Itron expands distributed intelligence ecosystem with Grid4C app

July 15, 2021 Editor

Smart grid solutions firm Itron has announced an expansion to its portfolio of distributed intelligence applications with the addition of Grid4C’s artificial intelligence (AI) software.

Grid4C has added its AI-enabled Grid Edge AI app into Itron’s Raleigh Distributed Intelligence (DI) Lab where customers can access the solution via the Itron Enterprise Application Center later this year.

Through the DI development programme, Itron partners with third-party technology developers to further develop open and interoperable smart grid solutions. Solutions available on the platform are interoperable with Itron’s solutions. The aim of the programme is to ensure interoperability of various grid solutions, a vital requirement for advanced and grid-of-the-future networks. The Itron programme also aims to ensure utility customers have access to advanced digital solutions that evolve with rapidly changing market trends and demands of the digital transformation that is occurring within the utility and energy sector.

Using Grid4C’s app, utilities will be able to better balance supply and demand, offer new products and services, optimise management of distributed energy resources (DERs) and increase customer engagement. Access to real-time data regarding the operation of DERs will enable utilities to determine appliance fault and inefficiencies predictions and possess detection and diagnostics capabilities, ensure appliance load disaggregation, anomaly detection and meter load forecasting. The intelligence provided through the Grid4C Grid Edge AI app can be utilized by any customer engagement channel to help provide timely energy insights and notifications. This intelligence can also be consumed by utility applications to help optimize grid resources.

Grid4C utilized Itron’s Software Development Kit (SDK) for distributed intelligence to integrate its Edge AI app into the Itron Enterprise Application Center.

Don Reeves, senior vice president, Outcomes at Itron, said: “Our collaboration with Grid4C is a great example of the power of a secure, open ecosystem and how we are expanding our utility customers’ choice when it comes to engaging with their customers. Our DI vision is enabled through an open and vibrant ecosystem of solution providers, which creates more opportunity for the consumer to capture the value of shifts in technology. With very accurate high fidelity data, developers can create applications that weren’t possible before.”

“By embedding the most advanced machine learning insights directly into Itron’s robust, high-performance IIoT network, we help utilities plan and optimize distributed energy resources in real time at the edge of the grid, preventing faults both on the grid side and on the consumer side and helping consumers better manage their energy. By joining Itron’s DI partner ecosystem, we will bring added value to Itron’s customers and the communities they serve,” said Dr. Noa Ruschin-Rimini, founder & CEO of Grid4C.