Liberty Lake, Wash.-based Itron Inc. has announced that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has selected Itron and Cisco technologies for its smart grid demonstration project.
For the project, LADWP will install up to 52,000 Itron smart electric meters and 20 smart water modules that will operate over an integrated cellular and multi-application IPv6 communication network based on the Cisco GridBlocks architecture using Cisco Connected Grid routers and Network Management System. In partnership with Cisco Services, LADWP will be able to deploy a secure, scalable communications infrastructure, according to Itron.
The smart grid project will aim to achieve evaluation and development of increased energy efficiency and grid reliability, improve water resource management, and create new programs and services for customers. In addition, the project will establish a foundation for the integration of electric vehicles into the grid.
Itron adds that LADWP will be able to evaluate the smart grid solutions to detect and restore power outages more quickly, as well as will have the technology platform in place to shift peak power loads during periods of high demand to improve system efficiency and reliability within the project area.
“We look forward to working with Itron, Cisco and other developers as part of our demonstration project to prove the viability and evaluate the benefits of smart grid and smart water technologies for both DWP and our customers,” says Aram Benyamin, senior assistant general manager of power systems at LADWP.
