Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

SMART METER AND SMART METERING

Smart meters are powerful tools and are electronic measurement devices used by
utilities to communicate information for billing customers and operating their electric
switch records consumption of electric energy in intervals of an hour or less and
communicates that information at least daily back to the utility for monitoring and
billing purposes.
Smart meters enable two-way communication between the meter and the central
system. Unlike home energy monitors, smart meters can gather data for remote
reporting.
Such an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) differs from traditional automatic
meter reading (AMR) in that it enables two-way communications with the meter.
When an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is in place, smart meter can measure
and record actual power usage during a day at certain time interval.
These collected data are sent to a central data management system over a secure
network via wireless communication. In addition, these sensors can be used by the
utilities to detect fault and send outage or restoration notifications.
 Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Use of this information allows the utilities to provide more reliable power supply. It
also allows better planning, operation, and faster outage response of the grid. These
meters also allow increased resolution of data on various measurement parameters
across the grid and these data can be used by utilities for the following applications :
a. Faster outage detection, response, and restoration by providing data to the field
operations timely.
b. b.Keeping customers better informed about the status of power grid. Utilities can
communicate relevant information, e.g., cause of outage, field-estimated restoration
time, and public safety notice.
c. c. Improving resilience against disruptions, reducing potential outages, reducing
frequency and duration of outages by enhancing accuracy of the grid asset planning
and managementstems[2]. It is usually an electronic device
 Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Smart Grid
Smart grid is a cyber-physical system which includes communication system with the
power flow structure, to gain intelligence and automated control [3]. As a result, it deals
with not only the power flow but also information flow.
The communication support schemes and real-time measurement techniques of smart
grid enhance resiliency and forecasting as well as offer protection against internal and
external threats[7].
Smart grid is a synergistic combination of the existing technologies and the emerging
technologies.
Smart grid uses advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) for collecting and processing
information from smart meters. AMI requires a database known as meter data
management system (MDMS) to store and manage the data.
Traditionally, AMI uses centralized MDMS architecture. Communication architecture
of smart grid is also very complex. Smart grid has automated control through
bidirectional connection of power flow as well as data flow. Addition of communication
technology is a major part of the idea of smart meter. However, for a stable and well
integrated communication architecture, proper infrastructure is a must.
 Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Advanced Metering infrastructure (AMI)

AMI is the system to add the communication link to the smart grid network. AMI
includes bidirectional data flow between end users and utilities.
AMI provides intelligent management, better maintenance, easier and proper additions
and replacement of utility assets which results in better power quality. AMI comprises
three key elements[10]:
Smart Meters, Meter Communication Infrastructure and Data Management. The
combination of all three is vital to the development of a smart grid.
1.Smart Meter provides two-way communication between customer and utility,
enabling functions such as outage detection, real time pricing and power quality
monitoring.
2.Meter Communication Infrastructure describes the various methods of
communication between meter and utility. These include power line communication
(PLC), cellular (broadband or GPRS) and radio frequency (RF).
3. Data Management broadly covers managing all the data created by the meter- this
includes transfer, storage and protecting privacy.
 Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

NEED FOR SMART METER INSTALLATION AND EFFECTS.

Drivers:
Despite its widespread benefits, deploying AMI presents three major challenges that
include high upfront investments costs, integration with other grid systems, and
standardization.
1. High Capital Costs: A full deployment of AMI requires expenditures on all
hardware and software components, including meters, network infrastructure and
network management software, along with cost associated with the installation and
maintenance of meters and information technology systems.
2. Integration: AMI is a complex system of technologies that must be integrated with
utilities conformation technology systems, including Customer Information
Systems(CIS), Geographical Information Systems(GIS), Outage Management
Systems(OMS), Work Management (WMS),Mobile Workforce
Management(MWM), SCADDA/DMS, Distribution Automation System(DAS), etc.
3. Standardization: Interoperability standards need to be defined, which set uniform
requirements for AMI technology, deployment and general operations and are the
keys to successfully connecting and maintaining an AMI- based grid system.
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B. Driving Force for Smart Meter Installation:

The goal of achieving increased energy efficiency is the main driving force for
implementation of smart meter installation. Smart metering system is expected to
provide more information to the consumers and utilities and better informed
customers will use less energy[4]. In addition, a need for improved billing accuracy is
also a driver for smart metering. The need to reduce losses due to fraud has been a
strong driver for companies to introduce smart metering. The advancement of smart
grids is also becoming a more important part of the implementation of smart metering.
It is also expected that smart meters will play a key role to enable incorporation of
renewable energies and distributed generation to the grid.
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C. Benefits of Smart Meters:

Implementation of smart metering will provide a number of benefits to the consumer, the
utility and to our society. Benefits to the customer:
• Consumers get more information about their energy usage. This will provide energy
efficiency gains for both the consumer and the industry.
• Increased knowledge of quality of delivery and more detailed feedback on energy use.
• Bills are based on actual consumption.
• Customer can adjust their habits to use more during off peak hours to lower electric bills.
• Power outages are reduced.
• Switching and moving are easily facilitated.
• The necessity of bill estimation is reduced.
• No need to provide access to utility people for taking reading of meters located indoors.
Benefits to the utilities:
• Demand peaks are reduced.
•Remote controlling enables better management of billing and other consumer related
issues.
• Automated and remote meter reading.
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WHAT IS AMI?

AMI is not a single technology implementation, but rather a fully configured infrastructure
that must be integrated into existing and new utility processes and application
This infrastructure includes home network systems, including communicating thermostats
and other in-home controls, smart meters, communication networks from the meters to
local data concentrators, back-haul communications networks to corporate data centers,
meter data management systems (MDMS) and, finally, data integration into existing and
new software application platforms. Additionally, AMI provides a very “intelligent” step
toward modernizing the entire power system. Figure 4 below graphically describes the
AMI technologies and how they interface
At the consumer level, smart meters communicate consumption data to both the user and
the service provider. Smart meters communicate with in-home displays to make consumers
more aware of their energy usage. Going further, electric pricing information supplied by
the service provider enables load control devices like smart thermostats to modulate
electric demand, based on pre-established consumer price preferences. More advanced
customers deploy distributed energy resources (DER) based on these economic signals.
And consumer portals process the AMI data in ways that enable more intelligent energy
consumption decisions, even providing interactive services like prepayment.
 Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

WHAT IS AMI?
 Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

WHAT IS AMI?

The service provider (utility) employs existing, enhanced or new back office systems that collect
and analyze AMI data to help optimize operations, economics and consumer service. For
example, AMI provides immediate feedback on consumer outages and power quality, enabling
the service provider to rapidly address grid deficiencies. And AMI’s bidirectional
communications infrastructure also supports grid automation at the station and circuit level.
The vast amount of new data flowing from AMI allows improved management of utility assets
as well as better planning of asset maintenance, additions and replacements. The resulting
more efficient and reliable grid is one of AMI’s many benefits.
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WHAT ARE THE TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS FOR AMI?

An AMI system is comprised of a number of technologies and applications that have been
integrated to perform as one:
• Smart meters
• Wide-area communications infrastructure
• Home (local) area networks (HANs)
• Meter Data Management Systems (MDMS)
•Operational Gateways
SMART METERS Conventional electromechanical meters served as the utility cash
register for most of its history. At the residential level, these meters simply recorded the total
energy consumed over a period of time – typically a month. Smart meters are solid state
programmable devices that perform many more functions, including most or all of the
following:
• Time-based pricing • Consumption data for consumer and utility • Net metering • Loss of
power (and restoration) notification • Remote turn on / turn off operations • Load limiting
for “bad pay” or demand response purposes • Energy prepayment • Power quality
monitoring • Tamper and energy theft detection • Communications with other intelligent
devices in the home
Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

And a smart meter is a green meter because it enables the demand response that can lead
to emissions and carbon reductions. It facilitates greater energy efficiency since
information feedback alone has been shown to cause consumers to reduce usage.
 Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

• COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE The AMI communications infrastructure supports continuous

interaction between the utility, the consumer and the controllable electrical load. It must employ
open bi-directional communication standards, yet be highly secure. It has the potential to also serve
as the foundation for a multitude of modern grid functions beyond AMI. Various architectures can
be employed, with one of the most common being local concentrators that collect data from groups
of meters and transmit that data to a central server via a backhaul channel. Various media can be
considered to provide part or all of this architecture: • Power Line Carrier (PLC) • Broadband over
power lines (BPL) • Copper or optical fiber • Wireless (Radio frequency), either centralized or a
distributed mesh • Internet • Combinations of the above Future inclusion of smart grid applications
and potential consumer services should be considered when determining communication
bandwidth requirements.
• HOME AREA NETWORKS (HAN) A HAN interfaces with a consumer portal to link smart meters to
controllable electrical devices. Its energy management functions may include: • In-home displays so
the consumer always knows what energy is being used and what it is costing • Responsiveness to
price signals based on consumer-entered preferences • Set points that limit utility or local control
actions to a consumerspecified band • Control of loads without continuing consumer involvement •
Consumer over-ride capability The HAN/consumer portal provides a smart interface to the market
by acting as the consumer’s “agent.” It can also support new value added services such as security
monitoring. A HAN may be implemented in a number of ways, with the consumer portal located in
any of several possible devices including the meter itself, the neighborhood collector, a stand-alone
utility-supplied gateway or even within customer-supplied equipment.
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• METER DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (MDMS) A MDMS is a database with analytical tools
that enable interaction with other information systems (see Operational Gateways below) such as the
following: • Consumer Information System (CIS), billing systems, and the utility web site • Outage
Management System (OMS) • Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) power quality management and
load forecasting systems • Mobile Workforce Management (MWM) • Geographic Information
System (GIS) • Transformer Load Management (TLM) One of the primary functions of an MDMS
is to perform validation, editing and estimation (VEE) on the AMI data to ensure that despite
disruptions in the communications network or at customer premises, the data flowing to the systems
described above is complete and accurate.
• OPERATIONAL GATEWAYS AMI interfaces with many system-side applications (see MDMS
above) to support: Advanced Distribution Operations (ADO) • Distribution Management System
with advanced sensors (including PQ data from AMI meters) • Advanced Outage Management (real-
time outage information from AMI meters) • DER Operations (using Watt and VAR data from AMI
meters) • Distribution automation (including Volt/VAR optimization and fault location, isolation,
sectionalization and restoration (FLISR)) • Distribution Geographic Information System •
Application of AMI communications infrastructure for: o Micro-grid operations (AC and DC) o Hi-
speed information processing o Advanced protection and control o Advanced grid components for
distribution Advanced Transmission Operations (ATO) • Substation Automation • Hi-speed
information processing • Advanced protection and control (including distribution control to improve
transmission conditions) • Modeling, simulation and visualization tools • Advanced regional
operational applications • Electricity Markets
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• Advanced Asset Management (AAM) AMI data will support AAM in the following areas: • System operating information • Asset
“health” information • Operations to optimize asset utilization • T&D planning • Condition-based maintenance • Engineering design
and construction • Consumer service • Work and resource management • Modeling and simulatio
Smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure