti, Cambodia, Philippines case studies [20][21]	DC mesh + prepaid billing — not utility DLMS AMI
Hexing · Kelin	Utility AMI	meter	Named in industry minigrid meter examples (Hexing HXP100DII) [22] — no vendor protocol sheets retrieved this pass
Schneider · Jinco · GroWatts · Studer · Dohon	—	mixed	On original watch list — no verified protocol documentation retrieved this pass

Vendor contacts (full directory)

Vendor	Website	Email / phone	Address / region	Form / portal	ISV prior contact	Notes	Src
Donsun	donsuntech.com	[email protected] [email protected] +86 755 86565087	Shenzhen Software Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen	—	[email protected]	Sales contact from ISV proposal PDF matches catalog	[28][47]
SteamaCo	steama.co	UK: +44 161 505 2012 Africa: +234 908 797 2825	Abuja, Nigeria (Africa office listed)	Contact form	ISV-internal — access on request	No public sales email on contact page; API/partner docs behind customer login	[32][48]
New Sun Road	newsunroad.com	[email protected] +1 510-550-5252	Richmond Field Station, Richmond, CA	Contact form	ISV-internal — access on request	Sales inquiry option on form	[33][49]
SparkMeter / EarthSpark	sparkmeter.io · open-source hub	[email protected] (general) [email protected] (customers)	Washington DC area (EFC lists HQ); ops under EarthSpark since Sep 2025	Request quote · github.com/EarthSpark	—	TC1.x ThunderCloud login separate from TC2.0 repos. Open stack: GroundBolt / ThunderCloud Apache-2.0 — not plug-and-play for every live site.	[34][52][53]
Inhemeter	inhemeter.com	[email protected] [email protected] (support) +86 755 26616686	Nanshan, Shenzhen	Contact page	—	DLMS interop docs reported partner-gated (ISV)	[35]
Mojec	mojecglobal.com	[email protected] Lagos / Abuja: 014537736	Lagos & Abuja, Nigeria	Contact + live chat	—	Terms page also lists [email protected], [email protected]	[36]
Calin	calinmeter.com	[email protected] +86 15815515503 (WhatsApp)	Universal Intelligence Center, Shenzhen	Contact page	—	Separate export site szcalinmeter.com also exists — verify which entity you need	[37]
Okra	okrasolar.com	[email protected]	Nigeria / Cambodia ops (case studies)	Contact form	—	Harvest platform login separate; 3 business day reply stated on form	[38][19]
Hexing	hxgroup.com	[email protected] +86 571 28020769 (HQ) +86 571 28289672 (meter division)	Hangzhou, China; regional offices on contact page	Regional contacts	—	Africa: [email protected] (+27 011 078 0400) listed on group contact page	[41]
Kelin	sinokeelectric.com	+86 311 85231911 (trade listing) [email protected] (LinkedIn only)	Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China	—	—	Shijiazhuang Kelin Electric — STS/DLMS meters cited on trade sites; no contact page retrieved this pass	[50]
Schneider	se.com	US support: 877-342-5173	Global — regional offices	Get a quote / contact	—	No single microgrid sales email; use online inquiry	[45]
Victron	victronenergy.com	[email protected] +31 (0)36 5359700	Almere, Netherlands (HQ)	Regional sales managers	—	Generation monitoring — dealer network for installs	[39]
Enphase	enphase.com	[email protected] (833) 963-3820, option 5	US-focused commercial line	Commercial inquiry form	—	2030.5 / SunSpec docs on support site	[40]
Deye	deyeinverter.com	[email protected] (sales) +86 574 8612 0560	Ningbo, China	Contact page	—	Inverter / hybrid — not revenue metering	[51]
Fronius	fronius.com	[email protected] (US solar sales)	US + global regional offices	Partner inquiry	—	Modbus/SunSpec integration common via Venus OS	[44]
Growatt (watchlist: GroWatts)	growatt.com	[email protected] (sales) [email protected] +86 755 29515888 (HQ)	Shenzhen HQ; many regional offices	Global office list	—	Original watchlist spelling “GroWatts” likely means Growatt	[43]
Studer	studer-innotec.com	[email protected] +41 27 205 60 80	Sion, Switzerland	Contact form	—	Off-grid inverter/charger — not revenue metering	[42]
Jinco	—	—	—	—	—	Not identified this pass. If meant JinkoSolar: jinkosolar.us/professionals (regional forms; [email protected] for US product Q&A)	—
Dohon	—	—	—	—	—	Brand not identified. Possible confusion with Eastron (东鸿) DIN-rail Modbus meters: [email protected], +86 400-996-9296 — not verified as same company	[46]

Generation-side monitoring (not revenue meters)

Parallel DER / inverter track — listed for contact-directory completeness. Do not score SunSpec or 2030.5 on STS revenue-meter rows in the protocol benchmark.

Vendor	DLMS	SunSpec	2030.5	Transport	Notes	Sources
Victron	N/A	integrates	N/A	Modbus-TCP gateway via GX; proprietary VE.Bus closed [24][25]	GX exposes Victron register map (not SunSpec-native). Venus OS can read SunSpec inverters via Modbus.	[24][25]
Enphase	N/A	700 range	client	IQ Gateway REST; SunSpec Modbus TCP (support-enabled) [26][27]	2030.5 as utility-grid client, not village prepaid layer. CT metering via local API.	[26][27]
Deye · Fronius	N/A	—	—	—	Not researched this pass — Fronius commonly integrated via Modbus/SunSpec in Victron docs [25]	—

Industry cost bands · key findings · bibliography

Industry cost bands (independent — comparison only)

Metric	Range	Context	Source
Installed smart meter (all types)	$11–$55	12 providers surveyed; prepaid avg ~$41	[23]
Single-phase smart meter hardware	$40–$60	Meter only	[22]
Meter + DCU/antenna/accessories	$80–$110	Per connection	[22]
SaaS / software licence	5–20% of hardware / yr; ~$0.80–$1/customer/mo cited	Can rival low ARPU	[22][23]
ISV field anecdote (legacy prepay)	$600–$1,500	Sparkmeter-class deployments — ISV problem framing, not a price list	ISV notes

Key findings

Donsun + SteamaCo link verified: SteamaCo’s product page states Savi meters are “provided by Donsun Shenzhen” [6] — same hardware family ISV is evaluating.
SteamaCo interop ≠ open meter: Nimbus markets a DLMS/COSEM-interoperable HES/MDMS that can ingest third-party meters [3]. Savi still ships as a closed partner stack (STS + mesh/PLC/GPRS). Score is HES-side claim, not a public Savi ICD.
DLMS + STS often co-exist on West Africa / China utility meters (Donsun, Inhemeter, Calin, Mojec) per datasheets — but key hierarchies differ from OEM stacks (see Tech Comm topology notes).
SparkMeter / EarthSpark (Aug 2026 refresh): Sep 2025 EarthSpark took SparkMeter EM ops (~1M people on meters). Jul 2026 TC2.0 open-sourced (Apache-2.0) — GroundBolt (site) ± ThunderCloud (cloud), SparkNet-HTTP, meter-driver-spec. Field fleets still mostly TC1.x managed SaaS; TC2.0 is pre-production. SparkNet RF meters remain proprietary (no public DLMS). Soft-lock eases on the HES/site software, not by opening the meter wire. Hub [52] · news [53] · ISV write-up TC2.0 review.
IEEE 2030.5 appears on grid-tied DER gateways (Enphase utility client) — not on village prepaid meters. Do not score 2030.5 at the meter row.
SunSpec is documented for Enphase SunSpec-700 Modbus and Victron’s integration with SunSpec inverters — not for Donsun/Inhemeter revenue meters.

Sources bibliography

V vendor · I independent · ISV internal

V SteamaCo — Off-grid IoT smart metering platform (API, DCU, Savi)
V SteamaCo — Savi smart meters (STS, GPRS/PLC/RF mesh, AES-128)
V SteamaCo — Nimbus AMI (DLMS/COSEM interoperable claim, MDMS/HES)
V Donsun trade listing — DS1000 STS brochure text (IEC 62056, IEC 62055, STS association claim)
V Donsun trade listing — Smart prepayment meter (Africa deployment countries listed)
V SteamaCo — Products (Savi provided by Donsun Shenzhen)
I UKRI Energy Catalyst — SteamaCo Kenya case study
V SteamaCo — Terms & Conditions (API/UI interfaces, customer login)
I Engineering for Change — SparkMeter product profile (mesh, ThunderCloud, countries, ~$80 MSR)
V New Sun Road — Homepage (deployment scale claims)
V New Sun Road — Stellar Edge (Modbus, CAN, USB, RJ-45)
ISV New Sun Road — Stellar Edge 3.0 datasheet (RS-485 Modbus RTU, IP54)
V SparkMeter — Homepage (mesh, minigrid focus; quote on request)
V Inhemeter — i210-a1 product page (STS, PLC/RF/GPRS)
V Inhemeter — i310 product page (DLMS/COSEM, STS, NB-IoT)
V Mojec — R&D page (STS, PLC AMI, IBEDC vending)
V Mojec — AMI slide deck (DLMS/COSM, GPRS concentrator architecture)
V Calin — CAM168-G product page (DLMS/COSEM + STS)
V Okra — Harvest platform (billing, tariffs, mobile money)
I Okra — Haiti mesh-grid case study
I PFAN — Okra Solar profile (Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia)
I CrossBoundary — Smart meters for mini-grids ($40–110, SaaS, Hexing example)
I Energy 4 Impact — Billing models for minigrids (PDF, $11–55 installed, SparkMeter/SteamaCo cited)
V Victron — Data communication technical note (Modbus-TCP, VE.Bus closed)
V Victron — GX Modbus-TCP manual
V Enphase — IEEE 2030.5 utility server integration
V Enphase — SunSpec 700 Modbus TCP (support-enabled)
ISV ISV DokuWiki — Donsun REIc Cameroon proposal PDF (DSC100 DLMS, STS meters)
ISV ISV DokuWiki — MicroPowerManager / Donsun DSC100 notes
I MicroPowerManager — SteamaCo integration guide (third-party API sync)
I STS Association — What is STS (IEC 62055, DLMS token carrier note)
V SteamaCo — Contact page (phones, web form; Abuja address)
V New Sun Road — Contact page ([email protected], +1 510-550-5252)
V SparkMeter — Customer service (contact@, [email protected])
V Inhemeter — Contact page (info@, [email protected])
V Mojec — Contact page ([email protected])
V Calin — Contact page ([email protected])
V Okra — GitHub organization ([email protected])
V Victron — Contact page ([email protected])
V Enphase — Commercial installers page ([email protected])
V Hexing — Group contact page ([email protected], regional emails)
V Studer — Contact page ([email protected])
V Growatt — Global contact page ([email protected], regional offices)
V Fronius — Solutions partner page ([email protected])
V Schneider — Contact / get a quote
V Eastron — Contact page ([email protected] — possible Dohon/Eastron confusion, unverified)
ISV ISV DokuWiki — Donsun monitor notes ([email protected])
ISV ISV DokuWiki — SteamaCo monitor notes (ISV-internal contact)
ISV ISV DokuWiki — New Sun Road monitor notes (ISV-internal contact)
I LinkedIn — Shijiazhuang Kelin Electric ([email protected] — not on vendor homepage this pass)
V Deye — Contact page ([email protected])
V SparkMeter / EarthSpark — Open-source hub (TC2.0 / GroundBolt / ThunderCloud framing) · code github.com/EarthSpark/thundercloud
V SparkMeter / EarthSpark — News (Sep 2025 EM ops takeover; Jul 2026 TC2.0 open release posts)