EDMI has announced that they are to begin its first deployment of ZigBee technology in New Zealand. The technology will be deployed in conjunction with its Atlas Series advanced meters over the next 12 months and it is believed to be the first commercial deployment of ZigBee technology in New Zealand. EDMI is working with Generation and Lines Company, NZ Energy, to install the ZigBee technology at 100% of NZ Energy customer premises throughout the Haast Network starting with the pilot deployment in the township of Okuru. This deployment will arguably turn NZ Energy’s Haast network into the “Smartest” network in New Zealand with the
ability for NZ Energy to talk in real time to all of its customer’s meters via 2-way RF communications. At the same time NZ Energy will be able to manage the peak load on its network to ensure reliable supply of electricity to its customers whilst minimising the need to run its more expensive back-up diesel generator during high electricity demand periods. Reducing the use of diesel has the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly.
EDMI’s Anak Lumb, Sales Manager for New Zealand, believes that “although this is a modest-sized deployment, the benefits from this emerging technology are transferable to all electricity network companies in New Zealand and that this deployment will ensure EDMI’s Atlas series meters continue to be known as one of the most versatile AMI Smart Meters in the world”.
NZ Energy’s Operations Manager, David Inch has noticed that “many companies who have embarked on deploying smart metering are not fully utilising the “Smart” metering technology and in a lot of cases they are only using the remote reading functionality. In our case, however, we will be fully integrating the smart metering capabilities into our power system network operation, our generation facilities and our retailing customer base – it will become an integral part of our complete power system. We have been working on this project for several years now and we have found that EDMI provides the best solution for our requirements”.
NZ Energy is a company that operates small hydroelectric power stations in Haast, Fox and Raetihi and also operates the distribution network in the Haast area. The area around Haast and extending south to Jackson Bay is not connected to New Zealand’s National Grid. It operates from a hydroelectric scheme on the Turnbull River with diesel generator backup. The stations at Fox and Haast are operated on Department of Conservation land under Department of Conservation concessions. New Zealand Energy proposes to complete a long planned installation to generate 4.6MW of electricity from lake Matiri located in the upper South Island north of Murchison and has recently been granted a concession from the Department of Conservation for parts of a hydroelectric scheme on public conservation land. NZ Energy Head office is based in Motueka, New Zealand. For more information visit, www.nzenergy.co.nz
For more information visit www.zigbee.org
