Costa Rica Electricity Cooperatives to Modernize Grid with Itron OpenWay Riva IoT Solution

Itron, Inc., which is innovating the way utilities and cities manage energy and water, has signed a contract with Conelectricas R.L. in partnership with iTECNA, Itron’s certified partner in Costa Rica. Conelectricas R.L. is a group comprised of four electricity cooperatives in Costa Rica, targeting operations improvement where they operate. The cooperatives will deploy Itron’s OpenWay Riva IoT solution, including nearly 250,000 smart meters, over the next five years.

Harnessing Itron’s OpenWay Riva solution and comprehensive Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering, Conelectricas will use back-office and edge analytics software applications to improve electricity delivery to its 980,000 associates. Combining this platform with Itron’s smart electric meters, the cooperatives will reduce the cost of operations while improving service to customers.

With the ability to remotely connect and disconnect devices, Conelectricas R.L. will be able to improve processes, avoid truck rolls and enhance quality of service for electricity customers. With a customer portal that grants access to valuable consumption information, consumers can better manage their energy consumption, reduce usage and save money. The cooperatives will also be able to add applications in the future, such as distribution automation, electric vehicle charging and smart water metering.

“Itron’s open communications platform and smart meters will help us uncover operational savings and lay the foundation for smart city and IoT initiatives,” said Erick Rojas Salazar, general manager, Conelectricas R.L. “With this solution, Conelectricas R.L. will be able to meet regulation requirements and uncover new revenue streams, such as EV stations, streetlight management, network services, energy and water usage management etc., in the smart city and IoT space.”

“Because our OpenWay Riva solution is standards-based and open, Conelectricas R.L. will be able to implement numerous smart city devices and applications with our platform as the foundation,” said Emerson Souza, vice president of sales for Commercial and Customer Enablement for Latin America at Itron. “Showcasing the potential of smart meters on a robust network, this contract is an excellent example for other countries in the region.”