Utility in Brazil powers up tech for smart grid

WASHINGTON, USA: Itron, Inc. announced that it signed a contract with AES Eletropaulo, a major Brazilian utility with a base of 6.8 million customers in the state of São Paulo, for its OpenWay Riva solution.

The utility, as the announcement shared - is considered a pioneer in developing an innovative communication technology as a part of its Smart Grid R&D Project, launched in January 2013 in the city of Barueri, which aims to implement a redundant communication board that can embed two communication technologies – radio frequency and PLC (Power Line Carrier) – in the same device, applying adaptive communications and edge computing power.

The smart communication in the meters will provide significant potential for embedded computing and support for multiple measurement communication protocols as well as other smart devices, providing better decision-making processes for the utility. The solution’s OpenWay Riva-enabled meters offer a new platform for various smart grid applications, leading intelligence to the edge of the network, including detection and analysis of power outages, transformer load management and revenue protection, as explained ahead.

Through the smart grid project, “P&D AES Eletropaulo – Smart Grid,” Itron and AES Eletropaulo will provide adaptive communication technology, deploying a single network solution that incorporates radio frequency and power line carrier in the same device.

It is claimed that AES Eletropaulo will also benefit from traditional smart metering capabilities, including remote metering, remote disconnect, diversion detection and other operational efficiencies.