Burbank Water and Power Selects Trilliant to Begin Implementation of Smart Grid Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Trilliant Incorporated, a leader in delivering Smart Grid solutions that enhance energy efficiency, utility operations and renewable resource integration, today announced that it has been selected by Burbank Water and Power to begin implementing the Advanced Metering Infrastructure for its planned Smart Grid for the energy consumers of Burbank, CA.  Burbank Water and Power (BWP) is a community-owned utility that has served the business and residents of Burbank with water and power since 1913.

BWP was recently selected for negotiations to award a Smart Grid grant as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) in order to deploy multiple integrated Smart Grid technologies, including 51,000 electric smart meters and a connected smart meter network for water usage, Customer Smart Choice retail service options, demand management programs, and enhanced grid security systems.  The program will mean job creation for Burbank and an estimated annual energy savings of 20 million kWh (kilowatt hours).

Trilliant joins Siemens Energy, Inc. as a service partner at BWP.  Earlier this year, Siemens was selected by BWP to supply eMeter Corporation’s EnergyIP™ Meter Data Management System (MDMS) software, as well as related configuration and integration services.   Siemens Metering Services will perform the integration between Trilliant’s communication networks and BWP’s utility enterprise systems to enable BWP to improve customer service and manage peak demand.

“Trilliant’s proven expertise makes them an ideal member of the team helping to assemble Burbank’s Smart Grid,” according to Fred Fletcher, Assistant General Manager/Power, at Burbank Water and Power.  ”The fact that Trilliant already has an integration adapter with the EnergyIP MDMS, plus the fact that these solutions are functionally matched to support the advanced capabilities we need, made our decision that much easier.”

In early 2010 as part of phase one of the deployment, all of BWP’s customers using 250 kW and above will convert to time-of-use rates.  Trilliant’s UnitySuite communications software will track and manage all electric meter devices in the field, their configuration, create and maintain security profiles, and use a variety of communications methods (e.g. Wi-Fi, cellular, SMS, and others) to communicate with smart meters and in-home devices throughout BWP’s Smart Grid network.  UnitySuite interacts in the field with devices to perform automated meter reading with pre-defined intervals, on-demand meter reads, service connections and disconnections, prepayment support, and customer messaging.  UnitySuite also allows for advanced applications such as time-of-use billing and demand-side management applications such as demand response.

“In 2010, utilities across the U.S. will be breaking ground on exciting and innovative Smart Grid initiatives,” said Andy White, President and CEO of Trilliant.  “The leadership at BWP have been true innovators in energy efficiency and we are looking forward to helping them with their Smart Grid implementation.”