SmartSynch, Inc. will provide the city of Griffin, Georgia with a complete smart metering system for its entire electric service territory. This month, Griffin Power will begin deploying IP-enabled residential and commercial SmartSynch SmartMeters using existing public wireless networks. The city of Griffin is the first municipal utility to deploy a territory-wide, comprehensive smart metering system using public wireless networks as the communications backbone, according to SmartSynch.
The city of Griffin was seeking a smart metering system capable of meeting today’s needs, while avoiding the future risk of technology obsolescence. Additionally, it chose not to spend excess capital to own and operate a private communications network to support smart grid applications. Since SmartSynch solutions use secure, reliable public wireless networks that already exist, they are automatically IP-enabled directly to each endpoint device.
SmartSynch’s smart metering system will enable the city of Griffin to automate processes for all electric meters. Functionality includes remote disconnect/reconnect; providing customers with optional rate designs, such as time of use, demand management rates and pre-paid service; and providing or interfacing with an automated outage management system to help reduce outage periods.
Griffin Power customers will gain the ability to monitor and regulate electricity usage via the Internet and home devices. SmartSynch’s technology will also help Griffin Power better address customer service requests and power outages in a safe and timely manner, while reducing meter reading, work order costs and overall carbon footprint resulting from decreased truck rolls.
