The Hutchinson Utility Commission has chosen the Sensus FlexNet communications network as its advanced metering infrastructure solution to secure accurate and timely communications with their electric and natural gas meters.

Company officials said that by 2012, Sensus will enable more than 10,000 AMI endpoints for electric and gas meters.

“Sensus offers a robust system that can monitor and measure both our electric and natural gas distribution,” said John Webster, AMI Coordinator at Hutchinson Utilities, in a press release.

“With FlexNet, we have a streamlined solution for supporting communications with our meters. The new system mitigates human reading error and ensures billing accuracy from one central location.”

To improve record-keeping accuracy and theft detection, take advantage of current smart grid development initiatives, and better manage and balance their natural gas purchases and sales, Hutchinson will utilize FlexNet across its near eight square-mile service area.

Sensus will also provide Hutchinson with more than seven thousand iCon electric meters and more than five thousand natural gas meter SmartPoints. This will further enable remote readings for both utility types.

A dedicated communications highway is provided to Hutchinson by the FlexNet AMI solution in order to help them partition specific lanes to accommodate new features and applications in the future.

To ensure that the systems are correctly sized to maximize efficiency, Hutchinson plans to implement electric and natural gas load studies.

With FlexNet, Hutchinson will be able to improve their system reporting on voltage and outage detection.

“Monitoring electric and natural gas distribution on one system is just another example of Sensus on the cutting-edge of advanced metering infrastructure technologies,” said Chris Wykle, director of gas marketing for Sensus. “Our system is tested and proven to be a solution for the future of smart grids.”

In related news, Sensus has introduced the accuSTREAM meter, providing water utilities with a new option to measure residential water use.

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Deepika Mala is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell