Metering.com 10 NOVEMBER 2016
Trilliant and Siemens have been chosen by Mexico’s state-owned electric utility, CFE, to deliver smart energy communications for distribution automation and AMI.
The communications network will serve three CFE projects. According to a company release, the enterprise-wide communications network includes both AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) and DA (distribution automation) elements designed to reduce energy losses, engage consumers with energy choices, and modernize the nation’s power grid.
The release adds that the three projects are the latest collaboration under a global partnership agreement that provides Siemens access to the Trilliant Smart Communications Platform which, combined with Siemens digital grid offerings, “provides a comprehensive solution to help utilities worldwide to modernise grid infrastructure and performance.”
Advanced meter infrastructure deployment
Trilliant’s multi-tier network, including both wide area and near area networking (WAN and NAN), will connect the CFE to 634,000 Siemens advanced meters across seven districts of Mexico City as well as providing communication with nearly 12,900 distribution transformers across more than 1,185 kilometers-circuit lines (736+ miles). [Mexico touted to be the largest emerging smart grid market]
Trilliant provides a broad portfolio of diverse technologies (including 5GHz Secure Mesh WAN, 2.4GHz Secure Mesh NAN, LTE/GPRS and 2.4GHz RPMA) on a unifying Smart Communications Platform.
The company claims that this approach streamlines management and monitoring of the AMI network today and provides a platform for seamless addition of future applications or devices.
Secure communications for smart grid
Says Thomas Zimmermann, CEO Digital Grid Business Unit, Siemens Energy Management Division, “Trilliant’s globally compliant solution is an integral part of Siemens’ offering to CFE. It provides the secure communications foundation our energy customers require to prepare for a future in which they will manage and monitor an increasing number of connected devices and applications for distribution automation, efficiency, customer engagement or load-side management.” [Canada, US and Mexico discuss NERC participation]
This project will support Mexico’s modernisation of its energy infrastructure through smart grid and internet of things (IoT)-enabling technologies to ensure safe, reliable electricity for its growing economy. According to a CFE press release of September 1, 2016, the project “aims to diminish technical and non-technical losses associated to the lack of measurement of electric power consumption, as well as the lack of maintenance and modernization of distribution networks.”