Advanced Metering Systems Update
CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric
October, 2009
CenterPoint Energy – Houston
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Chartered in 1882
5,000 square-mile service area
2.1 million electric metered customers
73.6 billion kilowatt hours delivered yearly
for about 60 certified competitive retailers
Transmission and Distribution System
 3,640 miles of transmission lines
 41,913 miles of distribution lines
 225 substations
Advanced Metering System deployment underway:
90,000+ Itron OpenWay meters (2.0/2.0) installed to-date
99.75% register read rate
80 to 99.0+% interval (15 minute) read rate
100% Connect/disconnect capable (200 amp, 1 phase)
10,600+ connect/disconnects since 7/21/09
5 year project – 2.4 million electric
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Major AMS Touch Points
Intelligent Grid
Self Healing Grid – Enhanced Reliability
Energy
Independence
Operations
Smart Meter
REP / Customers
Distribution
Transmission
Substations
Conventional
Renewable Generation
with Storage
“Clean Energy”
Power Sources
© 2007 CenterPoint Energy Proprietary and Confidential Information
Mid Grid
Automation
In Home
Automation &
PHEV’s
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AMS Roadmap
Event Avoidance
• Predictive Failure System
• Advanced Multi Source Data Analysis
• Grid Event Diagnostics
Self-Healing Grid
• Improved Asset Mgmt / Visibility
• Real time Grid Condition Monitoring
• Automated Grid switching,
• Meter as a Sensor
• Transformer Load Mgmt
• Condition Based Crew Dispatching
• Grid Event Detection and Location
Grid Automation will:
• Improve system reliability
• Optimize business processes
• Leverage technology to achieve
operational efficiencies
• Improve asset utilization
• Prolong life of aging infrastructure
• Improve customer satisfaction
Advanced Meter System (AMS)
• Enables time and peak based pricing
• Automated Meter reading and alerts
• Enables prepay meter option
• Remote Meter Connect / Disconnect
• Enables demand management
• Enables energy conservation
CNP’s smart grid initiative focused on
installing the smart metering system
first to allow consumers to capture the
benefits more rapidly.
• Enables Home Area Network
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Major AMS Program Components
In December, 2008, CenterPoint Energy (CNP) obtained PUCT approval for full
smart meter deployment (2.4m meters over 5yr period).
• Meter Data Management System - eMeter’s Energy IP
• Wireless WAN Communications Network System – GE’s Mercury
3650 WiMax Radio
• End to End Systems Management and Operations – IBM’s Tivoli
Suite of Products
• Smart Electric Meter – Itron OpenWay meters
• User Portals – IBM’s WebSphere Portal Software
• Texas Common Data Repository - Joint effort with Texas Electric
Utilities
• Home Area Network (HAN) – Wireless system incorporated into
meter using Zigbee Smart Energy Profile
© 2007 CenterPoint Energy Proprietary and Confidential Information
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AMS Communications
AMS Communications Network:
• Consist of radio/microwave tower based GE WiMAX access points spread throughout CNP’s electric
service area that communicate to Cell Relays and provides a high speed/bandwidth communications
path back to the CNP Backbone (see GE WiMAX Radio Network)
• The Cell Relays then communicate with many meters that form a mesh network (see Itron Cell Relay
Network)
Year End
Year-to-Date
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
GE WiMAX Tower Deployment Plan
19
26
40
34
As required
As required
Cell Relay Deployment Plan
416
745
1520
1520
1520
1695
GE’s WiMAX Radio tower
based Access Points will
communicate to Itron’s Cell
Relays at a ratio of
approximately 70:1
Itron’s OpenWay Meters
will form a mesh network
that will communicate to
Itron’s Cell Relays at a ratio
of approximately 400:1
© 2007 CenterPoint Energy Proprietary and Confidential Information
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Typical AMS Communications Setup
Antenna
AC Power
Plugs
Cell Relay
WiMax
Radio
© 2007 CenterPoint Energy Proprietary and Confidential Information
AMS Functionality and HAN
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Functionality (non-inclusive) – Texas Common Data Repository•
and Portal
– 15 Minute usage data
– Remote connect / disconnect (connect within one hour)
– Real time meter interrogation for power availability and register
read
– Tamper notification
– Full security for multiple access
– Web access to usage data
– Meter reports outage and restoration
– Enables real time communication between AMS meters and
HAN devices
– Distributed Generation/Renewables metering
© 2007 CenterPoint Energy Proprietary and Confidential Information
After 2010, HAN support for: (Note: Future HAN
services and products supported by AMS will be greatly
influenced by future standards development and
regulatory direction.)
– pre-payment services
– PHEV monitoring & controls
– Support for TOU, CPP and dynamic pricing
– Improved HAN device control
– HAN messaging over AMS network
– Customer HAN device access
permission/authorization
– HAN device performance evaluation
Home Area Network (HAN)
Consumers
ZigBee Programmable Communicating
Thermostat
Retail Energy Providers
HAN Traffic
(Limit Five Devices)
Internet
ZigBee
In Home Device Monitor (& Control)
Network
OpenWay
Meter
CenterPoint Energy
AMS HAN offers additional load control options:
Load Control
•Pool Pumps
•PHEV
•Electric Water Heaters
•Electric Heaters
•Washer / Dryer
© 2007 CenterPoint Energy Proprietary and Confidential Information
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Non-essential vs. comfort appliance control
Improved customer usage awareness:
• Time sensitive rate making
• Load shaping
• Energy conservation
Home Area Network (HAN)
Consumers
Consumers
Zigbee
Wireless
Wireless
REP’s
CNP
Broadband
Connection
Consumer / REP
High
Low
Data Traffic
Med
Home
Area
Network
Devices
Broadband
Communication,
Interface &
Device Provided by
Consumer or REP
Basic HAN Device
Provided by REP /
Consumer - operates on
CNP Communication
Complex High End HAN
Utility APPS
(DSM, Basic Device Controls, Near Real Time
Consumption Feedback…)
Complexity of HAN Devices
© 2007 CenterPoint Energy Proprietary and Confidential Information
The value of an integrated, remote service switch
can be realized in several areas
Key Feature
Potential AMI Benefit
Integrated within AMS meter
design
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Enables remote power disconnect/
reconnect
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Configurable load (current) limiting
set points
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Single-site or multiply addressable
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On-demand or scheduled actions
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Safety switch and load-sensing
lockout
© 2007 CenterPoint Energy Proprietary and Confidential Information
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Reduces installation cost (vs. collared solution)
Reduces potential device tampering costs
Reduces credit/ collections costs
Supports pre-payment services
Reduces field service orders/ truck rolls
Improves employee field safety
Enables peak load limiting programs
Enables more flexible pricing and service plans
Supports emergency grid reliability actions
Supports demand response programs
Improves customer convenience/ satisfaction
Reduces potential grid impacts for cold load pickup
Complete disconnection for inactive service locations
Emergency reconnection for medical reasons
Short term disconnects for customer-side wiring work
AMS Field Overview
HAN
Metering
Texas
Common
Portal
Back Office
Systems
Communications
Wind
Generation
Internet
Web
Services
High
Voltage
Lines
FIBER
LINK
Wireless
Tower
Cell Relay
RF Wireless
Repeater
Residential
Consumer
Local Home
Area Network
© 2007 CenterPoint Energy Proprietary and Confidential Information
Smart Meter