LUMA launches next phase of Puerto Rico’s smart meters rollout
Image: LUMA
Puerto Rico utility LUMA has announced contracting Itron to lead the next phase of the territory’s smart meters initiative.
Itron will partner with local vendors to deploy approximately 1.5 million smart meters across Puerto Rico, primarily replacing the meters damaged by the 2017 Hurricane Maria.
As part of LUMA’s grid modernisation efforts, LUMA will deploy Itron’s smart grid platform, which includes a new communications network with redundancy that would be the first of its kind in the history of Puerto Rico.
The platform features distributed intelligence grid-edge capabilities, which should give LUMA improved awareness and control of its electric grid as well as deliver more benefits to the people of Puerto Rico.
Have you read?
Smart meter assessment launched in Puerto Rico
‘We need to think smart and fast’ to future-proof the grid
“We are taking a major step forward in our mission to transform Puerto Rico’s electric grid into a more reliable, resilient and sustainable system,” said Juan Saca, President and CEO of LUMA.
“The installation of these smart meters is central to our long-term goal of improving service to customers and ensuring that Puerto Rico becomes a leader in grid modernisation in the Caribbean.”
Specific benefits of the platform highlighted include greater customer control over their energy consumption through better energy usage information and better customer engagement and faster response for restoration of service through improved outage detection technology.
Other benefits include improved renewables integration, support for new energy efficiency programmes and improved situational awareness below the substation for monitoring the grid.
The installation is planned to begin in the San Juan region and extend island-wide over the next three years.
With the creation of an expected 150 direct and indirect jobs, field crews and subcontractors, primarily hired locally, will focus on safety and quality installations throughout the project.
Tom Deitrich, President and CEO of Itron, adds: “With Itron’s intelligent endpoints, advanced software and proven network platform, LUMA is building a foundation to ensure greater grid reliability and resiliency, enhanced quality of customer service and accelerated response to extreme weather events.”
