As of November 29, 2023, over 1 million smart energy meters in Australia and New Zealand are now operational on Diverge, a data and analytics energy platform jointly developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Vector Technology Solutions Limited (VTS).
Diverge, powered by AWS's data analytics and compute infrastructure, was designed to assist energy companies in the transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, as the sector transforms with the swift electrification of transportation and heating systems.
The platform processes high-frequency data from smart electricity and gas meters installed in both homes and businesses. This helps energy companies better understand the supply and demand dynamics across the grid and assess the impact of distributed energy resources like solar panels, batteries, or electric vehicle chargers.
Traditionally, meter data has solely been used for billing but with the insights provided by Diverge, grid operators can now better plan, build, and manage their networks. This will allow for more efficient approval of distributed energy resource connections, reliable power quality assurance, and optimising investment decisions for improved customer outcomes.
Diverge provides secure access to data that supports multiple and simultaneous uses across customer service, grid operations, and planning applications. The service can provide faster and more dependable data analysis and alerts, enhancing the ability to detect and restore power outages. Electric grid operators will also gain better visibility of the power quality at individual households or streets.
Diverge combines VTS's deep energy expertise with the scope of AWS services such as data analytics and robust secure infrastructure. The platform is cloud-native, completely serverless, and automatically scales to accommodate more smart meters, while ensuring data is provided to energy companies promptly. The hosted data on Diverge is fully encrypted, secured by AWS's world-class cloud infrastructure.
Vector Metering operates the over 1 million smart meters currently live on the Diverge platform. "By using Diverge, we're providing and developing innovative services for our customers that deliver and respond to their needs, including the growing demand for renewable energy," said Neil Williams, CEO at Vector Metering.
He added that Diverge enables the delivery of five-minute settlement data to their Australian customers, hours earlier and more reliably. It also supports other data services, like power quality data, without impacting billing and settlement data.
The strategic alliance between VTS and AWS has been extended until 2025, with a joint focus on furthering insights development for customers, expanding the use cases for Diverge, and pursuing global growth.
"We're thrilled to see our next-generation cloud-based platform come to life and help transform the energy industry by using data to enable smarter, more customer-centric decisions," stated Shailesh Manga, chief operating officer at VTS.
"As the transition to cleaner energy and electrification accelerates, energy providers require bold and innovative solutions to manage the complexity that comes with intermittent and distributed energy resources."
"We are excited about the tangible strides we've made towards accelerating the world's energy transition, and look forward to helping VTS expand Diverge globally," said Sarah Cooper, general manager of Industry Products at AWS.
In demonstrating commitment to Aotearoa New Zealand, AWS has invested in initiatives estimated to create 1,000 jobs and contribute $10.8 billion to the nation's GDP over the next 15 years. Amazon, as the largest global corporate purchaser of renewables, is on course to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025.