ESB Networks Smart Metering Project

ESB NetworksSmart Metering ProjectSmart Metering Project

Technology Trials Report – Summary Presentationgy p y

Appendix D to CER/10/197

Second Consultation on Possible National Rollout Scenarios for the Smart Metering Cost Benefit Analysis

AMI Programme Definition

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Published 11th November 2010 on www.cer.ie

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Background

� 2007 ESBN committed to CER for smart metering pilot

� Procurement process 2007-2008

� Project Split between Customer Behavior and Technology trials

� Needed to have representatives of key communications technology classes as offered in 2008 trialled

� Three representative systems in field trials plus desktop studies

� Trial Stages

D i T ti d Q lit A• Design, Testing and Quality Assurance• Implementation of systems , deployment of meters and enhancements• Measurement and evaluation

R t


• Report• System decommissioning

� September 2008 – August 2010 with GPRS/CBT prioritised

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Functionality and Performance evaluated� Automatic Functions� Automatic Functions

• Scheduled Daily Load Profile retrieval for 30 minute intervals• Scheduled daily midnight register readings• Scheduled events and alarms• Scheduled events and alarms

� On-demand Functions• De-energisation and re-energisation (sandbox)• De-energisation and re-energisation (sandbox)• On demand reading• Re-configuration of parameters on meter• Firmware upgrade capabilitypg p y• Power quality monitoring

� Tools• Reporting capability of each technology’s IT systems


Reporting capability of each technology s IT systems• GIS view • Communications signal detection and measurement devices

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DLC Trial - SagemComM e te r W o rk W a n a g e me n t a n d

De l i ve ry S yste m s

S A P IS UM a ste r D a ta S A P IS UC u sto me r a n d M e te r m as te r

d a ta Io n o s Me te r

Ma n a g e me n t ,

D a ta S to ra g e

R e a d in g s fo r ma rke t

G P R S o ve r V o d a fo n e

M o b il e op e r ato rs n e tw o rk

S ign a l o ve r D L C

� Standards based solution

� Favoured technology for most European smart metering projects to date


� Concentrator at MV substation manages and communicates with meters over low voltage

� 1.2Kbps speed, IEC standards, Two channels, repetition functionality, Cenelec A band

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DLC Trial - Installations


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DLC Trial Results – Performance of Cyclical Functionalities� Daily collection of interval data

• 60% at opening of business, rising to 75% by end of day and over 90% within 2 working days

• Big variation on performance depending on network with newer underground network performing best .


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Individual Concentrator Performances for Profile Data


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DLC Trial Results – Performance of other Functionalities� Auto Deployment / Self Registration

� On demand reads and remote operation of switchGood network gave a range of 55% 90% but would not work to any

Actual observed was 83%

• Good network gave a range of 55% - 90% but would not work to anydegree of reliability on poor network

� Remote Firmware Upgrades• Worked on meters where communications were good and meters not at g

extreme.� Notification of events and alarms

• DLMS Not proactive – Alarms reported cyclically throughout day and t t devents report once per day

• No mechanism for real time outage reporting at customer level


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Overall conclusion on DLCI it t i l t ti t it bl if f i t� In its present implementation not suitable if performance requirements were next days profile data for say 99% of customers but is OK for monthly readings or lower daily performance levels

� Many of the issues and requirements identified are being addressed by next� Many of the issues and requirements identified are being addressed by nextgeneration PLC (OFDM based)

� Utility owned spectrum and medium combined with open standards makes this an attractive communications technology for the LANthis an attractive communications technology for the LAN

� Will likely have lowest total cost of ownership

� Timing of mature products available with next generation PLC is not finalised

� Continue to be involved in OFDM area in common with most other European utilities

� Next Generation DLC is probably best urban solution


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RF Mesh Overview


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RF Wireless Mesh Trial� Wireless mesh is the most popular communications technology for Smart Metering in North� Wireless mesh is the most popular communications technology for Smart Metering in North

America and Australia but European Communications Spectrum Regulations limits options

� Rural issue for Ireland

� Limited range of proposals in un-licensed area, chose Trilliant based on experience in Ontario.

� 2,281 meters installed - 690 in the rural area and 1,591 in the urban area

� Key Measurement considerations:

M th f d b h i f RF i i t ti l ti• Measure the performance and behaviour of RF in various representative locations• Frequency interference from ESB sources and third party sources including Comreg.

Report

T l� Two releases

• Key differences was to allow time for full implementation of European metering standard while getting early experience on the comms network.

• Significant development effort was required on the part of the vendor to achieve this. f f


Vendor continuing to try to improve performance of technology

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Overall Performance for automatic functionsUrban

Daily On-time Meters Daily collection of interval data and register data

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Daily collection of interval data and register data

�Overall performance on currently tuned network of 87% urban and 60% rural interval data next day 8.00 am

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

26/08/2010 27/08/2010 28/08/2010 29/08/2010 30/08/2010 31/08/2010

am

�Further work including additional repeaters, mesh-gates and enhanced antennae may bring performance up to 95% overall 26/08/2010 27/08/2010 28/08/2010 29/08/2010 30/08/2010 31/08/2010

Rural

Daily On-time Meters

90%

100%

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Notification of events and alarms

�Generally cyclical – received hourly at mesh-gate

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%


0%

10%

20%

30%

26/08/2010 27/08/2010 28/08/2010 29/08/2010 30/08/2010 31/08/2010

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Performance for on demand requests� On demand reads� On demand reads

• 30 sec – 60sec ( not consistent but depends on the communications link)• The success rate achieved can reach 71% on the first poll and rises to

89% for the third poll

� Remote operation• More reliable than on demand reads

� Auto Deployment / Self Registration• Good performance achieved – 97% deployed where signal available

� Firmware Upgrades• Comms module upgraded sucessfully but meter firmware upgrade not

delivered as part of trial


delivered as part of trial.• 83% reliable, problem with weaker linksLast gasp verified in sandbox environment at 30 sec

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Overall conclusion on Trilliant 2.4 GHz RF2 4GH t th t it bl f f i f ll ll t d t l� 2.4GHz not the most suitable frequency for use in a full rollout due to, lowpermitted EIRP, built environment and propagation characteristics of this frequency.

� Improved performance could be achieved but at a cost of high number of� Improved performance could be achieved but at a cost of high number ofrepeaters and collectors.

� Proprietary solution with vendor lock-in is a major issue for a utility for wireless technologywireless technology.

� EU and National Spectrum policy currently limits availability of alternative wireless solution

� The proprietary issues around wireless solutions for smart metering is being� The proprietary issues around wireless solutions for smart metering is beingaddressed in US currently with focus on 900MHz range

� Wireless solutions and appropriate spectrum need to be pursued for at least one third of our customers


one third of our customers

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GPRS Trial Results – Based on CBT Meters� Daily collection of interval data

• 98.5% first time in good network reaching 99.5% by end of day

• 5% of customers excluded due to coverage issues

� Daily collection of register data

Daily GPRS Meter Polling Success Rate at 8amJan to June 2010

98 00%

100.00%

� Daily collection of register data• As per profiles

� Notification of events and alarms• Alarms reported cyclically throughout

d d t t d92.00%

94.00%

96.00%

98.00%

es

day and events report once per day� Auto Deployment / Self Registration

• Worked 99%� On demand reads

84 00%

86.00%

88.00%

90.00%

% o

f Dev

ic

• As per profile � Remote operation

• Worked in 30secs� Remote Firmware Upgrades

80.00%

82.00%

84.00%

04/0

107

/01

12/0

115

/01

20/0

125

/01

28/0

102

/02

05/0

210

/02

15/0

218

/02

23/0

226

/02

03/0

308

/03

11/0

316

/03

22/0

325

/03

30/0

306

/04

09/0

414

/04

19/0

422

/04

27/0

430

/04

06/0

511

/05

14/0

519

/05

24/0

527

/05

01/0

604

/06

10/0

615

/06

18/0

623

/06

28/0

6

Date


� Remote Firmware Upgrades• Worked but meter by meter

management required is an issue

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Overall conclusion on GPRSGPRS k d ll d li bl f th 95% f t th t� GPRS worked well and was very reliable for the 95% of customers that were covered.

� Easy to deploy

� CBT design would have to be enhanced for full roll out as always on connections will likely not be allowable

� Issue for mass upgrade or mass on demand activity

� Represents an interim solution as demonstrated on the CBT

� Issues re mobile operator lock in and futureproofing technology

� Concerns over high opex costConcerns over high opex. cost.

� These issues need to be resolved to make GPRS or 3G viable for mass roll out


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Technology studiesA l PLC� Aclara PLC

• Main Components• SCE (Concentrator) installed on 10kV busbar in 38kV substation.• Transponder (Meter Module)

• Low capacity/Low bandwidth• Suitable as AMR solution but not for higher level functionalities

P i l i• Proprietary solution� 868 RF Trial

• Un-licenced spectrum• Wavenis is a published protocol, reducing risk of lock-in, however few vendors

offering it• No large scale deployment of technology, primarily used for water.• Over past two years only little or no development of the technology


Over past two years only little or no development of the technology• Capacity concerns exist, due to unknown impact of link performance

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Overview of TechnologiesAttribute DLC (SFSK based) RF Mesh GPRS

Latency Latency issues even on good network on demand actions can

Typical values of 30-60 sec on top of GPRS delay

Typical values of 30 sec for all meters.

take from 45 sec. to 7 mins. y

Reliability In the better network performance is reliable with 70-80% success rate. Problems with older and ‘noisy’ network or meters far away from

In the better network performance circa 90% success rate.100mW power limitation significantly impacts rural performance

Network is very reliable and consistent with good coverage

trafoimpacts rural performance

Capacity Actual data rate is 1.2kbpsMaximum number of meters per DC typically 150

Effective rate 5-20kbps (Link rate is 250kbps ) Maximum number of meters per mesh-gate typically 200 in urban

Actual data rate is 9.6kbps at a device level but could be increased

CapitalCost

Low capital cost for urban areas and towns. Interoperability achievable

Proprietary product leads to higher cost. Tuning takes resourcesMuch more repeaters needed due to 100mw Non-meter equipment is expensive

GPRS module leads to most expensive meter which offsets savings in LAN Hardware

Op. Cost No Licence cost for meters. Vendor licence and support MNO charges lead to high opex.Op. Cost No Licence cost for meters.Poor network performance may impact on opex.DC maintenance

Vendor licence and supportOngoing overhead due to dynamic nature of the technologyDC maintenance

MNO charges lead to high opex.costsNo network management costNo WAN cost

Proprietary Technology is open standard Comms component of technology is Technology is open standard


andcommercialRisk

Roadmap to open standards for next generation means these risks are low.

proprietaryRF mesh is a single vendor technology

Locked into mobile network with high cost of changingAlways on GPRS not scalable

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Conclusion� Trialled LAN technologies are too limited and not sufficiently developed for� Trialled LAN technologies are too limited and not sufficiently developed for

immediate full roll based on anticipated high level functional and demanding performance requirements

� Proprietary nature of some offerings also presents significant riskp y g p g� Importance of defining requirements and performance levels� Importance of all stages of testing – in particular integration and soak testing� Working with the vendors all solutions can be improved� Working with the vendors all solutions can be improved� Next generation DLC (Based on OFDM) would appear to offer best

prospects for urban. This is focus of activity in Europe� Existing Comreg regulations on spectrum availability means that currentlyExisting Comreg. regulations on spectrum availability means that currently

available wireless technologies all have issues leaving GPRS/3G as leading technical option for almost 700k rural customers.

� Allocation of suitable wireless spectrum for smart metering is key to d li i li bl d i l i l l ti f t l t thi d f


delivering a reliable and economical wireless solution for at least one third ofall out customers.

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ESB Networks Smart Metering Project

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