Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Itron Product Combats Loss Issues In Brazilian Market

Liberty Lake, Washington-based Itron said today that it has rolled out a new product--specifically aimed at the country of Brazil. According to Itron, its new OpenWay AURUM product combines both its metering and communications technology, and is housed in a secure box mounted on a utility pole. Apparently, the new product is a solution to widespread tampering and other issues in Brazil--Itron explained that losses in Brazil's electricity distribution network are responsible for about fifteen percent of the power purchased by distributors. By mounting utility meters on the top of utility poles--rather than at the point of use--utilities are avoiding the likelihood of power diversion by end users.