Supporting a Software Developer's Kit (SDK) for integrating new meters, Silver Spring Networks, a smart grid networking platform and solutions provider, has introduced its enhanced UtilityIQ 4.4 advanced metering software suite.

While Silver Spring is accelerating its support for smart grid devices around the globe, the drive to build out the smart grid is a worldwide endeavor. In Australia, water scarcity drives significant focus on water conservation and leak detection. Over the wireless protocol ZigBee, UtilityIQ 4.4 advanced metering solution now supports smart water meter modules from Freestyle Technology communicating, the company stated in a press release.

“This latest release of our flagship advanced metering solution takes our partner ecosystem to a whole new level by giving smart meter providers the ability to accelerate their development efforts,” said Josh Roper, senior director of product management at Silver Spring. “With this new SDK, our partners can work independently from us and our customers can plug-and-play an increasing diversity of devices. This is a great example of increased choice delivered by a truly open system.”

The enhanced UtilityIQ 4.4 software suite supports meters from Silver Spring ecosystem partner Nansen, a leader in the Brazilian energy industry, for the Brazilian market. Supported meters include the Nansen Spectrum (News - Alert) M, a single-phase meter, and the Spectrum K, a polyphase meter. Critical to meeting the Brazilian market's need to address non-technical losses, the UtilityIQ advanced metering software also supports augmented tamper detection and alerting.

Recently, the company announced new enhancements to its smart grid-based demand response solution that enable utilities to reduce peak load and improve grid reliability.

New capabilities include Direct-to-Grid communications solutions, which enable utilities to deploy two-way connectivity to load-control devices ahead of smart meter rollouts, and a broader range of third-party devices available for purchase directly from Silver Spring. Software enhancements include expanded support for electric vehicle charge management to reduce the risk of new peak loads.