TORONTO and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alectra Energy Services Inc. wanted to provide more timely and detailed water consumption information to their customers than their conventional drive-by/manual read data collection system could deliver. Utilizing LoRaWAN technology, QMC delivered a fixed-network solution with seamless integration from the existing water meters to LoRaWAN gateway provided by network operator, eleven-x. All hourly meter data is provided through QMC’s cloud-based MeterConnex™ Service. This commercialized Internet of Things (IoT) wireless water meter project using LoRa technology is the first of its kind in Canada.
QMC has partnered with Alectra Energy Services Inc. (formerly PowerStream Energy Services Inc.) to upgrade their existing stock of commercial and residential water meters to a wireless fixed network. The solution provides savings on operating expenses, improves asset management and customer-related business process such as billing. The project is geographically located in various cities from Vancouver to Toronto.
QMC partnered with eleven-X to provide the design expertise and LoRaWAN Network. QMC and eleven-X jointly developed an encoded Meter Interface Unit (MIU) which is able to read Alectra Energy Service’s existing stock of Sensus water meters. “Being able to utilize the existing meter hardware saved considerable cost and time on the project and avoided inconvenient shut-offs and disruptions to the tenants,” according to James Easton, President & CEO of QMC. “We now provide Alectra Energy Services with hourly interval data for all the water meters at the site.”
“We’re very excited to have partnered with QMC on this metering project that has been qualified for a much broader deployment across Canada. It’s the first such LoRa-metering implementation in Canada and we’re pleased eleven-X has led the way with a terrific partner in QMC,” said Dan Mathers, President and CEO of eleven-X. “We look forward to the future metering buildout by QMC, while providing our expert networking and technical support.”
For Alectra Energy Services, fixed network wireless meter reading will eliminate expensive drive by/walk by meter reading and will enhance the billing and reporting experience for their customers. “QMC provided us with the ideal solution for us to collect our water meter billing data wirelessly,” explained Daniel Miller, Director Metering Services for Alectra Energy Services. “It has enabled us to operate our business more efficiently in several areas.”
About Alectra Energy Services Inc.
Alectra Energy Services is a subsidiary of Alectra Inc., a municipally-owned energy company with major offices in Hamilton, Mississauga and Vaughan, Ontario. Established in 2013, Alectra Energy Services provides submetering services in condominiums and commercial properties throughout Canada.
About QMC
QMC is an industry leading systems integrator and provider of integrated metering solutions to utilities, commercial, residential and institutional property managers and developers. Our vision of Sustainability Through Accountability empowers customers and end users to save water, energy and money. QMC has over 50 employees across offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto Ottawa and Montreal, and is a proud member of the LoRa Alliance
www.qmeters.com
About eleven-X Inc.
eleven-X, a Contributing Member of the LoRa Alliance™, is a next-generation network operator enabling the Internet of Things [IoT]. Our purpose-built Low Power Wide Area Network [LPWAN] is Canada’s first and only coast-to-coast LoRaWAN™ network providing connectivity for low-cost sensors and devices for a variety of IoT applications. Our carrier-grade network enables customers in the private and public sectors to efficiently and cost-effectively manage assets, create and maintain Smart Cities, and realize environmental sustainability.
Visit eleven-x.com for more information.
For more information:
QMC: James Easton, QMC Submetering Solutions, james@qmeters.com, 1-877-358-5155
Alectra Energy Service: Daniel Miller, daniel.miller@powerstreamenergy.com, 1-855-952-5280
eleven-X: Dan Mathers, dan.mathers@eleven-x.com, 1-266-887-001