One million Sonix IQ meters to help increase safety and reliability in 20-year technology and services agreement
Xylem has worked with FortisBC Energy in British Columbia to deploy a Sensus advanced gas meter network. The latter serves more than one million natural gas customers across 135 communities in Canada’s westernmost province.
Through its Advanced Gas Meters project, FortisBC will address the need to modernise its metering infrastructure and enhance the resilience of its gas system. Pending regulatory approval, the project will provide the ability to better monitor and manage its systems, and offer additional safety features.
FortisBC plans to deploy the Sensus FlexNet communication network and approximately one million Sonix IQ ultrasonic, residental gas meters. The FlexNet system will provide the utility secure, reliable, near real-time customer usage data from advanced meters and sensors over an encrypted wireless network. Besides ultrasonic measurement, Sonix IQ is equipped with smart-sensing safety features such as remote shutoff, continuous health checks on pressure and temperature, and theft and tamper detection.
Colin Sabol, senior vice-president and president of Xylem Measurement & Control Solutions, commented: “FortisBC exemplifies an innovative utility widening its view of what’s possible from advanced metering technology. They’re making their system smarter, safer and more sustainable while empowering their customers to better understand and track energy usage.”
The 20-year agreement includes managed services and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions, which allows Xylem to maintain and perform upgrades so the utility can focus on what it does best – providing safe, reliable energy.
Subject to regulatory approval and other conditions precedent, meter deployment is expected to commence in 2023.
