Sensus Introduces Evolve Platform for Grid Intelligence at DistribuTECH 2026
Sensus, part of Xylem’s electric metering and communications portfolio, is introducing a new grid intelligence platform designed to help utilities monitor, analyze and manage changing distribution networks in real time. The platform, called Sensus Evolve, will debut this week at DTECH International 2026 in San Diego.
The launch arrives as utilities are managing rapid load growth from electrification and distributed energy resources (DERs), as well as heightened reliability expectations and regulatory transparency. These pressures are accelerating a shift in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) from billing-centric functions toward operational decision support.
According to Sensus, Evolve is intended to reframe the electric meter as an active grid sensor—delivering data streams that support outage detection, voltage and power quality monitoring, load analysis and customer energy insights. Company representatives characterize the change as an evolution from AMI measurement to continuous situational awareness of the distribution system.
“Utilities are under increasing pressure to deliver greater reliability, transparency and value, even as grid complexity continues to grow,” said Derl Rhoades, director of electric metrology at Xylem Sensus. “The meter remains the central hub for customer operations, data and actionable insights.”
Platform Capabilities and Architecture
Evolve builds on Sensus’ FlexNet communications network, which has been widely deployed for AMI applications, while adding support for both private network and cellular connectivity. Higher data sampling rates and expanded telemetry are intended to push more operational data to utility systems and customer interfaces.
Key components highlighted by the company include:
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Support for high-volume data transfer from meters and grid-edge devices
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Higher time-resolution sampling for voltage, load, and customer usage visibility
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Software-based platform architecture to enable feature updates without field replacements
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Enhanced indicators for power quality and system performance
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Tools to support utility-specific analytics, grid applications and integration with planning and control systems
Evolve is positioned as a scalable platform able to introduce new applications over time, including those geared toward DER coordination and future capacity planning.
Demonstrations at DistribuTECH
Sensus will demonstrate Evolve at Booth 2229 during DTECH starting today, featuring electric grid use cases such as outage identification, voltage monitoring, and customer energy profiling. A formal launch event is scheduled for Feb. 4.