© 2001 San Diego Gas and Electric. All copyright and trademark rights reserved. Real Time Energy Metering (RTEM) A Step Into The Future Robert Brice San Diego Gas & Electric Company Metering Americas 2004
Jan 01, 2016
© 2001 San Diego Gas and Electric. All copyright and trademark rights reserved.
Real Time Energy Metering(RTEM)
A Step Into The Future
Robert BriceSan Diego Gas & Electric Company
Metering Americas 2004
Metering Americas 2004 2
Challenging Questions
• What internal and external systems (hardware and software) will be required to facilitate widespread dynamic electric rates?
• What will our customers want and need to help them adapt and respond to dynamic electric rates?
• What impact will this very fundamental change have on utility operations, infrastructure and budgets?
Metering Americas 2004 3
Search for Answers
Researched the AMR Industry
Extensive RFI / RFP Process
System Demonstration and Evaluations
Proposal Evaluation and Analysis
Supplier Selections
Metering Americas 2004 4
Findings from our Search
• Apparent disconnect with an AMR industry focused on replacing meter readers
• Limited industry focus on electric interval data collection and processing for dynamic rate billing
• No one product would meet all of SDG&E’s needs
• No “off the shelf” solutions were available
• Product development would be required
Metering Americas 2004 5
Technical Requirements
Collect electric interval data at the meter• Solid state ANSI / IEEE compliant meters
• Built in data recovery method
• Sufficient memory at the meter to support data integrity
• Restrict and Enable customer access to meter data• C&I Real Time Access via KYZ output
• C&I and Residential via next day Web data presentation
• C&I and Residential via limited RF direct access (future)
Consumption gas and water meter reading • Full intrinsic safety compliance for Gas AMR device
• Adaptable to majority of current meter inventory
• No external wiring between meters
Metering Americas 2004 6
Technical Requirements
Two Way Communications• Leverage existing public and private networks
• Adaptable to changing communications industry
Scalable System • C&I customers in phases (25,000)
• Spot deployable to a geographic area
• Residential expansion to all customers (1,300,000)
• Economies of scale: decreasing average O&M and Capital costs as meters are added to the network
Metering Americas 2004 7
AMR System Supplier
Silver Spring Networks (formally Innovatec Communications)
• Had the appropriate system architecture to meet our technical requirements
• Wanted a utility ‘proxy’ to aid in further system development efforts
• System Development Relationship• Provide utility requirements (gas and electric)• Provide technical development assistance / testing
• Data systems integration• Communications systems integration• Hardware testing and certification• Deployment planning
Metering Americas 2004 8
System Architecture
Solid state ANSI / IEEE compliant IDR Meters• Single and poly phase• C12.19 data tables
Integrated two-way communications • Under glass, plug and play installation
Wireless 900-MHz LAN• (.1 watt) between gas and water meters and the electric
meter • (1.0 watt) between the electric meter / relay / gateway
Multiple WAN options• Land line (POTS)• Cellular (CDMA – circuit and packet switched)• Private (DataTac, others)
Metering Americas 2004 9
System Architecture
CIS
Gateway
Meter Communications Underglass
Relay Relay
Gas
Public / Private Networks
Utility Operations
Metering Americas 2004 10
System Architecture
• Meters and communications devices self configure to the network with redundant communications paths
• Gateway manages schedules and consolidates data for LAN/WAN transmission
• Gateway communicates with host using a combination of public and private SDG&E owned networks
• Host software is Web-based application server that manages data export to utility measurement and billing systems
• Host software facilitates scheduling, alarm management, on-demand reads, etc.
Metering Americas 2004 11
Accomplishments
• Successful• Integration with the GE kV2 single and poly phase electric
meter
• Integration with the Qualcomm CDMA circuit switched modem
• Engineering of SSN gateway to accommodate Motorola DataTac and SDG&E fiber assets
• Design and integration of multi-hop relay capability at the electric meter
• Design and integration of a pole top stand-alone relay device
• Design and integration of scaleable system operating software
• Demonstration of very robust and reliable communications system performance
Metering Americas 2004 12
Going Forward
• Kearny Mesa C&I Pilot• 50 meters in 2004
• Mission Village Residential Pilot (electric, gas and water)
• 50 meters in 2004
• San Clemente C&I and Residential Pilot• 50 meters in 2005
• RTEM C&I Expansion• 500 - 1,000 meters in late 2004 – early 2005
• Balance of approved RTEM deployments will be dependent upon the outcome and timing of the current Statewide Pricing Pilots (SPP)
Metering Americas 2004 13
Findings
• Lack of a true “standards compliant” meter makes communications integration difficult and costly for any AMR supplier
• Some meter companies are entering the AMR market and are slow to work with other AMR system providers who are now looked at as competitors
• Meter industry is slow to produce a low cost interval meter (single phase or poly phase)
Metering Americas 2004 14
Findings
• Utility back office systems may require a lot of reengineering / development to move to interval data processing and billing
• Public communications technologies are changing at a rapid pace
Metering Americas 2004 15
Conclusions
• Strategic Planning is absolutely necessary• Understand the changes facing our industry
• Invest in defining requirement up front• Think long term
• Keep your options open• Watch the industry
• Look for flexibility over the long haul
• Don’t forget your sister utilities• Develop partnerships
• Be relentless, don’t settle for less than you need
Metering Americas 2004 16
Questions
Real Time Energy Metering(RTEM)
A Step Into The Future