New Cosmos Electric has developed for the US market a battery-type methane detector having the function of wireless communication. It has already been adopted by Con Edison of US town gas major, with a planned delivery of about 9,000 detectors for the first year.

The new product is an alarm for business use to detect gas leakage to be equipped with near the piping or gas meters attached to houses and office buildings. In case it detects a leak of 10% LEL methane (US standard of detection), the alarm works and relays the detection of leakage wireless to Con Edison and the local Fire Department. It is the first methane detector of battery type in U.S.A. enabling a fixed-point monitoring without electric wiring.

Con Edison has been considering to introduce a methane detector to enable an early detection of leakage and a direct notification to the emergency response center for gas accidents since the outbreak of gas explosion at Manhattan Area in New York in March 2014 where it was supplying gas.

During the consideration, it paid attention on New Cosmos Electric which realized a practical use of battery-type gas alarm for residential use in Japan in 2015, leading to the product development for USA at this time. As for the wireless communication function, the communication technology of US Itron, which provides communication services like smart meters.

Con Edison started to install the detector at the end of November 2018. According to New Cosmos, about 9,000 detectors are scheduled for delivery to Con Edison for the first year. New Cosmos is planning to promote sales activities also to US energy-related companies other than Con Edison from now on.