MDCS announced a low-cost ANSI AMI solution with its Kilowaze meter and long range (LoRa) reporting network. Meter Data Collection Services (MDCS) an international systems integrator, will introduce the ANSI form 2S meter and ISM LoRa network solution at the 2019 DistribuTECH show in February. The KILOWAZE is a Class 200 electric utility meter.
MDCS developed the KILOWAZE meter with advanced digital technology to replace the 80 million meters in the US residential meter market that are not able to afford the current products. MDCS asserts that its solution will cost close to half of the competition.
Two embedded communication protocols are available to provide measured data from the KILOWAZE meter: A long range ISM band (902-928 MHz) data network and 802.11n WiFi. The data network offers a low-cost bi-directional communication link between KILOWAZE meters and utility servers. The foundation of the network is a LPWAN utilizing LoRa® long-range radio technology, a prominent LPWAN technology worldwide.
The KILOWAZE meter data is transmitted via gateways that have a range of 10 miles, and the gateways can handle 12 mm interval readings per gateway, per day. MDCS says it provides the network service including the entire infrastructure to transmit data from the meter to the utility at no capital cost to utilities.
Features
- ANSI certified 0.5% and tested to 0.2%.
- ISM band network (LoRa) is provided at no cost to the utility
- Delivers data on 14 measured four quadrant variables
- Reporting intervals from 1 minute to 1 monthly
- Lowest Cost of any AMI meter today
- Remote Disconnect and Power Outage Reporting
- Alarm / Alert Message when presets are exceeded. Message is sent by pager, email or voice. Accurate to within .1%
- Reporting multiple characteristics like: Total Energy (active and reactive), Forward and Reverse, Delivered since installation, Instantaneous Power (active and reactive), Power Demand, Frequency, Voltage, Current, Power Factor, Meter Temperature.
- Cover grips for easy removal in the field.
Utilities have several options to retrieve data directly from the meter: Via email client, download from the company's Network server, or download from the utility's server. All are secure and meet 128 bit AES security protocols. MDCS is capable of providing any size order of meters and installing the data network for these meters, within 120 days.
''For too long, many utility companies in the US have been unable to move forward with new technology because of the cost to change infrastructure and upgrade products. MDCS has a cost-effective way to achieve complete AMI performance throughout the service area with ZERO capital cost for infrastructure,'' says George Davies, Co-Founder of MDCS. ''The KILOWAZE meter is the result of several years of creative hardware design and software ingenuity. The combination of the KILOWAZE meter and our proprietary Data network, present a new standard in the marketplace,'' says Ron D'Ambrosio, CEO of MDCS.
