FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 26, 2014
For more information, contact
Kari Bonaro, BNMC, Inc.
716.218.7157/202.904.7034 (m)
kbonaro@bnmc-old.local
Landis+Gyr to Partner with Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and
National Grid on Energy Modernization Study
Smart grid company to provide technology for energy utilization study
Buffalo, N.Y., September 26 , 2014 – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) announced today that it will partner with National Grid and Landis+Gyr for an energy study that will develop strategies to improve reliability, sustainability, and the quality of energy used on the Medical Campus. Landis+Gyr, a global leader in the smart grid and energy management industry, will provide the critical networking infrastructure, grid sensors, software and services necessary for data collection and analysis. This study and the implementation of its findings is another example of the innovative energy partnership between the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and National Grid.
Funded by NYSERDA and National Grid, the study will be conducted by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and will support the continued growth of the Medical Campus and Buffalo Niagara Region by exploring and evaluating distributed and renewable energy sources against the existing distribution system on-and-around the Campus to accomplish targeted grid modernization and to realize grid resiliency. The objectives of the project are to:
- Monitor the power system characteristics for various voltage levels and benchmark the existing power quality and reliability environment.
- Identify power quality and energy efficiency optimization possibilities throughout the local power grid and within BNMC member institutions.
- Analyze results in the context of improving electric power for end-users by combining attributes of both the grid and distributed energy resources.
- Determine the benefit of innovative systems such as microgrids and renewable energy sources to improve the reliability, sustainability, and quality of the power system.
- Determine the feasibility of implementing a self-sustainable energy hub for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and surrounding areas.
Planning for the study has already begun and implementation will likely begin by the end of this month. The program will collect data over the duration of the project, with concurrent analysis and development strategies to be shared throughout. The end result of the study will be key information that will feed into the BNMC’s existing Energy Innovation Plan, and will include the exploration of smart grid, smart metering, micro-grid, utility asset utilization, and renewable energy resources.
The energy partnership between National Grid and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is designed to develop integrated solutions that will drive economic growth in the Buffalo Niagara region and position all partners as global energy leaders. This partnership represents the first of its kind energy innovation between a global utility and a community-engaged medical and technology park.
According to Paul Tyno, director of energy initiatives, BNMC, Inc., “Managing energy use on the Medical Campus is a top priority for BNMC, Inc., and this study is critical to develop an energy innovation strategy to address energy needs now and into the future. Our growing campus, particularly our clinical and research facilities, have a need for continuous, high-quality power and we want to be proactive in providing sustainable solutions, whether through modernization of the existing grid or through renewable sources. The addition of Landis+Gyr to our team allows us to leverage their energy expertise and to work with an experienced provider of smart grid solutions that will be a great benefit to us in collecting the necessary data.”
Landis+Gyr Executive Vice President of the Americas, Prasanna Venkatesan added, “We are thrilled to be partnering with innovative, forward-thinking organizations like the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., National Grid, and EPRI. Our smart grid technology and solutions are designed to support the high level of data collection and analysis that this Study requires and will further support more efficient and progressive ways of providing power to the Medical Campus and the surrounding neighborhoods.”
“Adding a technology partner like Landis+Gyr is the next logical step in the overall energy plan we are developing for the campus, and then the region,” said Dennis Elsenbeck, regional executive for National Grid. “The level of data and analysis from this study will allow all the partners to assure we are meeting existing needs, and plan for an energy future that will allow BNMC, its members and its neighbors to be at the leading edge of energy innovation.”
About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local
About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE:NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society -to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and develop an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the center of the energy system.
In the northeast U.S., we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles. In Great Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country.
National Grid delivers electricity to wp-contentroximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in northeastern U.S., serving wp-contentroximately 3.4 million customers in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com.
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About Landis+Gyr
Landis+Gyr is the leading global provider of integrated energy management products tailored to energy company needs and unique in its ability to deliver true end-to-end advanced metering solutions. Today, the Company offers the broadest portfolio of products and services in the electricity metering industry, and is paving the way for the next generation of smart grid. With annualized sales of more than US$1.5 billion, Landis+Gyr, an independent growth platform of the Toshiba Corporation (TKY:6502) and 40% owned by the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan, operates in 30 countries across five continents, and employs 5,500 people with the sole mission of helping the world manage energy better. More information is available at landisgyr.com.
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