Semtech’s LoRa devices featured in Gas Metering Innovation

28th September 2022

Sheryl Miles

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Semtech, a global supplier of analogue and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms, announced that Kiwi Technology, an Internet of Things (IoT) turn-key solutions and data analytics provider, is using Semtech’s LoRa devices for its third party class B Network Control Unit (NCU) that connects gas meters via the LoRaWAN standard. Due to low power consumption and bidirectional communication capabilities of LoRa, the NCU’s are fully autonomous for up to 10 years.

The recently deployed NCUs remotely read indoor and outdoor gas meters and communicate data to a top tier Japanese gas utility company. Prior to the deployment and infrastructure upgrade by Kiwi Technology, this utility provider had only one measurement data point each month, obtained from a manual field process.

The NCU system and Kiwi Technology’s comprehensive gateway products utilising LoRaWAN enable multiple, remote meter reads per day and allows customers access to their real-time and historical gas consumption trends to identify cost savings and waste reduction opportunities.

Kiwi Technology’s end-to-end smart gas solutions with wireless communication with LoRaWAN connectivity also ensure gas supply and infrastructure safety. The innovation helps to quickly detect and send alerts about potential methane leaks, equipment malfunctions or breakdowns. The NCU anticipates and remotely shuts off gas in potentially dangerous situations before a failure or automatically when a hazard, such as a typhoon or earthquake, occurs.

“Choosing Semtech’s LoRa devices for building our IoT-enabled solution allowed us to create an innovative and advanced gas meter reading and monitoring system and deploy it using a carrier-grade network infrastructure,” said Judy Lee, Chairperson of Kiwi Technology.

“With the digitisation of utilities and municipalities, we are helping utility companies optimise their gas distribution while reducing harmful CO2 gas emissions exactly at the location where gas is consumed. This contributes to a more efficient and safer use of energy resources.”

“Utility providers that have deployed smart metering solutions are seeing a rapid reduction of waste and substantial improvements in operational efficiencies,” said Marc Pégulu, Vice President and General Manager for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “The use of LoRa and LoRaWAN, as shown with Kiwi Technology’s NCU solution, showcases the power of IoT technologies to help gas utilities improve safety and achieve ESG goals while creating a smarter and safer planet for all.”