TRUSense™ Gateway

Accelerate Grid Modernization and DER Integration with the TRUSense Gateway

The Convergence of Four Utility Initiatives:

The TRUSense Gateway represents a first-to-market offering that supports the convergence of four major initiatives across the utility industry, including:

Delivering next-generation AMI by accessing the benefits of AMI 2.0 without having to replace existing metering infrastructure
Providing grid optimization by capturing and analyzing advanced power quality measurements at the meter socket to improve the performance of existing infrastructure and prioritize investments to sections of the grid that are most vulnerable
Integrating DERs located behind-the-meter, such as electric vehicle chargers, solar and storage inverters, smart circuit breakers and smart appliances
Enhancing broadband initiatives by leveraging fiber investments to connect and backhaul data from existing meters and power optical network terminals delivering broadband services to the home

Extending the edge of the grid to include behind-the-meter DERs

The TRUSense Gateway is a multi-purpose device that is installed in any existing ANSI meter socket to create a secure utility communication path into the premise, provide advanced power quality measurements and support broadband initiatives. Coupled with TRUSync™Grid Data Management, utilities can harness the power of data in an interoperable and secure manner.

TRUSense Gateways accelerate and simplify a utility’s journey to becoming more reliable, resilient and innovative. It’s an integral part of our Tantalus Grid Modernization Platform™ and provides utilities with improved visibility, command and control across the entire grid – from the substation all the way to devices located behind-the-meter.

Benefits of the TRUSense Gateway Include:

Enabling utilities to detect and manage behind-the-meter devices, such as electric vehicle chargers, solar and storage inverters and smart appliances and DERs deployed across the distribution grid
Improving system balancing and restoration efforts
Providing power quality monitoring with real-time communications to avoid truck-rolls while gaining a granular view of the distribution network
Working in parallel with TRUSync to simplify the acquisition, transport and integration of data from DERs and edge devices
Offering relationships with manufacturers of Smart Inverters, Grid Scale DERs, EVs, Electric Fleets
Allowing utilities to deploy at their own pace (no forced “rip and replace”)
Extending and augments existing AMI and AMR investments – including electric, water and gas

Thought-Leading Visibility and Secure Command & Control Behind-the-Meter

As utilities witness the proliferation of DERs installed in residences, such as electric vehicle chargers, solar and storage inverters and smart appliances, being able to access and control these devices is becoming increasingly important and provides an opportunity to build robust demand-side flexibility programs to mitigate imbalances between the supply and demand of electricity, protect assets such as transformers, mitigate the expense of power outages and improve workforce safety.

By leveraging a Wi-Fi access point and HomePlug GreenPHY IP technologies that are embedded on the TRUSense Gateway, utilities gain a secured and dedicated communication path to connect to each device without relying on a consumer’s Wi-Fi network. Having a dedicated communication path to these devices enables utilities to build reliable demand-side programs effectively and accurately in order to reduce both peak demand charges and reduce long-term supply and transmission expenses.

Coupled with TRUSync Grid Data Management, utilities benefit from the true interoperability of data from each of these devices. Once secure IP communication is established through the TRUSense Gateway, DER technologies located behind-the-meter are directly visible and accessible to the utility and can be integrated with an Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) or DER Management System (DERMS). Tantalus provides applications to harmonize communications protocols from the DERs (e.g., IEEE 2030.5, SunSpec MODBUS) to protocols used by ADMS or DERMS (e.g., DNP3), to manage the interaction of DERs with disconnect switches for demand-side programs.

The TRUSense Gateway is being offered in three versions to accommodate utilities with and without a fiber network, including:

TRUSense Fiber Gateway: Connects directly to fiber by use of a Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) Optical Network Terminal (ONT)
TRUSense Ethernet Gateway: Supports an outdoor ONT deployment (providing power to the ONT and connecting via an ethernet cable)
TRUSense Cellular Gateway: Leverages an embedded LTE modem for those utilities not deploying fiber to the home (FTTH) to leverage public or private LTE for AMI and/or DER integration

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