Tantalus Systems Corp., a closely held, British Columbia-based technology supplier that helps utilities manage their power systems, has bought a firm that’ll help them monitor and control their customers’ energy use, too.
The purchase of Ontario-based Energate Inc. gives Tantalus clients access to information about power demand inside homes and businesses. Utilities will have data so granular that they’ll know how customers are using large appliances, allowing them to better manage demand on their systems.
“Most utilities have very good visibility for the substation,” Tantalus Chief Executive Officer Peter Londa said in an interview. “They lack visibility from the substation down to the meter.” Londa declined to disclose the purchase price of Energate.
The idea behind the acquisition is to provide the solutions that utilities need to monitor and balance the constant fluctuations between power supply and demand on their systems. The company works with more than 130 utilities. Energate works with 50 utilities and energy service providers.
“The more data we can extract from the edge of the network,” Londa said, “the more reliable and the more profitable an electric utility can become.”