COMMERCIAL FEATURE
ANTITAMPERING
SYSTEM (ATS)
FROM SANNENG
CASE STUDIES
FROM CHINA
POWER UTILITIES
By Metering International China Edition (MIC)
C
hina’s total annual power generation is nearly 3 trillion
kWh. With the estimated annual non-technical line losses
of between 0.85 – 1% of the total generation, this equates
to around 26 to 30 billion kWh or an annual direct loss of RMB20
billion Yuan (US$2.96 billion) ­ equivalent to the total electricity
generated by two large-scale power plants.
Assuming that this situation can be improved, 9.1 to 10
million tons of coal (1kWh=350g standard coal) could be saved
with estimated reduction of around 24 to 28 million tons of CO2
emission. This could be a great contribution to the world in energy
saving, to the environment, and to the profitability of the utilities.
To investigate and further understand what anti-tampering
technical measures have been applied by Chinese utilities,
Metering International China Edition (MIC) interviewed two
Chinese utilities recently: Tianjin (Municipal) Electric Power
Corporation and Xuzhou Electric Power Company.
Tianjin Electric Power Corporation (Tianjin Power), a
subsidiary of China State Power Grid Corp, with over 120 years
history and powering customers located within 11,900 square
kilometers geographically, is fully responsible for grid planning,
construction as well as power supply in Tianjin city. In 2008,
Tianjin Electricity distributed 43.6 billion kWh.
Xuzhou Power Supply Company (Xuzhou Power), a
subsidiary of Jiangsu Provincial Electric Power Company, is a
large-scale power distribution company serving power supply
to 6 counties and 5 districts in Xuzhou city. The total electricity
distributed in 2008 was 12.196 billion kWh.
MIC: We are aware that Chinese Power Utilities have taken many
effective measures in anti-tampering, please briefly introduce
the measures you have taken and main technologies you have
applied.
Xuzhou Power – As it is understood that we met many difficulties
in anti-tampering. Due to the fact that extensively distributed
metering points, related to hundreds of thousands of households,
the metering devices installed at the sites of consumers,
these conditions make the tampering prevention very difficult.
Additionally it is also difficult to quantify and verify the tampered
electricity quantity because electricity is a special commodity,
invisible and untouchable. As tampering and consumption
happens simultaneously, it is difficult to confirm the time and
length of tampering. Many large industrial customers tap directly
prior to utility meters which defeats all the anti tampering features
built into the meters. These factors make anti-tampering a very
difficult detective work and inexact science. Based on the current
technologies in domestic market, the main measures we have
taken are as follows:
Special metering cabinet with lead sealing
This is the most commonly used sealing in China. As general
lead sealing can be easily forged or renewed and more, it is hard
to confirm the time length and amount tampered. A new kind of
sealing, featuring anti-tampering, difficult to break, has emerged
in the market, it improves tamper detection but is incapable of
recording the event.
Active meter with anti-tampering functions
This is mainly used in single-phase meters with fewer functions.
Installed meters at higher position
It is difficult to tamper but it brings inconvenience for meter
reading, maintenance and regular inspection.
Electronic type of sealing
Any illegal operation such as opening the metering cabinet will
result in power off and recording the power-off time. This design
increased the difficulties of tampering but interference might
become frequent and lower the reliability of power supply.
Remote meter reading
Any abnormal power use can be detected by software calculating
the power supplied and power consumed at the same time, any
signs of tampering of the meter and wiring on secondary circuits
are recorded. However, finding the location of tampering is
difficult and it will be impossible to detect if the ratio of current
transformer in the meter is tampered with or when the customer
taps directly in front of the meter.
Installing Anti-Tampering System (ATS) from Sanneng
The Sanneng ATS system is specifically designed for real time
monitoring of large industrial and commercial customers that own
their own transformers. Any abnormal power use can be detected
through real time comparison of data collected from primary
side wireless CTs and secondary side. Real-time graphs, alerts
and alarm will report if any tampering occurs. It is an innovative
design and is the only system based on power use monitoring
from primary side.
By comparing the above measures we have taken, the antitampering system produced by Sanneng is the most effective tool
to prevent tampering, with unique features such as
•Accurate measuring at high voltage side, extremely difficult to
tamper and recording tampering from transformer all the way
to electric meter
• Recording of actual tampering quantity to help prosecution,
formulate penalty and collect back payment
•Immediate real-time reporting and easy to read graphical
interface to help collect evidence
• Easily installed with limited down time
• User programmable alarm through SMS and web based
alert report to reduce false alarm and improve tampering
management.
• Targeted High Value Suspected Sites
Well publicized arrests and conviction lead to deterrence to
would be thieves. Customers with Sanneng’s Anti-Tampering
System installed showed an Increase of 8% in revenue
generation. This is a dramatic return on investment (ROI) in a
matter of days.
Xuzhou Power deployed the load control equipments at the
earlier stage. With the addition of anti-tampering modules into
load control equipments, this system has helped us detect many
industry and commercial tampering cases.
MIC: It is known that the system you used for anti-tampering was
supplied by Sanneng, and you had a satisfactory experience.
Would please explain the main differences comparing with others,
which you feel from a viewpoint as a user?
Xuzhou Power – It is a fact that industrial and commercial
customers are the biggest power consumers occupying above
80% of the total consumption. Meanwhile, most tampering cases
are from this big users, the impact on revenue recovery will be
very high, therefore, we have focused to implement Sanneng’s
ATS at highly suspected industry and commercial users.
According to our experience, the system features an accurate
and effective detection of any tampering by real-time monitoring
and alarm. Traditional load control equipments and other antitampering systems are installed at secondary side and only create
its load profile, which no primary side load profile to compare with.
In this system, wireless data collector is installed at highvoltage end of primary side in front of transformer while CPU
module installed at second side so as to compare meter reading
between secondary side and the wireless data collected at primary
side. By real-time comparison of the data from these two groups,
CPU module would report any abnormal conditions. This design
will detect all real-time tampering at secondary side. Meanwhile,
wireless data collectors are tamper resistant because they are
installed at high voltage side, which leads to cost reduction in
maintenance for power utilities. High Tension meter reading (S1)) is
adjusted for transformer inefficiency, acts as a baseline to compare
to actual meter reading (S2) gathered through RS-485 bus. If the
difference between S1 and S2 is greater than the user determined
amount, alert and SMS will be issued through GPRS.
From the web based graphical interface, it is clearly seen that
the actual reading from wireless data collector (S1 – red) is much
higher than meter reading (S2 – blue) at certain hours of the day
which means the customer selectively tamper during after hours.
Quantity and time can be clearly identified in the graph.
MIC: Under the challenges of global energy shortage and
economic crisis, electricity tampering is a social problem that
directly affects efficiency and profitability of utility companies.
What is Tianjin Power experience after installing ATS?
Tianjin Power: Let me firstly introduce a tampering case
occurred in Tianjin region. A factory located at the south of the
city, frequently tampered with electricity by using a remote switch
buried in the wall to tap the mains wires ahead of the electric
meter, thus circumventing it. From the second half of 2004, our
METERING INTERNATIONAL ISSUE 3 2009
MIC: Given that Smart Grids is a global hot topic, do you expect
that new requirements regarding anti-tampering would be
included in the future system development?
Tianjin Power – Actually the so-called smart grid is a good
summary of future grid development. That is to apply new
technologies in the whole process of power generation,
transmission, distribution and consumption, etc so as to optimise
power consumption and realise energy conservation and
emission reduction. Safety is the basis of smart grid and as I just
mentioned that the objective is power resources optimization and
energy conservation and emission reduction. These cannot be
separated from anti-tampering measures.
In other words, smart grid has brought forward higher
requirements for anti-tampering technologies. 24 hour monitoring
and real-time alarms are the basic requirements for antitampering products, followed by the need to provide evidence and
quantify loss amount. For future smart grid construction, antitampering technology should be an integral part of the distribution
automation and be integrated seamlessly into AMR/AMI,
monitoring system and load control management.
China utilities are still facing the tough challenges in its fight
against tampering. Fortunately, with advancements in antitampering technologies, with products like ATS from Sanneng,
have helped us to gain ground and get closer to this goal of smart
grid. We’d like to work with the advanced technology providers
to enable China to achieve its goal of more energy efficient
initiatives. MI
About Sanneng:
Nanjing Sanneng is a research and development based manufacturer. China Electricity
Power Research Institute (CEPRI) – a subsidiary of China State Grid Corporation, has
selected Sanneng as the manufacturing base. The high-tech patented anti-tampering
system has been widely used across China as well as overseas market.
www.njsanneng.com
About Metering International China:
The magazine is printed and published four times a year in China by GSL Consulting
under license to SPINTELLGENT. All editorial and advertising are in Chinese. Editorial
is sourced from experts in China and internationally, and covers all sectors of metering,
billing, customer services in Chinese metering market, as well as addresses interests of
latest regulatory issues, industry trends, developments, new products and technologies.
www.meteringchina.com
81
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
supervision staff had started to monitor this customer, however
we did not obtain any evidence even during numerous special
inspections t. In May 2006, we decided to install a trial ATS on
the transformer of this customer. We quickly found that the load
curve on this customer is abnormal by comparing and analysing
the current curves between the high–voltage and low-voltage
sides. In this case, we immediately dispatched our inspection
staff together with a law enforcement officer to this customer and
found the buried switch on site and collected evidences. This
case resulted in a fine of 160,000RMB Yuan (US$23,529) with an
estimated 320,000 kWh of total electricity stolen.
There were many such cases. Tianjin Power decided to
install the Sanneng ATS monitoring system on many of the
suspected sites. Most of them who are suspected of tampering
were examined and captured with sufficient evidence. ATS allows
inspection staffs to easily check whether the usage of power by
the customers is normal or a tampering is happening. To those
who tampered power, the system is able to record the length of
tampering time and tampered amount to provide evidence in court.
Furthermore, through numerous successful legal prosecutions and
media publications, Tianjin Power estimates that there is significant
reduction in tampering by suspected customers.
Tianjin Power has focused on strengthening its fight against
tampering for several years by collaborating with the law
enforcement department, focusing on strengthening the inspection
of illegal electricity usage and installing modern anti tampering
systems. In 2007, Tianjin Power found 1307 cases recovering 8.4
Million kWh and 14.9 million Yuan. In 2008, there were 1798 cases
and recovered 13.32 Million Yuan. Tianjin Power has achieved
great progress and success in reducing non-technical loss.