NV Energy has selected the Sensus smart grid solution for its advanced metering infrastructure, and is expected to deploy as many as 1.3 million electric and 155,000 gas meters throughout the utility’s 54,500-square-mile service territory beginning in 2010.
The deployment is conditional on negotiation of a definitive agreement with NV Energy as well as receipt of all requisite contract and regulatory approvals.
Robert Stewart, NV Energy’s Senior Vice President of Customer Relationships, said that the utility was looking for a high-bandwidth, multi-application solution that provided the right mix of operational benefits and advanced smart grid features.
NV Energy is also expected to benefit from the FlexNet RF solution, which offers 2 W of power for the transmission of data, statistics, and other usage information for utilities and consumers. This primary-use FCC licensed spectrum provides a clear path for value added features, including customer education, conservation, and integration with home area networks.
The NV Energy deployment will benefit 2.4 million consumers in Nevada with a single smart grid solution, including those in rural mountainous northern Nevada and densely populated urban Las Vegas. The FlexNet system’s tower gateway base stations will be installed primarily at the utility’s existing substations.
