Randy Bays President, Sensus

One of the best things about my job is hearing how customers use our products, solutions and services to solve problems—large and small. As your partner, we feel that your challenges are our challenges and your success is our success.

That’s why this issue of Sensus Customer Connection resonates so much with me. It’s packed with stories about inventive ways you’re relying on Sensus in your communities.

Smarter, sounder, safer with Sensus
Quite often those efforts focus on making operations smarter, sounder and safer.

Consider the City of Lakeland, Florida where they tapped into our Internet of Things (IoT) technology, to put a new twist on smart water. With the Sensus® Smart Gateway sensor interface and the FlexNet® communication system, they created a new way to monitor and collect water data in real time. They may be on to the start of a whole new trend: smart lakes.

Likewise, modernizing Iowa’s power grid is an opportunity Alliant Energy Corp. is facing head on. And we’ll be with them every step of the way as they add the FlexNet network to their power grid and natural gas system over the next three years.

A new sound for Tennessee
The Nashville area is renowned for country music. Listen a little closer though. You may hear an acoustic guitar riff inspired by safety, reliability and service.

Using Sensus technology, Nashville Metro Water Services reduced the cost per meter read by 95 cents, saving a whopping $181,000 per month. Not only that, they’re also looking out for employees and their safety, so they can better care for customers. That’s music to anyone’s ears.

Our Stratus® electricity meter has found a home outside of Nashville at Dickson Electric System. They’re using the technology to quickly respond to incidents and provide dependable service to their customers.

Innovation in all directions
Examples like these are just the start. No matter where you look, it’s easy to find instances of our customers using technology in interesting and innovative ways.

We’re proud to play a role and be your partner. And we wake up each day, knowing that together, nothing’s out of reach.

Alliant Energy Corp. entered an agreement with Sensus to add the FlexNet communication system to Alliant Energy’s power grid and natural gas system in Iowa over a three-year period.

The project represents one of our largest communication system deployments in the U.S. and includes network deployment, electric and gas meter equipment and installation, and software installation. It will also update the software for Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin energy company, which already has the FlexNet system.

“The Sensus communication system is foundational to building a smarter power grid in Iowa,” said Linda Mattes, vice president of customer operations. “The technology will improve service to our customers, provide better data to operate our system and position us for future customer options.”

Read the news release to learn more.

• Collects meter data remotely and has reduced the cost per meter read by 95 cents, saving $181,000 per month
• Can identify water leaks and other issues before they are reflected on customers’ bills
• Has improved working conditions for technicians

Our customers demand safety, accuracy and reliability in their electricity meters. Nothing else will do. It’s no surprise then that when Dickson Electric System chose to revamp its infrastructure with the Sensus Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solution, the Stratus electricity meter played a key role in the mix.

“Stratus meters are essential to our metering strategy,” said Dickson Electric General Manager Darrell Gillespie. “They enable us to quickly collect data and give our customers an accurate view of their usage information. And the remote connect/disconnect feature helps us save both time and energy.”

The UL-certified Stratus meter features industry-leading sensors for hot-socket detection, a redesigned power supply for increased over-voltage protection and better transient performance than other electricity meters in the marketplace. Additionally, the meter includes patented intelligence to independently, remotely and safely shut off the meter if an issue is detected. Stratus also supports multiple applications including outage management, opt-in-opt-out and conservation voltage reduction (CVR).

Dickson has experienced many benefits from its Sensus solution, all with the goal of providing better service to customers. They include the ability to:

• Remotely connect and disconnect meters in the event of a customer move-in or move-out
• Use the Stratus meter’s advanced functionality to prevent tampering and power theft
• Reduce the number of trucks sent out to manually read meters, saving operating costs associated with truck rolls
• Provide customers with more accurate and timely views of their usage data to help them use energy wisely

“We can quickly respond to both large and small incidents,” said Gillespie. “We’re not running trucks after hours. That alone delivers huge costs savings. We don’t know if we can live without it.”

Related resources

• Sensus Stratus Electricity Meter Meets Safety and Reliability Standards at Dickson Electric
• Dickson Electric Reduces Power Outage Response Time with Sensus
• Infographic: Stratus Electricity Meter
• Smart Meter Resource Center

Together with the City of Lakeland, Florida, and our Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology, we’ve added a new twist to smart water: smart lakes.

It all begins with managing the time-consuming, resource-draining task of monitoring lake levels to prevent flooding. And it ends with the Sensus Smart Gateway sensor interface and the FlexNet communication network.

Charged with maintaining balanced water levels in order to avoid flooding in residential areas and to conserve water for the dry season, city personnel turned to us for help. They leveraged the city’s investment in the FlexNet system and created remote water monitoring stations with Sensus Smart Gateway.

Technicians are now able to collect water level data remotely in real time. With that data, they can identify when lakes are at risk for flooding and drive directly to the affected lakes to open or close the installed flood control structures, saving both time and money.

“Initially, we weren’t sure if the solution was going to be accurate enough, but it exceeded our expectations,” said Laurie Smith, Manager of the City of Lakeland’s Lakes and Stormwater Division. “We also appreciate how easy it was to use. We’re lake scientists, not technology people, and we’ve been able to quickly and seamlessly use the technology to improve our monitoring capabilities.”

Want to know more? Email Tom Galuska, Senior Marketing Manager, to learn about innovative uses for Sensus Smart Gateway.

Thinking of upgrading from automatic meter reading (AMR) to advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)? Unhappy with the performance of your current AMR system? Afraid the change from encoder receiver transmitter, or ERT, technology will be too difficult or too expensive? Consider Sensus EasyLink™ Dual System Reader solution for gas, electric and water metering.

Manage your network on your terms, your timeframe
EasyLink gives you an easy, cost-effective way to switch from ERT to the FlexNet communication network on your timeline. It’s:

• Fast: One EasyLink device reads both ERTs and Sensus SmartPoint® modules
• Flexible: Transition at your pace—keep existing ERTs in the field as you deploy SmartPoints
• Future-proof: Prebuild the infrastructure for your eventual AMI deployment by replacing dying ERTs with SmartPoints. Then, it’s a simple step to AMI.

Plus, SmartPoints offer many advantages over ERTs. Because they use FlexNet communication technology, they transmit at a higher power over FCC-licensed frequencies, providing for greatly improved read rates and route efficiency. Your hard-to-read meters are now much easier to read. Further, SmartPoints transmit on demand, so the noise threshold of messages is much lower as are the radio frequency (RF) emissions.

A few steps is all it takes
Install the transceiver and application in your utility’s car, truck or van. Drive your routes and collect reads from your SmartPoints and ERTs using both wake up and bubble up ERT protocols.

Upload your readings via Wi-Fi or cellular to get real time data transfer and route updates. EasyLink also allows you to combine application, mapping and route management and offers optional field force management integration, too.

“EasyLink is a simple, smart way to move to AMI,” said Greg Myers, Vice President, Global Electric Marketing and Partnerships. “Not only can you take advantage of ERTs currently in the field, you can selectively deploy SmartPoints on your own timeline. The operational efficiencies you’ll realize along the way can’t be beat.”

Coming soon
EasyLink is currently in beta testing with general availability expected late in the third quarter of the calendar year. Want additional details? Email us to learn more.

Less than one hundred days remain until the 2017 Sensus Reach^℠ Conference in Dallas. More than 1,000 utility professionals, industry analysts and consultants will come together to share best practices and their vision for water, gas and electric utilities. We’ll also feature sessions on how our technology is helping to build smart cities, smart utilities and smart campuses with Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Please join us.

Information sessions galore
There are more than 150 sessions (with more to come) for you to attend. Covering topics from portfolio roadmaps to optimizing networks and systems with the newest Sensus applications and services to in-depth, how-to workshops, the event is the perfect opportunity for you to discover the best ways to maximize your investment in Sensus.

Headlining this year’s presenter list is our keynote speaker CEO and Co-Founder of Virgin Unite and New York Times Bestselling Author Mark Thompson. An expert on leadership, strategy and innovation, Mark will share valuable and practical advice to inspire and help you reach farther than you thought possible.

Mike Rayburn, the world’s funniest guitar virtuoso, will put the finishing touch on the conference at Tuesday’s evening session. Through comedy and music, Mike will share tools you can use to access your unrealized potential, gain a new perspective and reach beyond perceived limitations.

Special activities, too
Rounding things out will be the many additional activities and opportunities we have lined up for you in Dallas. Kicking things off are our Sunday pre-conference activities: our annual golf tournament and this year’s special treat—an insider’s tour of Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

We encourage you to visit the Partner Pavilion during breaks and meals on Monday and Tuesday. It’s the place to see demonstrations and presentations from Sensus and our partners. It truly is technology in action. Don’t miss it.

We'll see you there!
The information you need. Networking with peers. And a dash of humor and fun. It all adds up to a fantastic event. Register now, and we’ll see you in Dallas come October!

Change is afoot at the Sensus Partner and Advisor Network (SPAN) and Sensus—all designed to expand support for the organization’s growing needs. A long-time advocate and active SPAN member has taken on a new role. We’re pleased to reintroduce you to Dominic “Dom” Longo, the new SPAN User Community Manager. Read on to learn more.

It’s always exciting to begin a new journey and this one is no exception. This time a long-standing friend is coming along, making the trip just that much more enjoyable. Join us in welcoming Dom Longo to his new role with Sensus as the SPAN User Community Manager.

Most of you probably already know him from his role as Chair, SPAN or as Supervisor, Metering at Energy+ Inc., a municipal electric utility in Ontario, Canada. Dom retired from Energy+ in June and started with us this July.

Strengthening the ties between SPAN and Sensus
His specific areas of focus will be to:

• Lead efforts to recruit new members from both new and existing Sensus customers
• Provide administrative support for SPAN Community and encourage member adoption
• Assist the SPAN leadership and the subcommittees with coordinating meetings, securing speakers and the day-to-day operations of the organization
• Facilitate SPAN’s participation in the Sensus Reach Conference

Dom’s role has been a long time coming and is a natural outgrowth on our Customer First commitment. And it makes sense that Dom was selected.

He has a strong utility background and has held several leadership roles in SPAN. Who better to know exactly the opportunities and obstacles you face? Who better to look out for your cares and concerns?

“We’ve gotten to know Dom well over the years and know he’s the perfect choice to help bolster the bonds between Sensus and our customers,” said Arlin Rummel, Director of Sales, Key Accounts. “He understands the importance of this unique relationship and knows what’s needed to ensure the partnership continues to thrive going forward.”

SPAN won’t miss a beat
Dom’s new role brings about changes in SPAN’s leadership structure, too. He’ll be succeeded as Chair by Eddie Augusto, Manager, Manager of Retail Metering, Alectra Utilities. Jeff Parish, Senior Meter Specialist, Georgia Power Company moves up to vice chair. SPAN’s new secretary is Kevin McCauley, Manager – Measurement and Communications, Utilities Kingston.

As laid out in the charter, they will remain in these roles through 2018 with new officers being elected at the official SPAN business meeting at the 2018 Sensus Reach Conference.

Together, this team will work tirelessly to ensure members enjoy all the privileges and benefits of membership. To learn more, contact Dom today at [email protected].

If you were at ACE17 in Philadelphia this year, you know that the Sensus booth was a continuous swell of activity with:

• Nearly 300 booth visitors
• Eight products on display
• More than 300 solution demonstrations given in four demo towers

The booth wasn’t the only place where we made waves with our smart water innovation. Four hundred customers joined us for an exciting evening of networking and fun aboard the USS New Jersey, America’s most decorated battleship.

Our customers Bolton Point Water System and the City of Fairmont, West Virginia also drew crowds for their presentations in the “Smart Water Management in Medium and Large Utilities” sessions.

This year’s show may be over, but information about our smart water solutions is just a click away, 24/7/365.

• 2017 IES Street and Area Lighting Conference
  September 10-13, 2017
  JW Marriott Austin, Austin, TX
  

  Join us on Sunday, September 10 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (CDT) when Susan Zamos, Strategic Accounts Director, Acuity Brands Lighting, and Charlie Nobles, Sensus Director of Lighting Product Marketing, deliver a day-long course that demonstrates the control systems and technologies used in outdoor lighting systems.

• Smart Water Summit
  September 17-19, 2017
  PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach, FL
  

  Join us during the keynote breakfast as Travis Smith, Sensus Director of Smart Water Strategy, presents on non-revenue water. Sensus is a title sponsor of the 2017 Smart Water Summit.

• North American Water Loss Conference
  December 3-5, 2017
  Paradise Point Resort, San Diego, CA

  Travis Smith, Sensus Director of Smart Water Strategy, will educate small to midsize utilities on “Revenue Protection and Asset Management Technology.” Sensus is a proud gold sponsor of the 2017 North American Water Loss Conference.
  

• For the Town of Okotoks, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a way of life. That’s why, when it came time to replace its aging water infrastructure, the town turned to Sensus to provide the technology. To better manage and monitor its customers’ water consumption rates, Okotoks deployed the Sensus AMI solution. Comprised of Sensus iPERL® water meters and the FlexNet communication network, the technology has enabled the town’s staff to gain a more accurate view of water consumption data for more than 8,400 residential and commercial properties.
  
  
• Ever wonder the cash flow and savings you could realize by applying the Sensus AMI solution to your gas distribution network? There’s an easy way to find out with our new return on investment (ROI) calculator. Enter the values specific for your proposed deployment, and the calculator will compute the estimated results. You can also download the results into a report to share and request a demo. Coming soon: ROI calculators for electric and water AMI deployments.
  
  
• The Sensus VantagePoint® Lighting Control solution is not just for smart cities. It works for smart campuses, too. Our two new infographics explain how. The first introduces the concept of smart lighting for colleges and universities. The second explores both the challenges — and solutions — of smart campus lighting.
  
  
• Speaking of smart cities, we’ve launched the Smart Cities Resource Center on our website. It’s the place to find videos, e-books, infographics, case studies, white papers, solution briefs and much more. We’re adding resources all the time so bookmark the page and check back whenever you need useful information to help you along your journey to a smarter city.
  
  
• Rural electric cooperatives are all about progress. From 1935 to the present, generations of rural residents have witnessed massive changes that electricity, ingenuity and technology have brought to their farms and front porches. Today, the Internet of Things (IoT), which allows devices to communicate directly with each other, delivers a wealth of benefits that will once again significantly change the way electric co-ops serve their communities. Learn more in Bringing the IoT to Rural America.
  
  
• Want to Build a Smart City? Communication Holds the Key. Sensus Director Lighting Product Marketing Charlie Nobles explains on the Smart Cities Connect website.
  
  
• Xylem Global Business Unit Director, Industry and Agriculture Wesley Lobo and Sensus Senior Director Global Water Marketing Dan Pinney offer their insight into High Marks and performance benchmarking in the July 2017 issue of Water & Wastes Digest.
  
  
• Read what Sensus Senior Director Global Water Marketing Dan Pinney, Sensus Director of Smart Water Strategy Travis Smith and other industry thought leaders have to say about Water Demand Management in the June 2017 issue of Water Efficiency Magazine.