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The Smart Grid – more than just smart meters

Posted by Utilimetrics on January 19, 2012

By Jonas N. Olsen, On-Ramp Wireless, Inc.

Search the term ‘smart grid,’ on the Internet and you’ll get a long list of articles about smart meters. But the smart grid goes far beyond the meters. Often located in underground basements or on impossibly high rooftops, devices associated with operating the smart grid can be hard-to-reach, especially in metro or other challenging environments, where there is no hardwire Internet connection. 

Distribution Automation (DA), which has the potential to significantly improve the performance of the smart grid, also struggles to connect these “smart devices.” DA systems strive to improve reliability of the smart grid through situational awareness, outage management, and faster response times when a fault is discovered. A smarter distribution system can also assist in utility capital planning by highlighting changing load conditions over time. Utilities are interested in implementing DA because it improves their bottom line and it is an autonomous project – they don’t need to communicate with their consumers.  

Half the battle of optimizing a DA system is connecting these billions of “smart” devices cost-effectively. Utilities need to be able to deploy a secure and reliable wireless remote monitoring system throughout their distribution network to accomplish asset monitoring, fault indication to improve outage restoration, alert to power quality issues, capture power theft and act as a hub for demand-side load management, which ultimately lowers cost of operation and maintenance costs for utilities.

For electric utilities, an added challenge is the advent of distributed generation, where electricity is generated from many small energy sources, and the introduction of Electric Vehicles (EVs), which bring new pressures to utilities’ distribution grids. However, wireless remote monitoring systems can address this too, especially as they become increasingly prevalent. 

Wireless Systems for Remote Monitoring

While utilities are increasingly using wireless technology for remote monitoring applications, it should be noted that not all wireless technologies are created equal. There are significant differences, which ultimately determine their applicability (cost and performance) to a specific application.

The key characteristics of a wireless system that determine its overall applicability are:

  • Coverage: The system’s ability to transmit a signal over a long distance.
  • Capacity: This can be defined in two terms. First, there is the actual application throughput (good put) from a single end device (such as a pressure sensor) in the network. Second, the overall network capacity must also be considered. This refers to the ability of a concentrator (or Access Point) to process data from nodes in the network. This is what we call the overall throughput capacity.
  • Power consumption: In remote monitoring applications, many end points must rely on batteries as the main source of power. The preference is for lower power consumption to extend the span between battery replacements. In some installations solar or other renewable sources can be used to supplement a main battery.
  • Latency: This term relates to the time it takes for information to move through the system in either direction (from the remote device to a central collection system and the other way around).
  • Communication type: Wireless (or any communication system for that matter) operates as either simplex (communication only one way), half-duplex (communication both ways but not at the same time), or full-duplex (same time, bi-directional communication).

Wireless spectrum allocation is another concern that must be addressed. Wireless systems perform over a wide range of frequencies, from a few kilohertz to high frequency gigahertz systems. Many frequencies are licensed and typically bought by private companies through public auctions. Other frequencies are designated unlicensed and can be used free of charge. The unlicensed frequencies, however, are associated with rules and regulations about how the free spectrum can be used by various different private operators. An example of a rule would be guide use of popular technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The rules and guidelines address the amount of power output and the occupied bandwidth that can be applied in the allocated free spectrum. The rules vary from country to country, and operators need to observe and comply with local restrictions. Many remote monitoring applications operate in the free and unlicensed frequencies. This is mainly due to cost concerns, as many of these applications do not warrant the high cost of dedicated frequencies or the monthly recurring fees incurred when renting this spectrum of a third party operator.

It is important to recognize that different wireless systems mix and match these characteristics in various ways. This also means that there isn’t a “one size fits all” wireless system that is ideal for any application. The unique application requirements of a flow measurement system, for example, are very different from a low latency, factory floor SCADA application, which may require millisecond response times. Some applications will require very high data rates, while others just process a trickle of index data throughout the day. Pick any of the above mentioned system characteristics and the same kind of comparisons could be made.

Most remote monitoring applications fall into a category where range and low power consumption is prioritized. Range, in this sense, should be understood as either great distance (e.g. >10 km), or as the ability to penetrate obstacles, like vegetation, building, etc. Low power is key, as many remote devices will require monitoring without access a continuous power source (i.e. battery operated). Relatively small amounts of data are typically transmitted and capacity therefore tends to be a minor concern. What is important, however, is the aggregate data rate at the collectors/Access Points. If a wireless system has great coverage it is likely to provide coverage for many thousands of devices from a single network infrastructure point. This “Access Point” must provide sufficient throughput capacity to, robustly, receive and process data from all of the covered devices. This is where many narrow-band radio systems fail to meet the requirements of utility customers.

Finally, one needs to consider the communication type. Some applications can survive with simplex communication. This would be the case when all the application is intended to do is to collect data from a remote point. For an application where two-way communication is needed (resetting alarms on remote devices or changing configurations) a duplex system must be deployed.

Backhaul Options

An additional concern is backhaul from the remote site to a central data processing site. Most remote operation is far from the main hubs for IT infrastructure. When a private wireless system is installed (as opposed to using public infrastructure like a carrier based GMS network), it is up to the user to provide all connectivity links in the system. A wireless system that uses unlicensed spectrum will typically terminate in a set of wireless access points or gateways, which then need to be connected to the overall company network. This can be done in various was, but the most commonly used methods are a direct connection to the Local Area Network (if available), backhaul via a public cellular network (again, if available), and finally through satellite links. These options are listed both in terms of preference and cost.

Systems Integration

Integration with a process automation platform has to be considered. For a wireless remote monitoring system to be effective, it has to present the collected data in an industry standard format. An end-to-end wireless remote monitoring application will provide every step in the process, from integration of the wireless module with the remote sensor, wireless networking and networking infrastructure and conversion of the data to a standard format, such as Modbus or OPC. This allows for simple integration, both with on-site process automation systems and backend historical data storage.

Conclusion

As electric, cable, and telecom utilities increasingly work to improve their DA systems while having an eye on their bottom line; they should look at wireless remote monitoring solutions. With the right system, utilities should be able to pinpoint a problem exactly where it occurs so that their work crews can go directly to the affected area to fix it, and don’t have unnecessary downtime. In some cases, preventative maintenance system integration will even avoid failures altogether. A system should also be able to integrate fault indicator alarms with work order systems for simple and automated dispatch of workmen. Beyond the workforce, a connected DA system also leads to low power consumption by limiting peak power requirements, better capital planning, and fewer outages.

Lastly, the network should ultimately allow for a low-cost, fully-automated Distributed Grid, which enables e.g. fault indication (above and below ground), transformer monitoring, substation automation and other applications that were previously thought unfeasible to automate. When these applications come “online”, utilities will see significant enhancements in key performance metrics.

Jonas N Olsen is the VP strategic partnerships for On-Ramp Wireless, Inc., which is currently deployed by a Western utility for its wireless communication system.

Posted in Smart Grid, Smart Meters, Electric Vehicles, Post Deployment, Distribution Automation, Remote Monitoring, Systems Integration | Leave a Comment »

A Brilliant Path to the Smart Energy Home

Posted by Utilimetrics on October 17, 2011

Though the vision of a smart energy home is still in its formative stages, smart meters, demand response systems, energy efficiency programs and home-area networking technologies are being deployed in significant numbers by utilities.

So what’s next? Smart appliances, home energy management systems, electric vehicles and a greater variety of other systems and devices are likely to follow. How should utility companies prepare, and which devices will have the greatest impact on residential energy consumption? More importantly, which of these devices will consumers embrace?

The panelists at the Autovation 2011 Closing General Session, moderated by Clint Wheelock, founder and president of Pike Research, explored several visions of the future for residential smart energy applications, assessing the likely consumer adoption patterns and preferences, along with the business models holding the greatest promise. Panelists included:

  • Ron Zimmer, president and CEO of CABA Energy
  • Val Jensen, vice president, marketing and environmental programs for Commonwealth Edison
  • Ogi Kavazovic, vice president of strategy & marketing for Opower

Consumer Engagement

Smart customer engagement was the vanguard of discussion. “There’s no one person or one company that can possibly follow all of the permeations and changes, particularly today, in what’s happening in the connected home or in intelligent buildings,” said Ron Zimmer.

“We’re going to have to be more engaged, better engaged with the customers,” said Jenson. To date, there are approximately 27 million smart meters, and they’re not all the same.  Future projections are that by 2015, that number will be 65 million, which is 54% of the households in the U.S.

“Our analysis shows,” said Wheelock, “that the most compelling cases for smart grid…. center around the opportunity to improve the efficiency of utility grid operations, things that most customers don’t see.”

 “All customers want is for their lights to be on and for it to be cheap,” said Kavazovic, reiterating the sentiments of a utility executive. “When you think about the energy management space, it’s a really difficult value proposition for the consumer because in one way, what we are saying and essentially asking them to do is a lot more work and pay a lot more attention to continue receiving the same level of service they’ve been receiving for decades—And that’s tough.”

“Customers are not aware of problems they are trying to solve—from their perspective there is no problem,” said Kavazovic. “The utility…. Is almost the only entity that can play this role in terms of opening up the eyes of the customers, and educating them about what they don’t instinctively know.”

The Opportunity for Utilities

The good news is that there is quite a bit of wasted energy use throughout homes in this country, so while the rates may be low, there’s an opportunity to do much better. Roughly 20% of energy use within the home doesn’t actually contribute to any lifestyle improvements. “For example,” said Kavazovic, “people leave the AC on when nobody is home for three, 10 hours at a time.” That’s the opportunity when it comes to communicating change to customers.

More good news: The majority of the customers get the notion that they can do better when it comes to energy conservation. That’s the opportunity when it comes to the smart home.

Appealing to a Mass Market

Can we take these initial ideas and make them more pragmatic and cost-effective to appeal to the mass consumer? “From a classical economics perspective, if you look at the electricity consumer, they pay a fixed fee for electricity, but the value they get from that kilowatt-hour electricity far exceeds their price,” said Jensen.  “It’s something they call consumer surplus. The value of the product far exceeds what we’re charging them for. It seems there’s a lot of value out there yet to be captured by somebody that could figure out how to translate a new product that could capture that consumer surplus.”

We have to maximize the net value to customers. By implicating the best network service provider possible, you can maximize the value, explained Jensen.

Looking Ahead

What’s really exciting is that what is happening now in energy, on smart grid, in the world of smart meters, is truly helping shape that vision that people had 30-40 years ago in terms of what we could possibly expect to see in intelligent buildings.

With AMI deployment, we’re taking the first steps.

“The utility…. has a very important role to play in customer engagement,” said Kavazovic. “The utility has the data in terms of usage and a captive customer base to help bridge the gap between where they are today and where they need to be. The biggest problem between the consumer and the math is that the customers don’t know what they don’t know.”

When customer demand grows, the utility has an important role to play: The utility should provide a basic level of awareness and information to all customers using practical and existing channels of communication. Give them a full diagnosis of where they are today.

“The utility certainly does play an integral role in all of this from a communications perspective,” said Wheelock. When Pike Research investigated how customers expect to be informed about changes like these, the majority of the customers said they expect to hear that information from the utility, because that’s whom they communicate with. “Even a monthly bill is a form of communication,” said Wheelock.

Posted in Autovation, customer engagement, Electric Vehicles, Emerging Technology, Home Area Networks, Smart Grid | Leave a Comment »

Wireless Smart Grid on Stage at Autovation 2011

Posted by Utilimetrics on August 31, 2011

Communications technology is a hot topic at Autovation 2011 and Utilimetrics is pleased to have Josh Gerber of San Diego Gas & Electric and Joaquin Silva, president and CEO of On-Ramp Wireless (San Diego, Calif.) present their paper Communication Requirements for Improving Utility Efficiency in Smart Grid in the first education session Monday, Sept. 26 at 10:30 a.m. 

“Our strategy for the presentation is to discuss the segmentation of the applications for the smart grid,” states Silva. For example: From the substation to the meter on the customer premise, what are the data requirements and information requirements? And how do they vary across each of the applications, whether it is transformer automation? whether it is a meter, etc.? “We want to demystify some of this from a requirements perspective, specifically how it relates to the wireless requirements,” he adds.

After discussing the applications and how the wireless requirements vary, they will move on to some of the specific wireless approaches and technologies that can be used to solve the problems. “We plan to emphasize that it takes multiple types of wireless, depending on the application,” continues Silva.

“We will also talk about how to solve some of the very challenging problems of the smart grid,” he states. One example is that a very high percentage of the distribution grid assets are either pad-mounted or below ground, such as transformers and fault detection sensors. “For example, at San Diego Gas & Electric, 60% of distribution grid feeders are below ground,” states Silva.

This makes it challenging for wireless. You have to use multiple radio technologies to solve the problem. In one case, you may have an architecture where you have a low data rate and very high receiver sensitivity, needing a distributed wireless system or repeater-based solution. You need a higher data rate set of wireless solutions for more latency-sensitive applications.

“A good example is that a lot of utilities want to move toward dynamic volt/VAR control,” notes Silva. If you take the volt/VAR control problem from the substation down to the home, you have to collect the data from the volt/VAR information on various grid points, such as distribution feeder transformer and line sensors.

This is a challenging problem from a wireless perspective, because, again, 50% to 60% of the transformers are in pad-mount steel bunkers. “As a result, you have to be able to collect that data,” states Silva. “It’s not too latency-sensitive in terms of data collection.” However, you have to take into account the control loop for the other assets that exist on the distribution grid that are designed to dynamically manage it.

An example: If there is an electric vehicle plugged into a transformer, it impacts the whole VAR level sensor in the transformer connected to a wireless link that is able to penetrate into the pad-mount. It would sense that change and send an upstream alarm to a controller in the substation, or centrally-managed, which would say: “This has exceeded its threshold.” Now a secondary command in the energy management system would send a control message to a cap bank controller or switch that has the capability to dynamically change the volt/VAR configuration, or perhaps even shed load in the electric vehicle charging station if it is going to exceed a power level threshold on the transformer, which would cause it to explode.

“This is an example of where you need the pervasive wide-area sensing layer, and then a control system,” continues Silva. “However, there is a mismatch in the radio requirements for both. You can’t provide a control loop across the entire smart grid. It would bankrupt even the most well heeled utility.” As a result, according to Silva, you have to use a combination of two radio platforms – a more focused high-speed control layer that is managing the volt/VAR dynamic control layer, and a data collection sensing engine that gives you the pervasive wide area, including below-ground coverage.

Overall, what are the benefits of wireless? “Wired is extremely expensive in an already built-out distribution grid, because you have to lay cable or fibers,” replies Silva. “As a result, it’s not practical in many application segments. The substation typically does have fiber. However, between the substation and the consumer’s home, you need wireless.” Digging trenches and laying fiber typically does not work from a cost model, except in a greenfield situation. As a result, wireless is really the only way to have a low-cost sensing and control layer for the distribution feeder network.

There is still a place for wired, though, according to Silva. However, what the smart grid is all about is pushing out the connectivity and control that exists at the substation down the low-voltage feeder network. “As a result, in terms of growth, wireless applications and technologies are going to be far faster than cable,” he concludes.

 

Posted in Autovation, Education, Emerging Technology, Project Management, Smart Grid, Smart Meters | Leave a Comment »

Autovation Education Sessions Available Online

Posted by Utilimetrics on August 23, 2011

Autovation Education Sessions are a work-in-progress with changes expected daily until we arrive in DC. But, we know how important it is to keep you up-to-date on the agenda, so we are providing a PDF of the current schedule. The PDF will be updated often. Click here to access the PDF.

 Autovation speakers are among the most respected in the industry. Click here to read their bios.

 Be sure to include at least one workshop in your education experience. Three two-hour workshops are planned to help you develop tangible ideas and plans that you can take back to your utility and put to immediate use.

 A workshop on Smart Grid Business Case Development is offered Monday, Sept. 26, 3-5 p.m. Led by Steve Hadden and Andy Owens from SAIC, this workshop will prepare utility attendees to guide a successful business case analysis at their own utilities. “Successful” means the analysis will produce a reliable result, which may show either that AMI is a productive investment, or that it is not. While there are many paths to this result, only some enable the utility to act on the decision. Attendees will understand the process and content of the AMI business case, and the reasons why the process is important.

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 3-5 p.m. Kevin Cornish, Enspiria Solutions and Mark Day, UISOL will lead a workshop on RFP Development. They will introduce participants to the proposal development process for major initiatives such as smart metering/AMI, MDMS, DR, DMS, and similar smart grid projects. They will present a suggested proposal process outline and the participants as a group will explore key components of the process. Topics include proposal process overview, purpose and intent, schedule, roles and responsibilities, document development, pricing solicitations, timelines, and vendor engagement. Best practices in areas such as requirements evaluation and reference verification will be shared.

 Join Steve Rogers, Capgemini, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 9-11 a.m. for a workshop on AMI Information and System Integration.  Smart meter/grid projects involve business process changes that drive substantial changes to IT landscapes.  Having a structured approach to analyzing and designing solutions for those changes can bring benefits that last beyond the project.  Learn how using an open source architecture framework known as TOGAF9, developed by The Open Group, is helping utility representatives on two projects have a better understanding of the impacts to their IT applications, data stores, infrastructures and online presentment efforts.

Autovation offers the best education in the industry. Register today. We look forward to seeing you in DC.

Important Autovation Links

Preliminary Program (Please note—this is a printed piece that was produced last spring.  Changes will appear in the Final Program which is in production and will be available shortly before Autovation.)

Exhibitor List
Utility Registrants
Register
Hotels
Exhibitor Prospectus
Sponsorship Brochure
Website

Posted in Autovation, Clean Technology, customer engagement, Cybersecurity Issues, Demand Response, Deployment, Education, Electric Vehicles, Emerging Technology, Home Area Networks, Meter Data Management, Pre-Deployment, Project Management, Smart Grid, Smart Meters, Standards, Transmission and Distribution Technologies, Water utilities | Leave a Comment »

Contribute to News Link and Send Us Your Company News

Posted by Utilimetrics on August 17, 2011

Utilimetrics publishes bylined articles from members in News Link, the weekly e-newsletter, provided they are educational. Suggested topics include updates on recent deployments, lessons learned and consumer programs. However, we will consider all topics related to utility automation.

Share your company news with the Utilimetrics community by sending us your press releases. Over 9,000 people receive News Link. Let Utilimetrics help you spread the word about your company. This is another great benefit of utilimetrics membership.

For information about contributing an article, contact Janice Greenberg and jgreenberg@utilimetrics.org or 847.227.0478. And, ask your public relations staff to add Janice to your media list.

Posted in Autovation, Clean Technology, customer engagement, Cybersecurity Issues, Demand Response, Deployment, Education, Electric Vehicles, Emerging Technology, Home Area Networks, Interoperability, Meter Data Management, Pre-Deployment, Project Management, Smart Grid, Smart Meters, Transmission and Distribution Technologies, Water utilities | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

New Technologies and Smart Grid Projects are Top Priorities for Pepco

Posted by Utilimetrics on August 4, 2011

Studying and implementing new technologies, including smart grid projects, as well as major transmission projects is the primary focus of William S. Gausman, senior vice president, Strategic Initiatives, Pepco Holdings (PHI).

“The changes occurring within electric utilities these days are unprecedented,” says Gausman. “Technology is changing the way we do everything.” Gausman will discuss how Pepco is adjusting to these rapid changes and applying new tactics and technologies during his remarks at the Autovation Opening General Session, Monday, September 26, 8:30 – 10 a.m. at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, DC.

Distribution
One example of change relates to distribution automation (DA). “We are automating the electric system to detect faults and identify the locations of those faults, all automatically, without any human intervention,” he states. Traditionally, this kind of automation has been at the substation level. PHI, however, is building it out to the poles and wires outside the substation, so the entire distribution system can become smarter and perform functions automatically and much faster. “As a result, if an outage occurs, we can restore the majority of the customers very quickly,” he notes. 

While the technology continues to evolve, a particular interest of Gausman’s is the communication required to accompany the changes and ensure the success of the projects. Such communication not only needs to take place with customers, but also with regulatory bodies, such as NERC.

Customers. “We are changing how we communicate with our customers, and how we leverage that communication,” states Gausman. He notes that the electric system was originally designed to deliver electricity to customers. Now, it is part of a more complex system that, at certain points in time, is delivering electricity to customers. However, at other points in time, as is the case with residential renewables, it is delivering it from individual customers back into the grid. “As a result, we need to be able to continually coordinate all of this activity related to customer usage and how hours will be charged,” he explains.

The goal is to integrate all of these different technologies and be able to operate as a single, fully-integrated system. “If you have to go out and build new distribution facilities to manage all of this, you are really defeating the purpose of the technology,” he points out.

Gausman cites three examples of how technology advancements necessitate increased communication with customers:

1 – AMI is transforming the way PHI communicates with customers. “We are transitioning from meter-reading activity to acquiring data and, more importantly, being able to communicate that data in the form of information back to our customers so they can better understand their energy usage,” he states. “Then, they can use that information to drive down not only their peak usage, but their total energy usage.” PHI just completed its AMI implementation in Delaware, and is now implementing it in the District of Columbia and Maryland. To date, it has installed about 300,000 meters in Delaware and 100,000 in the District of Columbia. By the end of this year, PHI plans to have about 600,000 meters installed.

2 – PHI is also getting involved in electric vehicles. This provides another level of interaction with customers in terms of electricity management, such that the utility doesn’t burden the distribution system. It needs to be able to manage how customers charge the vehicles and also monitor the activity and help customers get control, so they don’t have to worry about when they can activate their charging systems.

3 – The third relates to the integration of renewables, primarily solar, at the residential level. “There has been an increase in the number of solar installations in our jurisdiction,” he reports. “In fact, New Jersey has one of the most aggressive deployments of solar across the nation. We have more solar on a per capita basis going in New Jersey than any other state.” This is distributed across the entire distribution system. As noted above, with electricity now traveling in two directions, communication with customers is critical.

NERC. Communication with NERC is also important, according to Gausman. “This area is changing a lot,” he states. “There are always new standards and regulations, including those related to security. Certainly, there is no one who would disagree that physical security and cyber-security are very important.” As PHI continues to look at and implement new technology, it keeps NERC in mind. “We study NERC standards and guidelines not only for the bulk electric system, but throughout the entire system, even down to the metering system,” he states.

Transmission
PHI is in installing the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP), a 500 kV transmission system, which also has a significant high-voltage DC component. “We are using this DC component to cross the Chesapeake Bay,” Gausman states. “It will be one of the highest-capacity DC systems anywhere in the world, and will be the first high-voltage DC system operated in the PJM grid.”

PHI considers this to be a very important project for a number of reasons. The first, of course, is improving reliability. However, there are currently some serious discussions about building large amounts of wind generation off the Atlantic coast. When the MAPP project is completed, it will terminate at a substation along the coast in Delaware. This also happens to be the place where an offshore wind project will be coming on-shore. “Every study I have seen suggests that DC lines are the best way to manage the delivery of that off-shore wind energy back into the grid,” states Gausman. “So, even though this was not the original purpose of our transmission project, it is clearly one of the benefits that will occur.”

Posted in Autovation, Deployment, Education, Electric Vehicles, Emerging Technology, Pre-Deployment, Project Management, Smart Grid, Smart Meters, Standards | Leave a Comment »

PGE Learning Lab Provides Hours of Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Posted by Utilimetrics on August 4, 2011

Utility professionals gathered in Portland, Ore. July 28 and 29 for the Utilimetrics Smart Meter Learning Lab hosted by Portland General Electric (PGE).

PGE is recognized as a leader in smart metering by the utility technology industry. Bruce Carpenter, vice president distribution services and Utilimetrics board member, welcomed the group and provided an overview and timeline of PGE’s completed AMI project. Mass deployment of smart meters began in 2009 and was completed in 2010. About 825,000 meters have been installed and key business process development is complete. PGE is expanding its focus on “beyond the meter” services and staff members are eager to share their stories with other utilities.

Maria Pope, PGE senior vice president of finance, CFO and treasurer greeted the attendees and praised the AMI project team for achieving over $18 million in annual savings and paving the way for future smart grid initiatives.

Eric Spack, AMI project director, summarized the he smart metering project and provided lessons learned. He described the business process changes, IT software development and operational benefits PGE has experienced. Spack also reviewed the planning process, implementation, customer impacts and lessons learned each step of the way. Spack offered insights and advice to the visiting utilities which emphasizing the need to remain flexible and “plan to replan” throughout the process. He also explained many of the benefits and cost-savings PGE has realized as a result of its smart meter deployment.

Members of the PGE Customer Care Team discussed customer communications, customer relations, the PGE call center, regulatory relations and customers who opt-out of smart meters. Stan Sittser, Jan DeMeire, and Garret Saiki provided examples of PGE’s comprehensive, integrated communications strategy with customers, stakeholders, the media and within the company. Communication is a high priority at PGE.

The Learning Lab continued with a presentation from Jamie Swails, manager of network data operations and Elyssia Lawrence, supervisor, CIS billing who led a discussion on how smart metering has affected the system and field operations, as well as billing operations. They described the flow of data from the field through their MDMS and CIS and the challenges and opportunities they encounter.

Learning Lab participants toured three PGE sites and had the opportunity to talk to several industry experts. First the group visited the electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the PGE garage and one on the street provided a view of PGE’s role in the EV movement. Rick Durst demonstrated how vehicles are charged and discussed plans for additional charging stations across the state.

The next stop was the Distributed Generation Control Center, where PGE employs standby generators in the community to meet peak demand. PGE maintains, upgrades, and covers operational costs for generators in various hospitals, commercial and industrial locations in exchange for the backup power during outages or high demand on the electric grid. Kelly Cox, explained how, with this unique program, up to 125 MW of generation can be added to the system during peak hours.

The last stop included a demonstration of the Meter Data Consolidator developed by PGE in 2001. It delivers up to 99.9 percent of required billing reads daily. David Gundolff, technical lead and product owner and Kirk Page, operations lead in the network data operations center, described the key functionality of the meter data management system and discussed the validation estimation editing (VEE) functions as well. In addition to these demonstrations, the meter shop also hosted some attendees who were very interested in their operation.

Steve Sprague, supervisor of the Energy Recovery Unit, showed a video of his team’s success in investigating marijuana grow facilities and recovering stolen revenues from these illegal operations. Mark Osborn, PGE’s smart grid manager and Conrad Eustis, director of retail technology development, talked about PGE’s future initiatives. Osborn described the Salem smart microgrid project, a federally funded demonstration project in the Pacific Northwest which will test energy storage and facilitate the integration of wind and other renewables. Eustis’ presentation covered implications for smart grid and next steps for Portland General Electric.

A cocktail reception followed the conference and gave everyone the opportunity to network, follow up on areas of interest and continue the dialogue on Portland’s contributions to the utility industry. Several attendees stayed for the “value added” Friday sessions, offered the following morning on specific areas of interest.

Thanks to Portland General Electric for making this Smart Meter Learning Lab a great success. Special thanks to Wellington Energy and Sensus for sponsoring the event.

Posted in Autovation, Deployment, Education, Electric Vehicles, Emerging Technology, Meter Data Management, Project Management, Smart Grid, Smart Meters | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Intelligent Water Management Systems Usher in a New Age for Water

Posted by Utilimetrics on July 12, 2011

Intelligent Water Management Systems Usher in a New Age for Water

By Doug McCall, director of marketing, Sensus

Water utilities are choosing intelligent water management solutions to maximize the efficiency of the entire water distribution system as global demand for water steadily increases and supplies are strained. Based on the current rate of consumption, a global water shortage of 40 percent is estimated by 2030.

For water utilities trying to strike a balance between consuming and conserving water, the impetus to find more intelligent solutions for water management is great. Many water utilities operate at a financial loss each year, as unaccounted for water usage due to inaccurate meters and aging infrastructure translates to an untold amount of lost revenue.  

One in three utilities is in deployment

A 2010 Oracle study found that one in three water utilities were not only in some phase of implementing a smart water program, but that these respondents viewed early leak detection, supplying customers with tools to monitor and reduce water use and reducing overall water demand as  the most important benefits of these systems.

Water conservation benefits of an intelligent water management system were almost immediately evident in the City of Santa Maria, Calif. Santa Maria began implementation of an intelligent water management system in 2010 with a 45-day pilot program that quickly identified leaks in approximately three percent of test homes. In the first eight months after broader system deployment, city officials estimate they saved more than eight acre feet, or more than two million gallons of water, reducing the amount of water Santa Maria needed to purchase from the state. Santa Maria customers also realized the cost benefits and savings provided by leak detection.

In addition to Santa Maria, water utilities across the country including the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, Garden City, Kan. and the Town of Cary, N.C. are implementing intelligent water management technologies that help maximize resources, conserve water and boost operational efficiency and customer engagement.

Increased operational efficiency

Intelligent water management systems offer utilities benefits such as increased operational efficiency and strengthened customer engagement. Leak detection and building consumer awareness of water usage are two benefits of deploying intelligent water management solutions that will sustain and improve quality of life for communities around the world.

Another California city, Redwood City, sought a more aggressive water conservation solution in 2008. A three-year drought stressed the volume of water Redwood bought annually from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for its 83,000 water customers.

In lieu of heavy rationing or overuse penalties, Redwood City officials developed the “Budget-Based Rate Program” to empower landscape customers to make proactive changes in their consumption by creating tiered pricing based on daily conditions and each landscape customer’s anticipated activities for the day. Redwood City deployed a real-time metering solution built upon the Sensus FlexNet communications network to provide customers information on their water usage and rate pricing data to support informed decisions about water usage.

Customer engagement pays off

Redwood City’s program encouraged customers to conserve water and stay in line with water budgets to pay the least of three rate tiers for water. Redwood City created a web portal to calculate each irrigation customer’s water budget based on weather patterns and anticipated activities for the day, considering factors including the size of a property and whether there was a swimming pool or landscape design requiring additional water. The system also enabled Redwood City to establish an email module alerting customers of potential overuse or continuous leaks.

With these tools, Redwood City was able to save more than 80 million gallons of water in a year and some customers were able to save as much as $50,000, becoming a prime example of how intelligent water management can facilitate water conservation and empower water utility customers to make smart choices about water consumption.

Water consumption evaluation needed

Due to major global changes, less than 10 percent of the world’s freshwater supply is available for domestic use, necessitating a reevaluation of how the world delivers and consumes water. Intelligent water management will help modernize water utilities and prepare for a world where cost, legislation, and supply dictate changes in our relationship with water.

Posted in Autovation, Deployment, Emerging Technology, Pre-Deployment, Project Management, Smart Meters, Water utilities | 3 Comments »

Learning Lab at PGE Offers Something for Everyone involved in AMI

Posted by Utilimetrics on July 11, 2011

AMI experts at Portland General Electric, one of the most forward-thinking utilities in the U.S., are preparing an insightful and dynamic Learning Lab for Utilimetrics Thursday, July 28. Tentatively, the Learning Lab is divided into six segments. News Link spoke with the PGE staff members who are developing the learning lab.

The first segment will focus on smart metering at PGE. “We plan to explain the entire smart metering project,” states Dean Smith, project communications manager. “We completed the deployment and are in the operational phases. We will cover the business case, vendor selection process, meter deployment, tower and network deployment, and lessons learned getting it through to the operational phase.”

This segment will include business process improvements PGE made, including various changes that involved process automation. “These were coupled with the smart metering installation, so we could immediately leverage the benefits from the system through a series of business process improvements,” continues Smith. “We will share the benefits and value these improvements have provided, as well as some of the lessons learned.”

Eric Spack, AMI project director is the featured speaker in the first segment. Spack will discuss the AMI project, including major milestones and a major lesson learned, “plan to re-plan.” Spack will talk about the importance of communicating with customers and how to avoid generating ill will that could expand into an “opt out” initiative or consumer push-back situation. He will discuss the “care and feeding” of the call center before and after deployment.

“Another important element is focusing and prioritizing the business process and IT software development initiatives,” explains Spack. His message: “You will underestimate this effort, and you will get a late start.” He will then discuss how to recover and make sure the most critical items get done first, in order to ensure project success and maximize the return on investment.

The second segment’s focus is the mass deployment and customer relations elements of smart metering. “We will drill down to meter deployment – what the deployment practices were, how they went, what we learned, and what the customer relations component of the whole deployment process looked like,” states Smith.

Jamie Swails, manager, Network Data Operations Segment will speak in the third segment. “We will provide information on our organization and what we do,” states Swails. “We will then explain some of the lessons learned and areas of concern. For example, what is our volume of exceptions? How many people do we have dealing with exceptions? What are some of the unexpected operational impacts related to hosting the system?” Swails plans to talk about billing, since the exceptions can carry through to billing. “There were some heavy impacts to our billing department that were not anticipated as part of the project,” she explains. “Currently, we are reading 800,000+ meters over the air. We are able to provide 99 percent of the readings on-time to our billing department.” Swails will share other anticipated challenges. One relates to maintaining all of the data, such as data privacy concerns, scalability concerns, and how this amount of data will affect department heads. “I will also discuss what it means to be a steward of that meter data,” she states.

The fourth segment covers a number of subtopics, including meter data management (MDM). “We will talk about our MDM system, how the end-to-end processing of data through our MDM system into our enterprise system takes place, and what we have learned about integrating these systems together to create an effective end-to-end system,” states Smith.

The fifth segment focuses on energy recovery and related field operations. “We will talk about what we are learning about how to use the system in the field,” says Smith. Areas where PGE is receiving benefits include energy recovery, theft detection, and line losses. “We are also looking at new ways to leverage the system, such as transformer-level metering and fault detection,” he continues. “Not only do we have a business case that anticipated certain benefits tied in with business process automation, but we are finding there are other things we can do with the system that, as people become more familiar with the data and how to use it, can be of additional value on the operational side.”

Segment six is about future-related smart grid initiatives. “Here, we will share some of our smart grid thinking, such as how smart metering ties into a smart grid application, including distribution automation,” states Smith. “We are doing some pilot projects in this area.”

One of the featured speakers in this segment is Conrad Eustis, director of Retail Technology Development who will discuss the appliance’ interface. By the end of July, it should be ready to go to a standards organization. Eustis will also discuss EPRI’s “Plugfest,” which demonstrates the interoperability of the standard. And, he will talk about the future of the smart grid in general.

The Learning Lab is more than just PGE people standing up and talking, though. “We are also going to do some ‘show and tell’ on our distribution generation control center, our MDM, and other elements,” notes Smith.

Prior to the Learning Lab, PGE will ask participants about specific topics they would like covered. “We want this to be as relevant to participants as possible,” emphasizes Smith. “We will present information, and leave time for people to interact and drill down.”

And for participants who want to continue learning, on Friday, July 29 PGE operations personnel and other experts are available to meet individually with participants and discuss areas of specific interest.

The fee for participation is $295 for Utilimetrics members and $395 for nonmembers. For information or to register, click here.

Thanks to the Learning Lab sponsors: Sensus and Wellington Energy.

Posted in Autovation, Deployment, Education, Emerging Technology, Meter Data Management, Pre-Deployment, Project Management, Smart Grid, Smart Meters | Leave a Comment »

Utilimetrics Smart Utility Marketplace Offers Unique Search Engine

Posted by Utilimetrics on June 21, 2011

When utility technology leaders are ready to buy, they turn to Utilimetrics’ Smart Utility Marketplace to cut through the clutter of traditional search engine results. Imagine blending an internet search engine with the structure of the Yellow Pages. It’s all there with the Smart Utility Marketplace

Within the Marketplace, users easily locate products and services unique to our industry without the clutter of a general Internet search engine. Additionally, the Marketplace offers another fantastic feature – a Product Showcase that allows users to view specific products and special offers right on the front page of the guide.

Users have the option of performing keyword-driven searches, or a category-specific search. Both methods produce the most industry-relevant results on the Web, and the Marketplace is updated and corrected continuously, unlike a printed directory that is often outdated by the time it is printed. Experience how much more convenient it is to toggle from the online guide to spreadsheets and other web data than refer back to print directories.

The Smart Utility Marketplace allows you to search for specialized providers of desired goods or individual products. In addition, the downloadable Desktop Search application enables you to search for items directly from a small search window on your computer desktops, making the search process as convenient and time-efficient as possible. You’ll have instant, one-click access to the buyers guide and the Utilimetrics website at any time.

For suppliers, there are many advantages to advertising in the Smart Utility Marketplace, including cost and flexibility. For a small administrative fee a supplier company can prominently display its company logo, offer complete contact information, and provide a detailed company description and profile page. And, online content can be updated within seconds at any time, with no added cost. If you’d like more information on advertising options, contact Utilimetrics’ partner, MultiView, Inc., at 800-816-6710 or Utilimetrics@multiview.com.

From a user’s perspective, the procurement of resources for your business or facility can be the key to success within the industry. Whether you’re looking for supplies and services, or simply the essential tools and accessories you need to satisfy your customers, the Smart Utility Marketplace can help. It’s a powerful online tool that will help change the way you search for industry related resources. Why not try it for yourself? Start your search at the Utilimetrics homepage (www.utilimetrics.org), and click on the Smart Utility Marketplace.

Posted in Autovation, Clean Technology, Cybersecurity Issues, Demand Response, Deployment, Emerging Technology, Home Area Networks, Meter Data Management, Pre-Deployment, Project Management, Smart Grid, Smart Meters, Transmission and Distribution Technologies, Water utilities | Leave a Comment »

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