Transitioning from smart to smarter (Aka AMI 1.0 to AMI 2.0) : The evolution of meter data

The utility industry has witnessed a transformative journey that spans from manual meter reading to the technologically innovative world of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). The transition from AMI 1.0 to AMI 2.0 marks a significant shift in the way utilities manage meter data, optimize grid operations, and interact with their consumers. This article deals with the intricacies of this transition and investigates how Meter Data Management (MDM) systems have taken a lead in this, the challenges faced, and the golden opportunities presented by the future of AMI 2.0.

Overview : Smart Grids with AMI

Smart Grids, supported by AMI, offer a solution by providing efficiency and sustainability to meet rising electricity demands while maintaining reliability and quality. AMI enables real-time energy management and consumer participation, acting as the foundation for Smart Grids. ?Smart grids will overcome challenges such as growing energy demand, high energy losses, reliable and high-quality power supply, limited fuel resources etc.

Key benefits of AMI for Utilities and Consumers:

• Utilities: Reduced non-technical losses, optimized network operations, improved consumer engagement, and cost-effective distribution system modernization.
• Consumers: Better energy management, participation in demand response programs, and access to real-time energy usage data.

Major components of AMI (Advanced metering Infrastructure)

AMI measures, collects, and analyses energy usage data, communicating with meters and allowing consumers to manage peak demand and contribute to energy efficiency. Key features of AMI infrastructure include:

• Smart Meters: These serve as the gateway between utilities and consumers, collecting data beyond just energy usage.
• Communication Medium: Transfers data between meters and the central system.
• HES: Head end systems to collect data from smart meters via different comm channel.
• MDAS/MDM: Manages and analyses meter data.
• Load Monitoring and Control: Tracks real-time energy consumption and enables utilities to control connected devices for grid management.
• Tamper Detection and Alarm Handling: Identifies unauthorized meter modifications and alerts utilities to potential issues.
• Real-Time Energy Audit: Provides insights into energy consumption patterns.
• Pre payment/Post payment : Enabling consumer to choose between prepaid and post paid. Time-of-Day Tariffs: Encourages off-peak consumption through billing based on time of usage.
• Consumer interface: Providing flexibility to consumer to leverage technology to check charges, usage, recharge, comparisons etc.
• Cloud: Hosting on cloud gives huge flexibility in managing data and a secured env.

In nutshell, MDM is the heart of this entire system, which enforce right process to get valuable meter data and help in doing all sort of slice and dice to give benefits to utility and end consumer. Meter data management as centre stage integrates with WFM (Work force management) , Head end systems (If its integrated than not required), consumer portal, prepayment engine, legacy systems etc.

Key functionalities of MDM includes, VEE (Validation, Estimation and Editing), reports to track SLA (service level agreement) as per contract for daily profile, load profile, billing profile, get energy audit reports etc and prepayment (mapping all tariffs, consumer types, meter types).

The AMI 1.0 Era or in some countries the AMI phase -1

During the AMI 1.0 era, utilities were transformed into information management entities, handling vast amounts of data generated by smart meters. Roughly for a utility with one million meters, this amounted to over 2 terabytes of data annually. This data enabled utilities to broadly manage:

• Grid Health: By integrating meter data with outage, geospatial, and weather data, utilities could achieve near real-time grid monitoring.
• Theft Detection: Utilities could identify and rectify instances of meter tampering and electricity theft, leading to significant revenue recovery.

Operational Savings and Environmental Impact:

• Utilities with AMI programs involving over 500,000 meters experienced was estimated of achieving a 65-75% cost recovery over a 20-year period.
• Reduced service calls and meter reading workforce led to fewer gas-powered vehicles on the road, contributing to decarbonization efforts.

Consumer Experience: A Mixed Bag:

• Despite anticipated benefits like more accurate billing, faster service connections, flexible billing options, and real-time energy consumption access, customer satisfaction varied. A 2020 survey revealed that only a small portion of utilities fully realized these benefits.
• Home Area Networks (HAN) designed for in-home energy management saw limited adoption, as customers often lost interest in these displays.

Who Benefited Most?

• According to the US Department of Energy's 2020 report, utilities reaped most of the benefits from AMI 1.0, including increased operational efficiency, cost reductions, and potential revenue gains. Some consumer benefits, such as self-service options and dynamic pricing, were realized, but overall, the consumer experience lagged behind operational improvements.

MDM: The Cornerstone of AMI 1.0

MDM systems emerged as a crucial component of AMI 1.0, addressing the complexities of managing vast amounts of meter data. MDM 1.0 includes or started with:

Data Collection and Integration: MDM systems handle data from various meter types and communication protocols, integrating everything into a single platform.

• Data Validation and Cleaning: Ensures the accuracy and reliability of data used for billing, analysis, and other purposes.
• Data Storage and Management: Provides a central repository for storing meter data, facilitating easy access and retrieval.
• Data Visualization and Reporting: Tools for visualizing and reporting meter data, aiding utilities in identifying trends.
• Exception Management and Alerts: Monitors meter data for anomalies and generates automated alerts.
• Billing Interface and Customer Portal Integration: Ensures billing and allows customers to view and track their energy usage.

Challenges in MDM 1.0:

• Limited reporting and visualizations
• Limited Customer Engagement: Despite the potential for real-time consumption data and dynamic pricing, customer uptake remained low. Home Area Networks (HAN) were not widely adopted, and customers often lost interest in in-home energy displays.
• Limited integrations with OT systems such as SCADA, ADMS etc.
• Limited Prepayment use cases and functionalities

Overall Impact of AMI 1.0 and MDM:

• Operational Efficiency for Utilities: MDM improved operational efficiency, started reducing meter reading costs, improving outage management, and detecting theft.
• Limited Customer Benefits: The potential for customer engagement through real-time data and dynamic pricing remained largely unrealized.

AMI 2.0 and Beyond

The next generation of AMI meters, AMI 2.0, are intelligent devices functioning as edge computing platforms. These meters offer:

• Faster Processors and Increased Memory: Enabling real-time data processing and advanced analytics.
• Modular Communication Capabilities: Allowing meters to connect via various protocols, including Wi-Fi, and integrate with smart home devices.
• Disaggregation Capabilities: Analysing energy usage behind the meter in real-time, helping customers identify high-consumption devices.
• Support for Distributed Energy Resources (DER): Integrating with solar panels, home battery systems, and electric vehicles for effective energy management.

MDM: Powering Consumer Engagement in AMI 2.0:

• Prepaid Electricity and Consumption Thresholds: Facilitating prepaid options and allowing customers to set consumption thresholds that trigger automated controls within the home.
• Personalized Consumer Portals: Providing interactive platforms for users to view real-time consumption data, set energy-saving goals, and receive personalized recommendations.
• Integration with Smart Home Devices: Enabling automated energy management based on real-time usage and customer preferences.
• Chatbots enabled helpdesks

MDM: Unlocking the Potential of Grid Management:

• Enhanced Grid Reliability: Real-time monitoring and adjustments to prevent voltage fluctuations. Integration with advanced OT systems such as DMS, SCADA, GIS and OMS. Target 5 / 15 mins meter data to support advanced use cases.
• Better SLAs and ease of audits with indices such as SAIDI, CAIFI, CAIDI in single click
• Ease of operations for utilities through consumer 360 view
• Distribution System Optimization: Detailed data on energy flow and power factor facilitates targeted infrastructure upgrades.
• EV Charging Management: Identifying high EV charger concentrations and managing charging loads to prevent grid strain.
• Decarbonization Efforts: Reduced reliance on meter readers and service trucks lowers carbon emissions. AMI 2.0 data guides initiatives to promote electric vehicle adoption.

The Future of AMI: Continuous Evolution and MDM as the Cornerstone

As AMI technology evolves, MDM will remain the central system, ensuring data integrity, facilitating advanced analytics, and enabling innovative applications for both consumers and utilities. Although this again depends on meters' performances, advanced communication channels with high availability to make data available at requisite time and frequency.

The challenge for data security, meter hacks, system failure will put more pressure on cloud providers for advanced technologies specific to AMI requirements. Future needs single MDM to support more than 5-7 billion meter reads per day. By harnessing the power of AMI 2.0 data through robust MDM systems, utilities can create a future of empowered consumers, a more resilient grid, and a sustainable energy landscape.

Conclusion

The transition from AMI 1.0 to AMI 2.0 represents a significant leap in the utility industry's capabilities, driven by advanced MDM systems. This evolution not only enhances operational efficiency and grid management but also promises to unlock new levels of consumer engagement and energy sustainability. As we move forward, the continuous improvement of MDM functionalities along with other supporting integrations, will be crucial in realizing the full potential of AMI technology, paving the way for a smarter, more efficient, and greener energy future.

About Cuculus :

We at Cuculus are providing state-of-the-art software solutions for the utility sector, addressing their needs and challenges worldwide. Our ZONOS IoT Platform modules provide seamless integration with existing system landscapes and enable utilities to provide a complete end-to-end solution to customers while also ensuring easy adoption to new requirements and future business goals. Our core 'The ZONOS IoT Platform is developed for critical infrastructure and tailored to the special needs of smart metering, smart city, smart grid applications, and beyond. We are aligned for Utilities of the future.

References:

Cuculus : Product documentations.

Deloitte: Enabling the clean energy transition: Planning for next–generation advanced metering infrastructure and grid technologies

https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/energy-resources/us-planning-for-next-generation-advanced-metering-infrastructure-and-grid-technologies.pdf

Advanced Metering Infrastructure: 12 Use cases & 10+ Solutions

https://research.aimultiple.com/advanced-metering-infrastructure/

Advanced Metering Infrastructure Analytics -A Case Study: IIT Kanpur

https://www.iitk.ac.in/npsc/Papers/NPSC2014/1569995463.pdf

What is advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)? IBM

https://www.ibm.com/topics/advanced-metering-infrastructure

Written by:

Shailesh Aggarwal

Cuculus , Germany