Wireless IoT chip designer Semtech has teamed with Vutility in the US on a self-powered, real-time, high-resolution, energy monitoring system.
Vutility’s ‘HotDrop’ features Semtech’s LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN standard to provide real-time, circuit-level energy monitoring. Residential Smart Water Meter
“A key challenge we faced when developing the ‘HotDrop’ solution was to identify a wireless IoT standard that was able to communicate out from inside an electrical distribution panel, with similar radio-frequency disruptions to a Faraday cage, and through multiple dense walls and floors of buildings,” said Micheal Austin, chief technology officer for Vutility. “The long-range transmission capability of LoRaWAN was able to meet and even exceed expectations for ‘HotDrop’ to maintain wireless, real-time transmission signals to the Cloud. Leveraging LoRaWAN was ideal for us to scale the ‘HotDrop’ solution.”
The ‘HotDrop’ is self-powered, non-intrusive, and completely battery- and maintenance-free. Once installed, there is no need to open-up the panel again for service. It is installed via a simple QR code scan for onboarding through an Android or iOS device and wireless clip closure around the monitored circuit.
The SX1272 LoRa transceiver and LoRaWAN serve as the IoT backbone of the solution, delivering actionable real-time, circuit-level data via application programming interface (API) to any end application. The minute-by-minute relay of data benefits users to monitor their electricity usage in real time, potentially saving on costs.
“The flexibility of LoRaWAN provides a robust connectivity option that complements other technologies, especially in the utilities market,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing and strategy for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “Vutility’s ‘HotDrop’ solution smartly employs LoRaWAN to produce efficient energy usage while also meeting sustainability initiatives important to the smart utilities and metering industries today.”
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