Funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the project includes joint deployment of Tantalus Utility Network (TUNet) platform and Itron AMI-ready meters, which will facilitate the use of advanced applications, such as automated metering, remote service disconnect/reconnect, revenue protection, and demand management.
The project will cover VIWAPA’s more than 55,000 electric customers throughout the islands of Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas, US.
VIWAPA AMI Project lead Niel Vanterpool said, "One of the biggest advantages of the Itron-Tantalus solution was that it is designed to cost-effectively leverage as much existing infrastructure as possible, including fiber and microwave backhaul technology, over extremely rugged terrain."
Itron North America electricity sales and marketing vice president Lou Gust said, "In collaboration with Tantalus, we are helping VIWAPA more efficiently manage the delivery of electricity to its customers across multiple islands."
Tantalus Sales VP Mike Julian said, "The Itron-Tantalus solution is perfectly suited to meet the formidable challenge of uniting AMI communications over three separate islands and providing an unmatched suite of cost-saving energy efficiency applications for both the utility and the consumer."
The project represents a key portion of VIWAPA’s long-range capital enhancement initiatives to address challenges in improving electrical operational efficiency, modernizing network infrastructure, managing demand costs, and improving revenue protection.
