City of Naperville switches on $22 mn Smart Grid

GREENVILLE, US: Utility Partners of America (UPA), a utility solutions provider, has been selected as the installation contractor for a $22 million Smart Grid implementation in the City of Naperville, IL.

Sponsored in part by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, the program will develop a comprehensive two-way digital network that integrates electric utility and customer communications.

UPA assumes responsibility for the installation of 57,000 residential and commercial smart meters, as well as the network infrastructure, which includes the Elster EnergyAxis Gatekeeper data collection interface and Tropos Networks GridCom architecture that forms the basis of an IP broadband mesh network.

As a subcontractor to Elster Solutions, UPA will conduct initial pilot programs during the first half of 2011, with the full deployment scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2011 and to be completed by September 2012.

When completed, the system will allow residents to monitor energy usage and billing status through an online portal and create more efficient delivery and equipment monitoring for the city.