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Coverage

Masdar City has the potential to set up the ‘perfect’ smart grid, according to a senior executive from German industrial and engineering giant Siemens.

Wolfgang Dehen, CEO of Siemens Energy Sector and a member of the managing board of Siemens AG said that it is much easier to implement a smart grid while installing completely new infrastructure.

Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City is a carbon-neutral initiative being built entirely from scratch just outside the UAE capital.

Smart grids are in their infancy in the Middle East, the general lack of an existing, ageing infrastructure, means that the technology has huge potential in the region.

From googlemap

SRP serves over 925,000 customers with electricity and water in metropolitan Pheonix.

Originally were deploying a low power radio (900 MHz) to concentrator solution based upon Elster’s Electricity AMR infrastructure. 300,000 smart electricity meters installed as at July 2008. Running at 10k per month.
Company product guide here

In early 2009, Landis+Gyr won a $52m contract to supply 300,000 meters to SRP as part of a three year contract.

Landis+Gyr said the deal expands Salt River’s M-Power prepay program with the delivery of 300,000 AMPY Pay-Smart meters and related communications solutions.

Landis+Gyr said the AMPY Pay-Smart system can be configured to operate in one of four different modes — credit, credit with in-home display, wireless prepayment or critical peak pricing-demand response.

“The flexibility we build into our solutions enables this one-to-one approach when utilities define and manage the delivery of energy,” said Jonathan Elmer, CEO of Landis+Gyr Ampy Solutions.

“Together, Landis+Gyr and SRP share a vision of easily managed and adaptable business models which support consumer choice and empowerment, and we are proud that SRP has chosen to expand their relationship with us as their solutions partner.”

Landis+Gyr said Salt River’s M-Power customers, on average, experience an annual reduction in household energy consumption of about 12 percent, or 1,750 kilowatt-hours. More than 59,000 Salt River customers currently use M-Power, and another 10,000 customers per year are expected to be added during each of the next five years, according to Landis+Gyr.
Picture of Elster meter being installed:


Press Coverage:
EVliving.com Electric Light & Power

Slightly Off Topic, but very relevant to smart grid.

The Society of Automotive Engineers has (or is about to) decided on a global plug standard for electric vehicles. A five pin smart plug that can use 120V or 240V single phase electricity supplies, the plug will also carry data as well as conducting electricity. The standard is called SAE J1772 – plug standardization

SAE International

From meterpedia submission, and existing map data

Full deployment of significant programme started in September 2009 for Southern California (except Los Angeles).

5.3 million meters using less than 200kW.

Topography of supply points is mostly suburban with very few ‘rural’ sites.

http://www.sce.com

http://www.sce.com/smartconnect

SmartConnect Program

Edison SmartConnect™ is SCE’s advanced metering program. The program has redefined the automated metering industry, and is a key component of Edison’s Smart Grid strategy, which brought Edison’s grid into the digital age for improved grid management operations.

Through advanced technology, Edison SmartConnect™ will provide SCE customers with new tools, services, and conveniences to help them make better about their energy use. The new “smart” meters will enable new pricing programs, and will provide customers with more information their energy use to help them save energy, money and reduce their carbon footprint.

Why? California’s peak energy use continues to grow. As a result, state energy agencies and are exploring ways to meet customers growing energy needs and offer incentives to conserve and shift usage away from periods of peak demand.

In 2004, the Commission (CPUC) directed  (IOUs) to investigate implementation of an advanced metering infrastructure (“AMI”). AMI “smart” meters would allow customers to take advantage of dynamic rate programs, such as the “Time of Use” (TOU) rates available mostly to industrial customers. SCE analyzed available AMI technology at that time, and concluded that the limited functionality and operational benefits available at the time would not be cost-effective for SCE’s ratepayers. So, SCE set out to work with and technology vendors to develop a more advanced meter and communications system that would offer a cost-effective solution with added customer value and convenience. The result is SCE’s AMI network called Edison SmartConnect™.

Meter Functionality

SCE’s new “smart” meter and communications system will provide customers with more information  their energy use, and with advanced tools and services to help them save energy, save money and reduce their carbon footprint. For example, “smart” meters will:

• Communicate personalized energy use information to customers through a secure wireless home area network and on the Web, helping customers make smarter energy decisions that will translate into savings.
• Enable new rate offerings to help customers save money by using less energy during peak periods and when energy prices are higher.
• Communicate with “smart” thermostats, appliances, electronics and solar panels in the home – pretty much anything you can plug in – enabling the programming of smart appliances and devices to respond to energy use preferences based on cost, comfort and convenience.
• Give customers the convenience of remote service turn-ons. If a customer is moving, for example, they no longer need to leave gates open, worry about pets, or wait for a field service representative.

Communications Technology

SCE’s research and analysis support the narrowband decision as the best option to support a wide variety of functionality and ensure the program is cost effective for it’s customers. Here’s why:

While higher bandwidth seems appealing, it is not only more costly, but will provide wasted capacity. Simple data, not large data files, will be sent to and from the meter requiring no more than a narrowband connection. Energy pricing information will be sent via the narrowband connection.

Customer’s real-time energy usage and power quality information from the meter will be available securely over a narrowband wireless network.

The Edison SmartConnect™ communications system was designed to provide full program functionality and high-performance with a narrowband connection from the meter to the aggregation point, and a broadband connection from the aggregation point to the utility. The system was also designed for growth and flexibility to support advanced technology, prevent it from becoming “outdated” and result in long-term benefits for our customers.

Partners

Itron’s OpenWay AMI solution has been selected, and all meters will feature ZigBee connectivity for the HAN.

Secondary meter supplier to be selected.

January 2008 Interview with SmartConnect Leader

Jan 08 – Long web article/interview with the Director of SCE’s programme – key points:

• Have selected Itron Open Way for communication backbone
• Looking for non-Itron meter to use Open Way to maintain open approach
• Have selected HAN/local ZigBee platform, as fits best with requirements
• Considered 6loPAN, but believe it will not be ready for deployment in 2009 – states that 6loPAN could be flashed onto ZigBee chips in the future
• Every meter includes a switch to support potential prepayment services from 2013 – with bulk of functionality in the back office, but also to support demand management and improve outage and safety features

From meterpedia submission by Hector Enrique Peña González of EMCALI – hepena@emcali.com.co

Electricity pilot exercise in Cali, Colombia by EMCALI.

14,000 PLC meters will be installed at a cost of $4.5m between 2009 and 2010. The meters, provided by VEGA, will feature remote disconnection, tamper and diagnostic alerts, support for prepayment and load limiting/load control.

The first purpose is to reduce the non technical losses indicadors. Othe bennefits lookikg for includes:
1. Reduction on non-technical losses
2. Increases collect
3. Integration with Scada
4. Prepayment schemes
5. Best service

On this project we expect to evaluate posibilities with interfaces with the SCADA system an the commercial system. Also we are intend to aloow access to the people more vilnerable, sociallity meaning,  with susteinable criteria and differential schemmas.

EMCALI already have 4000 meters installed under a different pilot in Cali, using RF and GPRS comms.

http://emcali.com.co

From meterpedia submission

Further details provided relating to the selection of Perth as the 7th Solar City in Australia.

The AU$73.5m project will include the installation of smart meters, solar hot water systems and photovoltaics (PVs).

The pilot will include 106,000 homes, with 10,500 smart meters.

Press Release

Tender about smart metering aspect of trial

AEP Ohio has applied for $75m of match funding to support its’ $150m gridSMART demonstration project, which will include the installation of 110,000 electricity meters from 2010, alongside other smart grid activities.

The project will include new distribution grid technology, plug-in hybrid cars and consumer systems and products, including “smart appliances”.

AEP has selected IBM to support their gridSMART initiative, which will see smart meters deployed to all 5 million customers across 11 states.

Here is an interview with a member of the gridSMART programme, giving details on their plans for demand response and other activities.

As part of an ongoing theme on smart meter/smart grid security, here is another article highlighting how meters could be vulnerable to hackers.

Again, it is from Mike Davis of IOActive, and again it appears to be addressed at existing or old metering products rather than newer equipment. The points made remain valid however:

• meters can be vulnerable to a physical hack on the memory
• or to a similar physical hack on their wireless radio
• or using a software radio

Once into the system, as Davis has demonstrated before, the hacker can spread malware or intercept or potentially manipulate other information being transmitted to or from the meter.

Coverage at Reuters

Also a recent article from CNN on smart grid security

Original Coverage

Electricite Reseau Distribution France (ERDF), part of EDF, has announced the release of an OFDM-based PLC (powerline communication) specification designed to facilitate global smart grid implementations. This specification supports the IPv6 internet-protocol standard to promote interoperability among global smart grid implementations. The specification can be downloaded from ERDF’s website.

Working with Maxim and Sagem, the new protocol has been evaluated against competing technologies in real world conditions and scenarios. These tests included long-distance communication over medium-voltage lines, two-way communication across medium-to-low-voltage transformers, coexistence with older FSK deployments, smart network routing/commissioning capability (mesh network), and many others. Through these advanced field trials, ERDF concluded that Maxim‘s PLC technology offers the most robust data communication over the PLC network compared to others.

ERDF is preparing to conduct an industrial pilot program in the rural area around Tours. Using G3-PLC technology, ERDF will deploy an AMM infrastructure to enhance grid operations and promote energy conservation. Upon the successful completion of these trials, ERDF’s goal is to implement an AMM network across France to serve its +35M customers.

The G3-PLC specification supports the IPv6 internet protocol. Both globally accepted and license-free, IPv6 enables an open standard available to all implementers.

The G3-PLC specification includes OFDM-based PHY/MAC layers and a 6LoWPAN adaptation layer to transmit IPv6 packets over powerline channels. The specification also includes innovations such as coexistence with older S-FSK systems, adaptive tone mapping for optimal bandwidth utilization, and a robust mode of operation that improves communication under noisy channel conditions. These capabilities allow implementers to achieve fast, reliable data communication over the long distances required by large-scale smart grid infrastructures.