Brooks Utility Products, a supplier of electric metering products for the utility industry for more than 142 years, is providing design and manufacturing expertise to innovative startup ConnectDER, (formerly Infinite Invention).
ConnectDER’s core product, the ConnectDER consists of a collar like device that installs between the meter and socket, providing rapid connectivity for solar and other distributed energy resources (DER). It optimizes the installation process by:
· Reducing costs by removing some balance of system components and premises wiring upgrades
· Minimizing logistics headaches & site inspection time
· Eliminating one of the primary areas of inspection failures, the load-side wiring
A second product, the SMART ConnectDER, adds metering, communications and data interfaces that customers use to turn DERs into grid-interoperable assets.
“As utilities around the nation look for safe, reliable metering products for rooftop solar and other forms of distributed energy, we chose Brooks as our design and manufacturing partner for their leadership in socket safety and long history of working with customers to create products that meet new or evolving needs,” said ConnectDER CEO Whit Fulton. “Brooks’ reputation for quality also helped give our utility customers the comfort to work with a new vendor.”
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, a new solar project was installed every 2.5 minutes in the U.S. in 2014.
“There is a clear need for products that allow rapid installation and uphold the highest safety standards,” said Scott Mann Brooks Utility Products director of marketing. “The opportunity to work with a company like ConnectDER is a continuation of what Brooks is most passionate about – innovating to meet the evolving needs of the energy industry.”
