Maritime Electric to install smart meters for all P.E.I. customers within next four years

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Maritime Electrical plans to modify all of its P.E.I. prospects to a brand new sensible metering system over the subsequent few years, thanks, partly, to an infusion of money from the federal authorities.

The general venture is anticipated to price $47.6 million, with $19 million to be offered by the federal Sensible Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program.

The switchover from the present system to the brand new related meters is anticipated to take three to 4 years. In all, about 88,000 meters must get replaced. It can start with the introduction of a brand new on-line buyer info portal, which, when finally related to the sensible meter community, will present extra correct and well timed information to the corporate and prospects.

“With that mixture of know-how, we’re going to have the ability to change the connection and the dialog with our prospects,” stated Maritime Electrical CEO Jason Roberts in the course of the venture’s announcement in Summerside on Sept. 29.

“In at this time’s world, we learn your meter as soon as a month. We drive by, we decide up the studying and we ship you the consumption info. Now we’ll have the ability to monitor info in as little as a 15-minute interval. So, the data accessible to prospects at their fingertips goes to alter considerably.”

Saving cash

For instance, with the brand new system, Maritime Electrical might rapidly talk to prospects when there’s a glut of energy within the system, which pushes down costs, which implies it could be a very good time to cost an electrical automobile and avoid wasting cash. Or if there’s a scarcity within the system and costs are excessive, it could possibly be really helpful to close off extra lights or home equipment.

Throughout energy outages, the brand new system can even permit Maritime Electrical to see precisely which particular person metres are with out energy in near real-time, making repairs quicker and extra environment friendly.

Roberts made the announcement in Summerside, residence of the municipally-owned Summerside Electrical. That firm began putting in sensible meters on a few of its Summerside Electrical prospects greater than a decade in the past to assist benefit from its personal renewable power initiatives.

Egmont MP Robert Morrissey stated Summerside has led the way in which with a few of these applied sciences, so it was applicable to make the announcement right here.

Summerside has used its personal sensible meters together with its Warmth for Much less program, which makes use of ceramic brick batteries to retailer energy and warmth houses throughout off-peak grid hours.

As soon as the system is put in by Maritime Electrical, the corporate could have the power to introduce extra revolutionary applied sciences like Summerside has.

“This venture is cutting-edge stuff,” stated Morrissey.

“Like our early adoption of wind energy (in P.E.I.), it’s work like this that can improve our popularity as a number one group in inexperienced power distribution.”