Landis+Gyr to deploy 1.2 million smart meters for US utilities
US utility companies Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU) have signed a five-year contract with Landis+Gyr for the provision of smart meters and smart grid infrastructure and technologies.
The contract includes the supply of 930,000 smart electricity meters, 300,000 gas modules and an IoT network for connectivity. The project is part of grid modernisation and transition to renewable energy-based grid networks by the two utility companies.
David Huff, director of advanced meter initiatives at LG&E and KU, said: “Installing this technology across our customer base has been a goal of ours for some time and we’re pleased full deployment of advanced metering infrastructure was approved in June by the Kentucky Public Service Commission.
“Once installed and operational, this technology will enhance the safe, reliable service we provide our customers and will better enable them to save energy and money through access to their granular energy use.”
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The smart grid programme will enable the utilities to enhance the management of grid networks through load management and analytics. Landis+Gyr says the project will help the energy companies to achieve energy transition and customer services goals.
Smart metering has become an important element of a smart grid owing to its ability to help energy companies leverage demand response to match energy demand with available electricity. This, in turn, enables utilities to use renewable energy to provide baseload power.
Access to insights regarding the status of the grid also helps reduce the occurrence and duration of outages.
The signing of the smart meters deal follows late April’s launch of a new mobile app by LG&E and KU. Using the app, consumers will have access to information on their accounts and outages within the network.
LG&E and KU Vice President of Customer Services Eileen Saunders, said the app is part of efforts by the utilities to empower customers, “help simplify their lives and make it easy for them to do business with.”
