SmartSynch to Provide Smart Meters for Mississippi State Buildings

by Sari Krieger, Dow Jones Clean Technology Insight

Jackson, Miss.-based smart grid company SmartSynch Inc. signed a $3.75 million deal with its home state to provide smart meters and related services for government buildings, a foray into what could be a significant market for the company.

Ravi Raju, senior vice president of marketing for SmartSynch, said in an interview with Clean Technology Insight that this deal marks its first with a state government to transform its utility meters to smart meters, but the company is in discussions with 27 others states for possible similar deals.

Many states are encouraged by the money flowing to them that could pay for such projects, such as $3.2 billion in energy efficiency and conservation grants set aside by the stimulus package for cities, counties, states, territories, and tribal lands.

In fact, the $3.75 million Mississippi will use to pay for its 1,500 smart meters and related software from SmartSynch comes from the stimulus. Raju said SmartSynch's use of existing wireless networks for smart meter communications, makes the company attractive for state government projects. By using SmartSynch they don't need to build a new communications network, which may be difficult over an entire state.

In March, SmartSynch and AT&T Inc. announced a new pricing structure for utilities and others to use the company's network for smart-grid communications.

Raju said going after state government business is an important part of the company's business strategy. He said universities and tribal lands are also prime targets. Chandler, Ariz.-based Gila River Indian Community Utility Authority signed a deal for smart meters with SmartSynch in May.

The start-up utility is in the process of taking over the 2,700 meters on the Gila River Indian Reservation from the federal government, as well as providing any new meters needed. The plan is to convert all meters to smart meters, said William Pezalla, general manager and chief executive for Gila River, in a recent interview.

In April, SmartSynch said it is working on a new smart-grid product that acts as a "wireless pipe," which can transmit and receive data over public wireless networks. The company's Universal Communications Module will work as an IP-addressable, external interface offering various types of connectivity to smart-grid devices.

SmartSynch said recently that Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke Energy Corp. will demonstrate the new product with significant volume in the fourth quarter of 2009.

SmartSynch has raised $80 million to date and its investors include Credit Suisse, JPMorgan Partners, Kinetic Ventures, Beacon Group, Nth Power, Siemens Venture Capital, Duke Investments, Endeavor Capital, Battelle Ventures, OPG Ventures, Lime Rock Partners, GulfSouth Capital and Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co.

Utilities across the country have been testing and rolling out smart meters, which allow users to monitor how much power they are using in real time, more easily monitor power outages and also have the potential to work with smart appliances being developed by companies such as General Electric Co. and Whirlpool Corp. that can be automatically powered down during peak pricing times.

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