Installed on poles or rooftops, each of Copper’s outdoor devices collects data from hundreds to thousands of existing meters and shares it instantly with utilities and their customers.
Copper’s scalable outdoor collectors wirelessly capture energy consumption data directly from existing electric, gas, or water meters (both smart meters and drive-by AMR meters) and share that data using existing broadband networks. Customers can then access near-real-time data, actionable insights and alerts, and utility messaging through the Copper mobile app, while utilities get real-time grid-edge visibility and intelligence through the Copper utility portal. And it all comes at a fraction of the cost and time investment of new advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) while bolstering flexibility and hardware interoperability.
Rapid, cost-effective deployment at scale
As a low-cost non-intrusive wireless retrofit, Copper’s outdoor collectors can deliver better data and actionable insights to utilities and customers in months, not years.
Copper’s devices are non-invasive and easy to install, allowing utilities to start gathering high-quality data in months rather than years. Each device captures data from hundreds to thousands of meters, avoiding the need to retrofit or replace individual meters. Copper’s faster and simpler deployment model allows utilities to realize the benefits of grid modernization sooner, while minimizing customer disruption, system downtime, and the logistical challenges associated with meter swaps.
High-interval, utility-grade data
Copper’s collectors provide near-real-time energy and water usage data, allowing utilities and customers to access timely, actionable insights.
Copper’s outdoor hardware can provide energy and water data as frequently as every minute, whether customers have the newest smart meters or older drive-by meters that are currently only reporting to the utility once per month. This high-quality data enables improved load flexibility, system planning and forecasting, rapid measurement and verification (M&V), and robust data-driven decarbonization strategies, all while providing improved transparency for consumers.
Robust security and data privacy
Copper’s system is intrinsically designed to handle data securely, with strong encryption and privacy protections built-in—and without the risks of AMI.
Copper has a robust privacy and information security framework that includes administrative, physical and technical safeguards, and regularly subjects its software, hardware, and network to penetration testing to ensure that the data collected is only shared with those with permission to use it. And unlike many modern AMI systems that allow meters to connect directly with customer Wi-Fi networks (creating numerous potential vectors for hackers or cyberattacks), Copper’s outdoor collector never touches home Wi-Fi, better ensuring sustained data privacy and security.
Flexible, future-proof infrastructure
Copper’s compatibility with a wide range of meters from multiple manufacturers provides utilities with unprecedented flexibility when upgrading metering infrastructure.
Particularly when integrated into a modern AMx framework, Copper’s collectors enable utilities to significantly improve meter interoperability, extend the useful life of existing hardware, adopt more agile and vendor-agnostic infrastructure upgrade strategies, and reduce costs so they can invest in what matters most while keeping rates low. The ability to use a mix of different meters allows for more strategic, agile deployments of new meters to prove out benefits and reduce bill impacts on customers while ensuring that utilities can meet current and emerging needs. It also allows utilities to choose the lowest-cost meter that meets their technical requirements (from nearly any manufacturer) and be better able to manage unforeseen supply chain issues when planning for or deploying new infrastructure.
Consumer empowerment
By making energy and water data readily accessible at scale, Copper empowers consumers to make smarter choices, engage more directly with their utility, and identify new opportunities to save on their bills.
Copper’s outdoor collectors help utilities quickly scale key customer-facing benefits territory-wide. By unlocking near-real-time visibility into electric, gas, and water consumption and providing personally relevant insights and messaging, Copper can support a wide array of customer experience, demand-side management, and time-varying rate initiatives. And because its outdoor collectors don’t rely on customer Wi-Fi networks, Copper uniquely allows utilities to more equitably engage income-qualified customers who may have internet access through their smartphones but may not have in-home Wi-Fi networks needed to support in-home devices like smart thermostats.