Honolulu. HI, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- December 30, 2008 - Hawaiian Electric Company has entered into a 15-year agreement with Sensus Metering Systems for the mass deployment of the company’s FlexNet wireless smart grid solution.

The decision comes after two years of rigorous field testing of the FlexNet system, where thousands of smart electric meters were tested in a variety of settings, terrains and environments on the island of Oahu.

Subject to Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approval of Hawaiian Electric’s AMI plan, approximately 430,000 residential and commercial electric customers will be transitioned to the smart meter system between 2009 and 2015. A network of just 19 towers throughout Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island will provide the two-way radio frequency (RF) coverage.

The FlexNet system provides Hawaiian Electric with two-way communications to Sensus’ iCon smart electric meters, which enables on-demand reads, remote connect/disconnect services, notifications of outages and restoration, and remote firmware upgrades. FlexNet also establishes the platform for additional customer and utility system related benefits in the future, including new pricing and demand response initiatives.

“We have carefully evaluated the FlexNet AMI system over a series of pilot tests including meter deployment and performance, customer billing and outage management,” said Karl E. Stahlkopf, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president energy solutions and chief technology officer. “The results demonstrate that the system clearly delivers the technology solution we require for urban and rural coverage, with the power and flexibility for future advanced applications that will benefit our customers and our operations.” 

Stahlkopf added that the deployment of the smart meters is a key action to help achieve the goals of the recently announced Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative agreement between Hawaiian Electric and the State of Hawaii to expand Hawaii’s renewable energy portfolio and move towards a sustainable, clean energy future.

Hawaiian Electric Company and its subsidiaries, Hawaii Electric Light Company and Maui Electric Company, provide electricity for 95 percent of Hawaii’s residents.