Japanese utility Chugoku Electric Power is using software from Massachusetts firm Sense to improve its grid edge intelligence.

Under the partnership, both companies will first localise Sense software and develop a retrofit sensor for Japan employing a chip capable of processing up to 1MHz data. They subsequently plan to bring AMI 2.0 smart meters to market with Sense-enabled high-resolution data, distributed processing and real-time networking to create a sensing, compute and control platform for Japan’s modern electric grid.

Sense is working with Chugoku Keiki Kogyo (CHK, chukeiko.co.jp), the in-house provider of grid technology for Chugoku Electric Power (www.energia.co.jp). The partnership is bringing intelligence that processes data to Japanese utilities.

As Japanese utilities manage increasingly complex infrastructure in the face of extreme weather events, achieving a high-resolution view of the distribution grid is critical. Sense and CHK’s partnership centres on a shared commitment to this goal, and marks Sense’s initial entrance into the Japanese market as utilities move to AMI 2.0.

“Next generation smart meters will help deliver the energy transition, and utilities across Japan are ready for this transformation,” said Michael Jary, Sense’s managing director for Emea and Apac. “CHK is a forward-thinking company and a natural partner for arming the grid with data resolution that enables edge intelligence. Today’s announcement is a consequential moment for Japanese utilities.”

CHK and Sense will develop high-resolution data enabled smart meters for utilities to detect object-on-wire and arc faults. Additionally, the real-time intelligence provided should boost demand response and power forecasting capabilities. Sense’s platform also offers a low-cost, scalable way for utilities to support future consumer applications with existing infrastructure, while providing consumers with personalised, actionable insights for energy and cost savings.

Working together, CHK and Sense will use their shared expertise and innovations to transform the relationship between utilities, their customers, and shared assets and infrastructure. Armed with real-time insight into device-level energy use, CHK customers can make decisions and adjustments backed by data and easy-to-reference insights. CHK’s grid visibility should strengthen demand flexibility, grid resilience and customer engagement.

“Smart meters with high resolution data, the ability to run distributed software, and real-time networking are transformative,” said Sense CEO Mike Phillips. “These capabilities turn meters into a connected intelligence system at the edge of the grid. Just like smart phones fundamentally shifted our view of phones, smart meters transform how we interact with energy. These latest meters open doors to an efficient, sustainable and resilient grid for both utilities and their customers.”

Established in 2013 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sense (www.sense.com) specialises in climate technology. Initially producing a direct-to-consumer home energy monitor reaching over 100,000 homes in the USA, Sense is now expanding by embedding its technology into smart meters that provide electricity providers with software that enhances grid management and customer engagement.