AMI Network

With increasing wholesale energy costs, municipal utilities are moving to more advanced pricing programs  such as Time-of-Use (TOU), Real-Time Pricing (RTP) and Critical Peak Pricing (CPP).  As a result, municipal utilities are implementing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems to support these pricing programs and other operational efficiencies.

Trilliant’s SecureMesh® solution is a low risk, high value AMI platform.  The SecureMesh solution enables two-way data communications between meters and the utility head-end.  Its multi-tier architecture includes a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Neighborhood Area Network (NAN) and a Home Area Network (HAN).  As a result, utilities have the flexibility to deploy an end-end-end SecureMesh solution or deploy specific tiers as needed within their current infrastructure.    Additionally, AMI systems use a small percentage of our WAN’s data capacity leaving plenty of room for other applications such as Distribution Automation, etc.

• The SecureMesh NAN is a self-forming, self-healing wireless mesh network with the highest bandwidth of any system on the market today.  Meter data is collected at the NAN tier and backhauled to the head-end.
• Each meter on the NAN acts as a communication node.  Trilliant offers a variety of residential and C&I meters from major meter manufacturers such as GE, Itron and Landis+Gyr.
• The SecureMesh WAN is a high bandwidth, low latency mesh network tier that provides low-cost backhaul for meter data from the NAN to the utility head-end.  Our WAN is a carrier-class broadband wireless solution offering built-in redundancy as well as extended range and coverage for expansive service territories.  (Alternatively, utilities can backhaul meter data from the SecureMesh NAN to the head-end via other WAN technologies such as fiber, cellular or other private wireless networks.)
• Our UnitySuite® Head-End Software helps manage WAN and NAN data relayed to the head-end, and provides applications to support advanced metering, DSM, grid management, and overall SecureMesh network management.
• As in-home applications continue to advance, Trilliant offers HAN devices such as In-Home Displays (IHDs), Programmable Communicating Thermostat (PCTs) and load control switches to support energy efficiency and DSM initiatives.  Communications for the HAN devices are supported directly by the SecureMesh NAN, or alternatively, by in-home networking technologies (such as Zigbee) with the SecureMesh NAN serving as the portal to the HAN.

AMI Solutions for Commercial & Industrial Customers:

Commercial and Industrial users have demanding requirements for power quality.  For these valuable customers, you need real-time visibility into complex meter information.   Trilliant’s  CellReader® family of digital cellular products provide two-way communication to commercial and industrial (C&I) meters. The CellReader comes in two form factors:

• CellReader Meter Module – a network interface card (NIC) that is installed under-the-glass of solid-state C&I electric meters.

• CellReader Gateway – an external communications module housed in a NEMA-type enclosure that connects via a standard RS-232 or RS-485 serial cable to a variety of electric, gas, and water meters.

All CellReader products are easy to deploy, easy to maintain and provide secure, on-demand two-way communications using IP packet data networking.  Trilliant’s CellReader products are compatible with C&I meters from a variety of major meter manufacturers.