ST. LOUIS, MO, July 23, 2008 -- New York City's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has selected the Aclara STAR® Network system, one of the Aclara-brand technologies of ESCO Technologies Inc., as its advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology.
The STAR® Network system is the industry's most advanced fixed-network water advanced metering solution and New York City will use it to collect interval data for current billing needs and to support other programs that are designed to allow the City and its customers to better manage water consumption, quickly identify leak and equipment problems, and effectively control related operating costs. The STAR Network AMI system also will provide New York City's water customers with enhanced account information and accurate usage data.
The STAR Network system will operate within a 307-mile area that encompasses the City's five boroughs and will work on the New York City Wireless Network (NYCWiN), a secure, 2.5-Ghz wireless system being installed by the City's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. The City developed NYCWiN as part of a comprehensive upgrade of its communications systems to meet growing operational and security requirements
Aclara won the contract after successfully completing a pilot in the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The pilot, which involved 200 meters in each location, was designed to prove the STAR® Network system's effectiveness in an urban environment. Aclara successfully demonstrated that its radio-based system, which operates on 450- to 475-MHz frequencies, could transmit readings from meters in a variety of locations such as building basements and pits.
New York's AMI project is the industry's largest to date, with purchase order expected under the contract valued at about $68 million, and will be deployed over approximately three years. The radio-based fixed-network is expected to handle data from 875,000 water meters serving approximately eight million customers once it is fully installed and operational.
"We are pleased to work with Aclara in development of our automated metering infrastructure for water. Aclara's high-power meter units have been effective in transmitting signals even in densely populated areas with lots of obstructions that might normally interfere with radio transmissions," said DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd. "Ultimately, Aclara's fixed-network system will allow us to better serve our customers with technologies that can help them to efficiently utilize water resources."
"Aclara appreciates the opportunity to work with the City of New York and implement a seamless solution that provides additional benefits to the City with the STAR Network AMI system," said Gary Moore, president of Aclara RF Systems Inc.
Vic Richey, ESCO's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "I am very proud that we have been selected by the City of New York for this significant contract with such a valued customer. The technology piloting process and the performance criteria established by New York were very rigorous and well planned. I'm happy to say that our industry leading STAR Network system performed exceptionally well and successfully met the high standards of read reliability in a very challenging environment."
The Aclara brand represents one of the industry's leading fixed-network AMI/AMR technologies and MDM software serving water, gas, and electric utilities worldwide.
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