Are You Smart Enough to
Implement Smart Grid?
Angela Riley, Metering Supervisor
City of San Marcos
San Marcos, TX
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Home of Texas State University
◦ 29,500 students
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San Marcos River
◦ Spring fed river
◦ 72 degrees year-round
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Population approx. 50,000
◦ 19,500 electric customers
◦ 9,200 water customers
Why AMI?
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2-way communication
Quicker connects and disconnects
◦ 2,300 remote disconnect meters installed
◦ Read And Leave agreement with most apartment
complexes
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System integrity
◦ 6,100 voltage recording meters
◦ Includes all commercial meters, AX meters, and remote
disconnect meters
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Customer service
◦ Interval usage data available on line
◦ On demand meter reads
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A common mistake some people make is thinking an AMI system
will result in a reduction of workforce.
Please know that an AMI system will not necessarily result in
salary savings.
The meter reading function will mostly go away, but personnel
will need to be reallocated to different positions.
◦ Meter Technicians
 Trouble shooting meters
 Connects/disconnects
 Tampers
◦ Meter reading will be limited
 Fire hydrant meters
 Missing reads for meters that will not communicate (isolated areas)
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Interval reading data from an AMI system
◦ Creates more work – detailed reports from interval data
◦ Requires more data storage than the monthly read you get from an AMR
system
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Hired a Consultant
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Cost-benefit Analysis and ROI for Council Approval
RFI/RFP for a Wireless Mesh Network
Assisted with Vendor Selection
Recommendations to Maximize Functionality of AMI
Future Business Designs
Assisted with Pilot Program and Deployment
Planning
We are using one product for
Water and Electric
Meters/Radios
Hardware
Network
Software
Network Manager
Meters Communicate through a Data Pathway
Cellular/
Fiber
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Local Area Network (LAN) – meter to meter
◦ Random encryption for each transaction
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Wide Area Network (WAN) – network to host
◦ Banking level security
 Annual code, but can be changed at any time if Eka
sees a possible security breech
◦ 256 bit encryption
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Host – user operations
◦ Password protected
◦ Set internally by the utility based on specific user
needs
Pilot Program
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Headed by a Project Manager
Include Representatives in all Involved Departments
◦ Electric
 Metering Supervisor
 Meter Technician/Analyst
◦ Water
 Water Distribution Manager
 Utility Crew Leader
◦ Utility Billing
 Manager
 Q/A Specialist
◦ Technical Services (IT)
◦ Geographic Information Services (GIS)
◦ Upper Management (as required)
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Key People are the Key to Success
Weekly Status meetings to include vendor from testing through
deployment
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7 months of testing
Contract written so vendor is at risk, not the City
Alpha
◦ 1 month long
◦ 50 meters installed (5 water)
◦ To ensure the wireless mesh was running and
communicating to the network
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Beta
◦ 6 months
◦ 450 meters installed (50 water)
◦ To test the functionality of the wireless mesh and
communications
◦ To test integration with our Harris billing system
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500 Meters Installed
◦ Electric was relatively simple
◦ Water had some problems
 Node installations (node = transmitting device)
 Nodes not transmitting
 Meter lids
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Challenges
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Achievements
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What We Learned
◦ Water meters
◦ Integrating with our Harris billing system
◦ 99.5% success rate for previous week’s reads
◦ Identified a customer with a water leak during the first week
◦ Testing took longer than expected
◦ Strong, cooperative relationship is necessary with the vendor
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During integration, the utility must take an
active roll to coordinate relations between the
Billing system vendor and the AMI vendor.
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Added Three Servers
◦ One for interval read data coming into our Harris billing
system (NorthStar Interval Data - NSID)
 Billing purposes
 Customer web view
◦ Two for Eka’s network system (Network Manager) and
reporting module (Data Manager)
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Views Created between Eka’s Reporting Module and
our NSID
◦ Allows real-time access to the databases
◦ Reduces workload by automating processes
◦ Reduces chances for human error
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We have not purchased a Meter Data Management
System, so the NSID is our temporary solution at this
time
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Fully Integrated Eka Functionality into our
Harris Billing System
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Service connects/disconnects
On-demand reads
Demand resets
Interval reads for viewing
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Where to Store?
◦ Lots of discussion: Eka or Harris?
◦ Multipliers are being stored in the billing system
 Harris Systems added the multiplier to the view for Eka to
use for reporting purposes only in Data Manager
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Water Meter Multipliers Changing
◦ Before AMI, all readings were modified to calculate
usage based on a multiplier of 100.
◦ With AMI, we changed the way we read water meters. All
dials are read and the meter multiplier depends on the
type of meter (0.1, 1.0, or 10)
◦ The multiplier had to be changed so we could see the
resolution for leak detection and water loss
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Meters Can’t Always Communicate with Collectors
◦ Eka ‘nodes’ allow meters to backfill data in the network
once communications re-establish
◦ However, when polling reads for billing, some meters may
not be reporting
 Created a Gap Fill function in the billing system to fill the holes
 Calculates the gap automatically
 Important because future functionality to include Time Of Use billing
 Reason: No Validation, Editing, Estimation (VEE) yet
 Demand resets
 Can’t guarantee demand reset at time of reading, so demand
calculations are set in the billing system
 Demand calculations are based off of interval readings
 Demand meters report reads every 30 or 15 minutes
 Resets will still be requested through the network monthly as
required
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Reporting is very important!
Allows you to discover problems in the network, such as:
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Communication failures – meters not reporting
Tampers
Duplication of data in meter inventory
Hi/Low voltage
CT installation problems
Outage reporting
Possible dead meters
Continuous Flow - leak detection
Negative consumption
Some reports developed by Eka Systems as part of our
contract
City of San Marcos requesting special reports to fit our needs
Full Deployment
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Steps to take
1. Plan and deploy ‘collectors’ first
• By the end of deployment, you will probably install more
than expected to increase redundancy in the network
2. Plan electric meter installations starting around the
collectors first and move outwards
• Allows meters to form to the network faster
• Reduces pockets in the network
3. Plan water meter installations to follow electric
• Water meters only communicate to electric meters or
collectors, not other water meters
4. Always work schedules around your meter reading and
billing schedules
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Two Schedules
1. Electric
• Contracted with TMD through Eka
• 6 months to complete
2. Water
• In-house
• About 12 months to complete
• Follows electric
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Customers
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Mailer and Maps (not a bill stuffer)
Press Releases
Maps in Lobbies of City Facilities
Webpage
Door Hangers
 Completed change-out
 Access issue
◦ Information Cards
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Employees
◦ Very important!!!
◦ Same education as customers
◦ Training sessions for Workflow Changes
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Time consuming process
Multiple tasks to prepare
Organize a “To-do” list
◦ This list will be lengthy
◦ Divide amongst departments
 Prioritize
 Empower staff with assignments
 Project manager follow up
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Electric examples:
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Deployment schedules
Determine quantities of meters & locations
Order extra metering supplies (seals, locks, disc sleeves)
Storage space (new & old meters, extra supplies)
Supplies for contractor (ID’s, vehicle magnets, keys)
Meter Exchange testing
Train staff
Customer Notification & schedule
Custom reports & specs
Increase staff in office
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Meter shipments/inventory
File creations & uploads for exchanges
Review upload files for exchanges
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Who will take responsibility? Budget?
City of San Marcos took the responsibility
◦ Service upgrades & emergency meter base repairs
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Contract with an electrician for the project
Objective: keep the project on target and restore power quickly for customers
Water - Be prepared for replacing damaged boxes, resetting boxes, and
repairing leaks
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Install a Variety of Meters
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Meters San Marcos Selected
◦ Increase Functionality of the AMI System
◦ Reporting Capabilities
◦ Landis & Gyr AL (14,000)
◦ Landis & Gyr AX (2,000)
 Report line voltage
◦ Landis & Gyr AX-SD (2,300)
 Allow remote service disconnect
 Report line voltage
◦ Elster A3D (1,800)
 Demand meter
 Report line voltage
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Programming
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Before AMI, minimal meter data stored
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With AMI, changed inventory to include many more details
◦ Meter number
◦ Residential vs. commercial
◦ Multipliers
◦ Meter number is prefaced by meter form number
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2s meter numbers start with 2 (ex: 200222), 4s meter numbers start with 4, and so on…
Helps meter technicians identify meter types easier
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A3D (demand)
AL (regular residential)
AX (voltage recording)
AX-SD (service disconnect)
◦ Meter Form
◦ Meter Manufacturer
◦ Meter Type
◦ Purchase date
◦ Purchase cost
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Important changes for analyzing the meters in your network and
inventory, especially through GIS
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Test the Program
◦ Test as much as possible before deployment
◦ Start deployment slow to work out unexpected
problems
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Verify Removal Reads to Avoid Overbilling
Customers
◦ Photograph final read on meter
◦ Review final consumption (hi/low) to locate
misreads and make edits before uploading the file
into the billing system
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Prepare Meter Dept. Staff for Problems –
everything funnels here and to Billing staff
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Water Services Extend Outside of our Electric
Service Territory
Negotiations with Neighboring Utilities were
Necessary to Establish Communication
1. Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC)
2. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative (BEC)
◦ Metering points were not necessary,
just installation and attachment fees
Future Plans
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Customer Web View
◦ Interval Read Data
◦ Energy Profile Chart
◦ Energy Conservation Tips
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Meter Data Management System (MDMS)
Outage Management System (OMS)
Time of Use Billing
Conservation Reporting (water)
Questions?
Angela Riley
Metering Supervisor
Public Services - Electric Utility
512.393.8311
ariley@sanmarcostx.gov