India’s gas distribution firm Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) has installed pre-paid smart gas meters at the Rewari district in the state of Haryana.
The smart meters, provided by Genesis Gas Solutions, in partnership with Tata Communications’ LoRaWAN Internet of Things (IoT) network, will enable IGL’s customers to monitor their gas use more accurately in real-time against available credit.
At IGL, thenew system is expected to create efficiencies.
Headquartered in New Delhi, IGL is a joint venture between GAIL (India) Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), and the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. On February 27, 2019, the Hindu Business Line reported that IGL is on track to add over 2 lakh (200,000) new piped natural gas connections this fiscal year, the highest number disbursed by the gas retailer in a year.
Tata Communications said in a news release that this is the first time that a city gas distribution company is deploying the smart metering technology in the country.
Underpinning the project is Tata’s LoRaWAN network – a network that has been designed for IoT devices such as smart meters – in Delhi NCR, and which has now been extended to Rewari.
“Thanks to the low energy consumption of LoRaWAN, smart meters for gas usage can be installed independent of the main power source – with a battery life of up to 10 years,” Tata Communications said.
For a start, IGL has installed 5,000 pre-paid Genesis smart gas meters in Rewari.
E.S. Ranganathan, Managing Director of IGL, said that by implementing this smart metering solution, the company as able to eliminate human errors caused by manual meter reading, optimize capacity planning and improve cash flows.
“Smart metering is gathering pace in the energy market, boosting efficiencies and enhancing customer experience,” affirmed VS Shridhar, Senior Vice President and Head for the Internet of Things, Tata Communications.
“Furthermore, when underpinned by the right IoT platform, and connected with other solutions in a smart city, they could pave the way for additional value-added services for the benefit of consumers, businesses and society as a whole,” he added.
Tata Communications is building the foundation for IoT in India with a LoRaWAN network that spans nearly 2,000 communities and touching over 400 million people.
To-date, the company has rolled out the LoRaWAN network in 45 cities, with more cities planned for implementation over the next two years.
“Technology advancements such as IoT are laying the foundation of Digital India and the future is smart. Smart metering is gathering pace in the energy market, boosting efficiencies and enhancing customer experience,” said VS Shridhar, Senior Vice President and Head for the Internet of Things, Tata Communications.
