Smart metering company Trilliant has implemented a wireless water metering programme in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. The smart meters were installed in a district of Greater Toronto among townhouses that required a basement metering solution, a potentially more challenging installation for wireless metering.

Trilliant’s Smart Water metering technology is designed to support more challenging metering where stronger and more reliable connectivity is required.

The Greater Toronto Area includes the City of Toronto as well as four other cities, 21 municipalities and rural and suburban settlements. Connectivity can therefore be challenging in some parts of the region.

The installation was carried out by Trilliant on behalf of Provident, an energy and submetering company in the Greater Toronto Area that specialises in metering installations in multi-residential properties, properties with multiple occupation and a single water connection. A typical multi-residential property is a town house split up into three or more apartments, with a single water connection in the basement.

The Provident project uses Trilliant technology to enable the connection of water meters to a water meter interface unit (MIU), which can be programmed to interface with any available meter across a multitude of brands. The access point reads the MIUs wirelessly, eliminating the need to run wires through floors and walls.

“Provident is committed to providing the very best in service to our customers,” said Ralph Simone, President at Provident Energy Management Inc. “To do so, we rely on cutting-edge technology and solutions like Trilliant’s Smart Water platform to enable our business.”

The solution for Provident was deployed on Trilliant’s AMI platform, which is designed for hard-to-reach and battery-sensitive devices. Trilliant’s Smart Water solution is a part of Trilliant’s smart building initiative and is improving connectivity in buildings while allowing building owners to better manage infrastructure without wired installations. Unlike other solutions, the individual MIUs don’t need to be in proximity to each other, just within reach of the access point.

Basements in particular present challenges for most wired and wireless applications, especially when attempting to install the solutions later in the construction process. There is generally poor line of sight, which can require more nodes, and weak signals overall. Trilliant’s solution offers improved coverage and capacity while providing customers with better security.

“In utilising Trilliant’s technology in buildings, customers can count on reliable connectivity without the overhead chatter and power consumption typical of other RF devices. Battery-powered devices ease installation and support a multitude of meter choices, putting customers like Provident in full control of their assets,” said Steven Lupo, Managing Director, Canada at Trilliant. “Trilliant’s solutions are easy to deploy in residential and commercial developments, and can provide connectivity for not just water metering, but also for electrical and thermal applications, all while reducing or eliminating the overhead costs, risks, and maintenance that come with wired installations.”