News | 20.09.2022

Gruyère Énergie selects BN's connectivity platform to connect smart meters

Offering customers real added value is the top priority for Gruyère Énergie S.A. (GESA). For this reason, an isolated solution, e.g. only for the smart meter area, was out of the question from the beginning, although a corresponding implementation would have resulted in lower investment costs initially. 

BN's connectivity platform includes the NMS Prime service platform for provisioning, monitoring and ticketing, which can be integrated very easily via a standardized interface. Furthermore, our GPON-based connectivity enables our customers to have a secure and cost-effective foundation for a digital energy service offering. In addition, a variety of complementary service modules are available to them. 

An innovative multi-service offering thanks to GPON connectivity 

With our connectivity platform, smart devices are connected to the network via GPON technology. This is in contrast to the Powerline Communication technology (PLC) still widely used in the energy sector, which has reached its technical limits in terms of quality and performance. GPON technology also offers clear advantages over P2P fiber connections, such as lower investment and operating costs, less space requirement, lower energy demand and passive instead of active components in the supply area.

Thus, the connectivity platform creates the basis for an encrypted multi-service offering for smart meters, control, but also for multi-fluid (water, gas, district heating and electricity) as well as new smart building offerings. The configuration of the telecom network required to connect the various smart meters is done through NMS Prime's provisioning platform included in the connectivity platform. 

 

«We are taking advantage of the advancing digitalization in the energy sector to continuously offer new value-added services to our customers. That's why we rely on NMS Prime's provisioning platform, which is based on open source and open standards. Due to the modularity of the software suite, we are also able to easily integrate third-party applications at any time. For example, we were able to quickly and economically develop a connection between NMS Prime and DreamFiber, the Layer 1 provisioning system from prelogic. In the medium and long term, it pays off to invest in a homogeneous and open platform, not only from the point of view of the investment, but also because of the reduction in complexity of internal processes and the resulting lower operational costs. In BN, Gruyère Énergie has found an innovative partner with whom it can embark on the journey of digitalization.»
— Julian Pilloud, Team Leader Data & Measurement at Gruyère Énergie S.A.