Download Automatic Meter Reading

SpreadSprectrum? RJ11?
Nexus?
RF?
BPL?
SilverSpring?
MasterMeter?
FireFly?
IR?
Internet?
RS232?
Automatic Meter Reading
Selecting the Technology
Dave Hallquist
Vermont Electric Cooperative
Why Do AMR?

Billing and Meter Reading Benefits
Reduce Meter Read Costs
 Reduce Error
 Eliminate Entry Liability
 Eliminate Member Complaints about
Meter Readers
 Improve Billing Flexibility
 Improve Financial Predictability
 Reduce HR issues
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Other AMR Benefits
Carefully select the technology, there is more to AMR
than reading meters.
Rates

Rate Setting has been more of an art
than a science
AMR allows detailed analysis of peak
demands – critical to setting rate
structures by class
 Reduces the tension between residential
commercial and industrial

As Vermont Public Interest Research
Group has charged “The poor residential
ratepayers are subsidizing big business!”
System Planning
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System load studies often use gross
assumptions (i.e. – 1.1kw/home). This can
result in substantial errors as VEC has
found certain substation residential home
loads are significantly higher, while others
are significantly lower
Unusual spot load growth have caught
utilities by surprise
R-T AMR provides the local data to
significantly improve the accuracy of
system planning
Load Control
Many systems provide optional load
control packages
 R-T AMR enables verification of load
control
 R-T AMR enables significant flexibility
in load control

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By using a greater number of shorter off
times, member satisfaction with load
control programs is markedly improved
Phase Balancing

Phase loading is typically done once
in a lifetime on many systems

Retro versus pro-active
AMR shows what phase each meter is
on
 Results:

Better system balancing
 Improved transformer efficiency
 Greater safety for line personnel

Voltage Profiles
R-T AMR allows flexibility in time
buckets for analyzing member issues
 Accurate voltage analysis' can identify
connectivity issues
 Improved member satisfaction
(implicit versus explicit needs)

Identify voltage sag issues
 I-D neutral problems early to prevent
member equipment failure (burn out
resulting from excessive voltage)

Voltage Profile
Voltage Profile
Load Profile
R-T AMR allows flexibility in time
periods for profiles
 Good for managing high bill
complaints
 Commercial and Industrials can use
system to reduce peak demand
charges

Load Profile
Transformer Sizing
AMR transformer studies reveal sizing
issues
 Prevents transformer failures due to
members’ lack of planning
 Correct transformer sizing reduces
line loss cost

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Elimination of electric heat left many
transformers oversized
Load Profile for Transformer
Hourly Profile Data
70.00
60.00
19-Jan
18-Jan
17-Jan
16-Jan
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
Hour
23
21
19
17
15
13
11
9
7
5
3
0.00
1
KVA
50.00
Distribution Automation
R-T AMR infrastructure can often be
used for SCADA
 Many companies have interfaces for
SCADA equipment
 AMR communications is lower cost
than dedicated (fiber, copper, radio)

Outage Restoration
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R-T AMR is a very powerful tool when
combined with an Outage Management
System (OMS) and Interactive Voice
Response (IVR) system
Predictive feature of OMS eliminates need
for ticket sorting
IVR reduces call volume by 80% with
significant improvements in member
satisfaction
Combined with Map Presentation program
(Mapview, Arcview) provides dispatch with
visual outage tracking
Eliminates need to call member to verify
outage has been restored
Connect and Disconnect

R-T AMR allows for “soft” disconnect
without additional infrastructure

Great for move in / move out
Disconnect devices available for many
product platforms
 Devices are plug-in; underneath the
meter
 Allows for disconnect from the office

Load Control
at Florida Power
and Light (FPL)
Load Control
Device Mounted to
control a Water Heater
and an Air-Conditioner
at a Florida Power and
Light (FPL) Customer’s
Home
Lake Region Electric Cooperative
Pelican Rapids, Minnesota (the red star)

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25000 members
7c/kwh residential rate
Mainly coal
80 mw non-coincidental
peak (peaks in winter –
slightly larger than
summer peak)
10% peak shaving using
disconnects switches –
a load shedding
strategy - not a load
shifting strategy
65mw coincidental
peak
7000 peak disconnect
switches (primarily for
hot water heaters)
70% penetration on existing water heater users (10k total)
Water heater credit – straight credit – $4/mo./40gal heater - $8/mo./80gal heater
An off-peak incentive rate exists – 40% savings off-peak – on-peak rate same as
residential – few residential takers – mainly storage heat
Billing
Significantly improves billing
predictability
 Eliminates ties to read schedules that
are based on meter routes
 Reduces outstanding receivables by
reducing billing lead-time
 Virtually eliminates mis-reads and
requisite member revisits
 Allows for industrials/commercials to
close monthly books earlier

Time of Use (TOU) Billing
R-T AMR simplifies TOU reading and
billing process
 Allows for multiple TOU rates
 Load shifting a good strategy for
reduction of system coincident peaks
thus reducing power supply cost
 Allows for tailored incentive programs
 Many utilities have reduced system
peak by 10%

Customer Service
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No longer tell member to “check the
meter”
Find out about outage before member calls
No need to call member to verify
restoration
With IVR and OMS, member can get
outage status anytime
Turn Customer Service Reps into usage
experts through usage profile
Make the moving process easy for your
members
Minimize the ‘hand-offs’ to improve the
member experience
Potential R-T AMR Savings
VEC ROI Analysis
VEC’s Choice
DCSI TWACS for all but the largest
users
 Electro-Industries Nexus for Large
users (>500kw) and substations
 Why TWACS?

 DCSI
had significant experience and a
variety of options
 Very good references
 Outage Monitoring and Reporting
 Ability to ‘ping’ on demand
 Integrates with many CIS and Billing
Systems including NISC
VEC’s Choice (con’t)

Why Nexus?
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Built-in web server
Dual ports for maximum security
On-demand usage, billing, history
Transient Recording
Record up to 512 Samples per Cycle Peak
Voltage Surge and Sag Recording
EN 50160 Flicker Analysis
Interharmonic Recording
Fault Recording and Analysis
Harmonic Analysis to 255th Order
DNP 3.0 and Modbus capability
What Worked

Organization was committed
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Detailed project planning

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Four years of discussion created a high level of desire
from everyone
Board of Directors was involved in these long-ranging
discussions
Microsoft project used to identify every action item
Weekly status/action meetings for six months prior to
commissioning
Project Manager and CFO co-own project
Operations really wanted AMR
TWACS a great product - Commissioning was
highly successful and exceeded all expectations