Automatic Meter Reading

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Automatic Meter Reading
Hunt?
SpreadSprectrum?
Turtle?
RF?
RJ11?
Archnet?
Nexus?
BPL?
Cellnet?
AI?
Maxstream?
TWACS?
SilverSpring?
Fiber?
Wireless?
MasterMeter?
FireFly?
Intranet?
TCP/IP?
IR?
PLC?
Internet?
WiFI?
RS232?

• Selecting the Technology

Dave Hallquist Vermont Electric Cooperative
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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.

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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!

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System Planning

• 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

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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
• By using a greater number of shorter off times,
  member satisfaction with load control programs is
  markedly improved

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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

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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)

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Voltage Profile
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Voltage Profile
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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

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Load Profile
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Transformer Sizing

• AMR transformer studies reveal sizing issues
• Prevents transformer failures due to members
  lack of planning
• Correct transformer sizing reduces line loss
  cost
• Elimination of electric heat left many
  transformers oversized

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Load Profile for Transformer
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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)

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Outage Restoration

• 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

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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

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Load Controlat Florida Powerand Light (FPL)
Load Control Device Mounted to control a Water
Heater and an Air-Conditioner at a Florida Power
andLight (FPL) CustomersHome
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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

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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

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Customer Service

• 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

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Potential R-T AMR Savings
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VEC ROI Analysis
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VECs Choice

• DCSI TWACS for all but the largest users
• Electro-Industries Nexus for Large users (gt500kw)
  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

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VECs Choice (cont)

• Why Nexus?
• 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

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What Worked

• Organization was committed
• Four years of discussion created a high level of
  desire from everyone
• Board of Directors was involved in these
  long-ranging discussions
• Detailed project planning
• 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

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