Honeywell and Connexus Energy announce smart grid upgrade project

Honeywell and Connexus Energy will invest $15 million in a cooperative project to deploy advanced smart grid technology across the utility’s 1,000-square-mile service area in Minnesota.

Honeywell will install 138,000 EnergyAxis connected meters along with a SynergyNet mesh networking platform that will deliver real-time energy consumption data to Connexus Energy, allowing for rapid outage response and improved usage management.

“Our mission is simple: keep the lights on for our members by providing electricity in the most cost-effective, reliable and environmentally responsible manner,” Greg Ridderbusch, chief executive officer of Connexus Energy said. “Honeywell’s smart grid technology will help us continue to meet these goals while providing a path for greater efficiencies and innovations in how we deliver electricity to one of Minnesota’s fastest-growing corridors — and how customers use it.”

The upgrade will benefit Connexus Energy’s 130,000 customers by replacing manual reading meter data with two way any time information, resulting in more accurate billing, as well as providing meter-tampering detection.

“Together, Honeywell and customers like Connexus Energy are fundamentally changing the way the world and our communities manage and use energy,” Rob Tupker, president of Smart Energy, Honeywell Home and Building Technologies said. “This smart grid project supports the utility’s priority of sound energy management and delivery, while preparing the cooperative to take advantage of future opportunities and innovations to drive deeper savings for customers.”