Editor’s note: Peter Mainz is CEO and President of Raleigh based Sensus, which provides smart meters, communication systems, software and services for electric, gas, and water utilities that enable the intelligent use and conservation of energy and water. WRALTechWire asked Mainz to offer his thoughts about the need to upgrade utilities’ technology in the wake of Hurricane Sandy last fall.
RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina is no stranger to hurricanes and their aftermath. With forecasters estimating nine named hurricanes and five major storms, we need to prepare for what is likely to be an active season in our warm ocean waters.
The start of the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season should serve as a call to action for communities to deploy technology that can help utilities mitigate issues before, during and after a storm.
A two-way communication network with sensors that collect real-time data provides a pervasive view of an area’s utility infrastructure. The critical information gathered helps utilities more quickly restore services, avoid additional damage to the system and improve the safety of working conditions for repair crews.
You need only look back to last October’s Hurricane Sandy to understand the importance of a having a resilient utility communication network. The 1,000 mile wide Superstorm caused more than $70 billion in damage and paralyzed electric, gas and water services.
We talked with our utility partners who were in the direct path of Hurricane Sandy about how the Sensus communication network served as an important line of defense against wind, storm surge and power outages.
(Hear more from N.J. Shore communities in this video.)
Randy Giberson, Water Superintendent in Stafford Township, New Jersey, put the township’s smart communications system to the test last October after his community was battered by Hurricane Sandy.
After surveying damage, Giberson used the system to pinpoint leaks and determine where to send crews for repairs. “If there was no Sensus FlexNet system, we wouldn’t know about a leak until the customer got an unusually high water bill,” said Giberson.
(Hear more from Giberson in this video.)
Giberson credits the system with helping to curb additional damage from the storm. “I believe homes would probably be leaking today if we didn’t have Sensus technology because some people still haven’t returned to their property,” he said.
With Mother Nature continuing to disrupt our infrastructures, it’s vital that communities continue to adopt resilient utility communication networks. The technology is here, the time is now, and the payoff is priceless.
Peter Mainz is CEO and President of Raleigh based Sensus, which provides smart meters, communication systems, software and services for electric, gas, and water utilities that enable the intelligent use and conservation of energy and water.
