Published:  7.12.2021

Inergia Oy’s subsidiaries Inarin Lapin Vesi Oy, Inergia Lämpö Oy and Tunturiverkko Oy have signed a five-year agreement with Digita on the digitalisation of their water supply, district heating and electricity grid services using Digita’s IoT network based on LoRaWAN technology. With the signing of the agreement, Inarin Lapin Vesi Oy will be replacing all its 2,700 water meters with remotely readable meters over the next few years.

The collaboration with Digita to digitalise the water supply service began with a strategic choice by Inergia Oy, which updated its strategy in summer 2021. The Group’s new strategic goals include real-time management of grid information at all water intake facilities and purification plants and utilising the opportunities presented by digitalisation.

“To us, collaboration with Digita is an opportunity to move forward with automation management, gathering real-time information and managing the whole grid,” explains Paulus Lepistö, CEO of Inarin Lapin Vesi.

Inarin Lapin Vesi Oy’s water grid is more than 200 kilometres long. Supplying water and managing the grid in such a geographically large area will become significantly easier with Digita’s IoT technology and extensive network. Remote reading will also reduce the total distance personnel need to drive, resulting in less strain on the environment.

“At Inarin Lapin Vesi, efficiency and taking care of the environment go hand in hand,” Lepistö says.

IoT technology makes providing real-time information and reporting groundwater levels to the authorities annually easier. With increasingly comprehensive management of the grid, Inarin Lapin Vesi can also monitor the condition of meters and leak alerts in houses and other properties.

“The technology also allows us to provide a more comprehensive service to our customers and to take safety concerns into account more effectively,” Lepistö says.

“We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work together with Inergia to digitalise their water supply, district heating and electricity grid services in such a geographically large area. Our IoT network based on LoRaWAN technology allows for things like reading water meters remotely, continuously gathering real-time data, taking level and pressure readings and forecasting crown snow-loads. These things simplify operations and improve their efficiency,” explains Digita’s Sales Manager Mona Miettinen.