Sensus Marks the Deployment of 4 Million FlexNet SmartPoint Devices

Electric, gas, and water utilities have installed more than four million Sensus FlexNet communications systems endpoints—double the number installed last year at this time—and which is 10% of President Obama’s recently announced goal of deploying 40 million smart meters over the next several years.

‘We’re experiencing the largest single grid modernization investment in U.S. history,” says Peter Mainz, President and CEO of Sensus, a technology company that provides software and hardware for all types of utilities worldwide.

Sensus has supported many utilities in the deployment of their individual smart grid projects over the past few years, projects that were started before the idea of stimulus funding and built around a solid business case for the utility.

“We currently have approximately 200 individual AMI smart grid deployment projects across water, electric, and gas utilities that are either on their way or that have been completed throughout the U.S. and Canada,” says Mainz. “These projects, which are being implemented by utilities ranging in size from several thousand to several million SmartPoint devices, are, along with hitting our four million mark, evidence of the range and scalability of our technology solution.”

The 200 Sensus FlexNet customers represented by the four million endpoints include large investor-owned utilities, small municipalities, and rural electric cooperatives. “Our customers expect IP-based open standards, real-time, two way communications, interoperability, direct point-to-point connections, higher data rates and, as has been the case for years, reliability. The solutions provided by Sensus are designed to meet the needs of our customers as they move to better measure, manage, and control distributed resources,” says Mainz.

The FlexNet system offers 2 W of power for the transmission of data, statistics, and other usage information for utilities and consumers.

Further, its primary-use FCC licensed spectrum provides a clear path for value added features, including customer education, conservation, utility application interfaces, and integration with home area networks.