3-in-1 smart device to help utilities save money and truck rolls by automating theft detection, distribution asset optimization, and power quality management
RALEIGH, NC – January 29, 2014 – Tantalus, a leading provider of Smart Grid communications, today announced the commercial availability of TRUTrack, a high accuracy transformer metering and monitoring solution designed for electric utilities. This application joins the full suite of TUNet® – Tantalus Utility Network – products for residential and commercial applications for public power.
TRUTrack will allow utilities to immediately utilize real-time meter data to address the highest-value levels of electric transformer monitoring with a rugged, easy to implement device. These cost-saving benefits will be used by utilities to increase operational efficiency in an easily deployable manner. TRUTrack is designed to help utilities:
- Proactively pinpoint and report true power theft and other non-technical line losses such as over loaded distribution assets (ex. transformers, secondary conductor/services, etc.)
- Protect and maximize utilization of field distribution transformer assets through real-time load monitoring
- Detect and report irregularities and events in power quality
The device is a rugged, outdoor-rated solution which can be installed in minutes by utility meter reading personnel. TRUTrack is designed as a meter vendor agnostic device that incorporates ABB LVS sensors with an ANSI-standard socket that accepts data collected by any 4S or 9S smart meter. This unique advantage allows any utility with existing investments in AMI to further leverage their smart meters for advanced applications such as asset monitoring and protection, theft detection/reduction, blink detection, tampering notifications, and all from a single surgically deployable device. Further, TRUTrack can be utilized to help utilities monitor and manage municipal streetlight assets. This application enables utility personnel to identify non-working lights, thus addressing consumption mitigation and increasing billing accuracy.
TRUTrack is easily integrated with virtually any AMI network and any third party MDM platform for data presentment and monitoring, further leveraging existing AMI investments and minimizing disruption to established utility management processes. Real-time data pushed by the TRUTrack device to the MDM interface includes transformer load profiles, voltage and current profiles, power quality management, and power factor. The availability of this data will assist utility engineers in system planning and transformer sizing as well as provide the means to continually monitor system health to preemptively avoid potential CAIDI, SAIFI, and SAIDI concerns due to unplanned outages.
“We’re proud to add TRUTrack to our product suite,” said Chuck Armatys, Tantalus Senior Product Manager. “The market is ripe for truly innovative solutions like TRUTrack that easily deliver tangible value to the public power customers we serve. TRUTrack has been designed as an easily deployed means to further leverage existing AMI investments, deter theft to help keep electric rates low, and to proactively detect drops in power quality all while improving customer service.”
About Tantalus
Tantalus provides two-way, real-time data communications networks to monitor and control electric, gas and water utilities. TUNet® – the Tantalus Utility Network – is an end-to-end WAN/LAN/HAN communications system that operates with 220 MHz RF, 900 MHz, and IP-based networks including Fiber, WiMAX and GPRS/cellular, either individually or in combination. TUNet’s patented and patents pending technologies are purpose built for the Smart Grid. The Tantalus network unites a utility’s applications, making advanced metering, outage management, power quality monitoring, load control, and distribution automation cost-effective and practical throughout both urban and rural service areas. For more information, please visit www.tantalus.com.
