Landis+Gyr is deploying its Gridstream solution as the advanced metering and grid automation technology platform for Kansas City Power & Light’s (KCP&L) comprehensive SmartGrid demonstration project
The project includes significant infrastructure upgrades to the demonstration area substation and distribution network. The project provides customers with in-home displays, programmable thermostats, and home area networks, all designed to help customers manage their energy usage. KCP&L’s SmartGrid project also includes installation of rooftop solar panels at both residential and commercial sites, electric vehicle charging stations and battery storage.
Beginning in October, Landis+Gyr and KCP&L will install Gridstream RF smart grid technology that enables two-way communication between the utility and the meter. The technology will be deployed in and around the “Green Impact Zone,” which is a collaborative effort to focus federal stimulus funding on neighborhoods in Kansas City’s Midtown urban core.
“Our SmartGrid project will give customers the information they need to better control how and when they use electricity, which can result in a lower monthly bill,” said Mike Deggendorf, KCP&L Senior Vice President for Delivery. “It will also improve reliability and help us respond quicker to outages. Through this project we expect to learn a great deal about customer preferences as well as how various smart grid technologies work together, both of which will be critical as we look to build the utility of the future.”
KCP&L’s SmartGrid demonstration includes smart generation, distribution and consumption programs to improve efficiency and reliability. The Gridstream solution supports these objectives by providing grid automation, advanced metering and in-home networking capabilities with a single communications network.
Landis+Gyr’s Gridstream RF technology uses a powerful radio mesh network to communicate with meters and distribution devices, such as monitors and switches. Gridstream devices use the Smart Energy Profile standard to communicate with smart appliances and in-home units.
