Gainesville Regional Utilities is partnering with Trimark Properties in the development of an electrical meter communication system.
The Advanced Meter Infrastructure is being developed by GRU in Trimark’s newest property, Savion Park Luxury Apartments, opening in August on Southwest Fifth Avenue.
David Lea, AMI project manager at GRU, said the system makes electrical operations more efficient.
“It allows us to communicate with those (meters) and operate those from the office without sending people and equipment out into the field,” he said.
Additionally, customers will be able to specifically monitor their energy usage and how it’s being used every day, he said.
Lea said GRU is testing other meters within Innovation Square businesses and a couple other apartment complexes.
Rob Edmunds, the development and construction manager at Trimark, said GRU approached Trimark and asked if it could test its new smart meters on the Savion complex as a part of its pilot program.
Savion tenants will benefit from same-day service rather than having to call, make an appointment and wait for ground personnel, he said.
Josh Steppling, marketing and communications associate at Trimark Properties, said he thinks GRU wants to make it a positive experience for the consumer.
“Their plans are to make it so that people in the future can form a budget, track their spending throughout the month and submit payments,” Steppling said. “It’s going to save people a lot of time and money.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 4/2/2014 under the headline "Upcoming apartment complex to have new type of electric meter"]
