Danvers, MA Builds Out the Smart Grid with NorthStar Utilities Solutions' MeterSense

Decatur, AL, February 11, 2010 --(PR.com)-- The Town of Danvers, MA has chosen NorthStar Utilities Solutions' MeterSense application as the key component of their $16.9 million funded Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) project.

During the initial phase of this project, the Danvers team will leverage MeterSense's meter data management capabilities to import, validate and analyze electric and water/sewer grid data, and deliver timely and accurate billing information to its Customer Information System. In the later stages of the project, Danvers will take advantage of MeterSense's capabilities in two remarkable ways: enable its customers to view and study their usage habits online, and to optimize ways in which the utility delivers power and water.

Already, Danvers is investing in important smart grid components such as new customer service and electric distribution systems, and advanced metering infrastructure. MeterSense will enable the Danvers team to collect, store and analyze the new data these components gather, and distribute these data to other systems.

"Our goal for our new smart grid is to reduce losses, enhance our ability to serve our customers, and extend the capabilities of our existing infrastructure," says Peter Korpusik, Business Office Manager with the Town of Danvers. "MeterSense will enable us to manage demand far more efficiently, and we project that this improvement means we can defer a costly main substation upgrade."

Danvers selected MeterSense not only because of the product's ability to provide a robust, flexible and auditable data repository for smart distribution grid information, but also because of its ability to integrate seamlessly with customer information system applications.

"MeterSense is a great fit for an advanced smart grid vision such as Danvers'," says Rob DiMurro, NorthStar Utilities Solutions' General Manager. "Because MeterSense can help utilities leverage returns on their SGIG investments quickly, we recommend MeterSense as a key component of any utility's immediate project plans."

Learn more about MeterSense
MeterSense will be on display at two of the North American utility industry's premier trade shows: TechAdvantage in Atlanta, February 12-15 and Metering, Billing/MDM America in San Diego, March 7 -10.

Visit them to learn more about how MeterSense can help utilities turn their smart grid visions into realities.

About NorthStar Utilities Solutions
NorthStar has served the utility market for more than 30 years. We deliver integrated solutions for utilities' billing, customer information, and financial and meter data management needs. More than 200 customers in North America and the Caribbean use NorthStar solutions to manage revenues, deliver superior customer service, improve efficiencies and reduce costs.

For more information on NorthStar Utilities Solutions and the NorthStar product suite, please visit www.northstarutilities.com.

MeterSense - Enabling The Smart Grid

For additional information contact:
Ken Hayes
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
NorthStar Utilities Solutions
A division of Harris Computer Systems
256-686-1278 or 256-642-6368
khayes @ northstarutilities.com
sales @ northstarutilities.com

About Harris
Harris is a leading provider of utility customer information systems (CIS), billing, financial management, and meter data management software solutions. Since 1976, Harris has focused on providing feature-rich and robust turnkey solutions to public power and water markets as well as all levels of local government throughout North America. Harris' focus is on creating long-term relationships with our customers and ensuring that we meet the changing needs of our customers over time. For further information on Harris Computer Systems and NorthStar please visit our website at
http://www.harriscomputer.com, or call 888-847-7747 x 3183.

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