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Blais Presentation to Metering International Conference

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Christian Blais
Christian Blais

This document discusses the challenges and opportunities for Bermuda Electric Light Company in extending their smart grid infrastructure to customers' homes. Key points include: - Bermuda has a small land area and population but high costs of electricity production and one of the highest broadband penetrations. - The utility is piloting smart metering technology and home energy management systems to provide customers with energy usage data and enable demand response. - Major challenges include economic uncertainty, public concerns about privacy and health risks of smart meters, and evaluating the best telecommunications network for meter communications. - If implemented well with a focus on customer education, an advanced metering infrastructure could provide benefits like improved outage response, theft detection and time

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Christian Blais Vice President - IT BELCO Bermuda Challenges & solutions to extending the Smart Grid into Bermuda’s homes
Bermuda • Settled in 1609, oldest British colony • 21 square miles of land mass • 700 miles off the coast of North Carolina il ff th t f N th C li • Sub-tropical climate (50’s – 80’s F) • Insurance, Investments and Tourism • 65,000 residents • Highest per capita income • Highest broadband penetration Hi h t b db d t ti
Bermuda Electric Light Co Ltd. Co. Ltd • Founded in 1906 • Investor owned • 350 employees l • 36,000 customers – sole provider • 160 MW capacity it • 12 diesel and 7 gas turbine generators • North American standard of 120v, 60 cycles • kWh costs 4-6 times the typical cost in USA (~40¢) ( 40¢)
Metering background • Traditionally based on 3 different mechanical meter manufacturers • Started AMR deployment in 2005 • ~50% of meters replaced with AMR • Deployment paused in 2007 due to AMI • Initial drivers:- - Meter accuracy - Access - Reading efficiency
Present status of AMI project • T ti Testing smart meters with 900MHz RF mesh t t ith 900MH h • Pilot integration with Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) • Evaluating telecommunications options g p • Upgraded CIS – preparing for MDM • Enterprise Data Management implementation • Regulatory discussions on priorities and funding options
Regulatory priorities • C t Customer empowerment and energy t d efficiency/conservation: - C Consumption d data - Dynamic rate structures - Net metering - Demand response and DSM - Load curtailment
Challenges – mixed returns Source: MIT “Future of the Electric Grid”
Challenges • E Economic t b l i turbulence • F.U.D. regarding Smart Meters: - Health risks from RF emissions - Breach of privacy - Enabling surveillance and spying - S Security risks it i k - Increased consumption readings
Other considerations - data
Data estimates Indications f I di ti from other projects e.g. th j t • UK’s smart metering – 44m homes x 2 reads per d day = 32 billion annual d b ll l data events • At Austin Energy 500,000 smart meters at 15 minute reads = 200TB annually • 400MB per meter per year …..Approximately 15TB per year in Bermuda
Metering & sub metering sub-metering LEVEL I LEVEL II LEVEL III Appliance Usage Metering Monitor Home Energy Monitor Management System (HEMS) Plug-in to a device or appliance and Connect to utility meter and monitor Connect to meter and appliance to monitor consumption by kWh or household consumption by kWh or monitor appliance and household $$$’s e.g. Kill-A-Watt: $$$’s. Also upload information to consumption, automation, PC or web e.g. The Energy configuration and participate in Detective (TED): utility pricing events and DR/load curtailment e.g. T d il t il t Tendril:
Sub-metering Sub metering & HEMS • C Consumption d t b appliance ti data by li • A gateway to targeted load curtailment: - Water heaters - Pool pumps - Refrigeration - A/C ??? • Evolution from HEMS to home automation
HEMS – a crowded market market…
Meter communications • T ti Testing with RF mesh NAN – b kh l over ith h backhaul cellular (3G) networks • Evaluate impact of: l f - Long Term Evolution (LTE) - WiMax - Fibre-To-The-Home Fibre To The Home - Carrier based versus private? • Regulatory changes in telecoms industry l h l d
Communications Assumptions Requirements Capacity • Normal condition - ~0.20 MB per hour/300 smart meters • Critical/disaster condition – ~2.50 MB per hour/300 smart meters Message Latency • < 5 seconds for real-time smart meter operations Coverage • Island-wide available although meter p g positioning can be an issue g Reliability • > 98% for smart meter operations Security • Comply with NIST IR 7628 security guidelines
Communications options 3G RF Mesh PLC Network Type Operator managed WAN Utility deployed and Utility deployed and operated operated Topology Cellular Star, tree and mesh Power line Spectrum Licensed Unlicensed Power line Data Rate 1 Mbps Up to 100+ Kbps Up to 100+ Kbps Latency < 1 sec 1 – 60 sec < 1 sec Coverage Island wide although Up to ~50m Up to several Km’s with some weak areas k decreasing d t rate d i data t Reliability > 99% successful link Product and design Dependent on power line establishment specific quality Security Application layer security can ensure end-to-end protection
Communications options 3G RF Mesh PLC Ease of network • carrier maintained • Utility deployed and operated • Utility deployed and operated install & operation • strong market driving lower costs Lifetime • mature technology • Immature technology • dependent on long-term • still being deployed • Proprietary with no other technology momentum known use-cases Capacity & • high capacity with 2+ Mbps • low capacity/data rate • low data rate that degrades performance data rate today • performance dependent on over distance • superior latency performance network design Low interference • licensing of spectrum • Unlicensed spectrum shared • possible interference with with other networks protects from interference by cordless phones, baby wireless technologies monitors, upcoming 802.11ah etc. etc Voice & data • can utilize existing network • not available • not available availability agreements Strong Intermediate Weak / Not supported
Cost comparison e g e.g.
Benefits – customer Enhanced customer experience enabling: • Bill-to-date, web presentment, enhanced move in/move out move-in/move-out etc. • Pre-payment, enhanced budget billing etc. • S Security notifications it tifi ti • Faster restoration and improved prioritization ….however, the financial returns are hard to quantify…. quantify
Benefits - utility • Data, data, data….. • Improved customer service • O t Outage management t • Financial optimization - Rapid service activation/deactivation - theft mitigation (MDA) - flexibility (TOU, Pre-Pay, set & forget) - real-time cost management/recovery l ti t t/
AMI – evolving capabilities
Keys to success • Customer engagement is critical through education and understanding of th b d t di f the benefits. Di fit Dispel th F U D ! l the F.U.D.! • Commitment and support from all levels of the organization as many business units must collaborate • Data & telecoms architecture - invest the effort in the up-front analysis to get this right – after the fact will be p y g g expensive • Policy definition. understanding of legal and regulatory requirements – economies may form around the data • Process re-engineering. Situational awareness will drive the evolution from reactive to proactive business p processes
“It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information” …….quipped Oscar Wilde in 1894. 23

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Blais Presentation to Metering International Conference

  • 1. Christian Blais Vice President - IT BELCO Bermuda Challenges & solutions to extending the Smart Grid into Bermuda’s homes
  • 2. Bermuda • Settled in 1609, oldest British colony • 21 square miles of land mass • 700 miles off the coast of North Carolina il ff th t f N th C li • Sub-tropical climate (50’s – 80’s F) • Insurance, Investments and Tourism • 65,000 residents • Highest per capita income • Highest broadband penetration Hi h t b db d t ti
  • 3. Bermuda Electric Light Co Ltd. Co. Ltd • Founded in 1906 • Investor owned • 350 employees l • 36,000 customers – sole provider • 160 MW capacity it • 12 diesel and 7 gas turbine generators • North American standard of 120v, 60 cycles • kWh costs 4-6 times the typical cost in USA (~40¢) ( 40¢)
  • 4. Metering background • Traditionally based on 3 different mechanical meter manufacturers • Started AMR deployment in 2005 • ~50% of meters replaced with AMR • Deployment paused in 2007 due to AMI • Initial drivers:- - Meter accuracy - Access - Reading efficiency
  • 5. Present status of AMI project • T ti Testing smart meters with 900MHz RF mesh t t ith 900MH h • Pilot integration with Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) • Evaluating telecommunications options g p • Upgraded CIS – preparing for MDM • Enterprise Data Management implementation • Regulatory discussions on priorities and funding options
  • 6. Regulatory priorities • C t Customer empowerment and energy t d efficiency/conservation: - C Consumption d data - Dynamic rate structures - Net metering - Demand response and DSM - Load curtailment
  • 7. Challenges – mixed returns Source: MIT “Future of the Electric Grid”
  • 8. Challenges • E Economic t b l i turbulence • F.U.D. regarding Smart Meters: - Health risks from RF emissions - Breach of privacy - Enabling surveillance and spying - S Security risks it i k - Increased consumption readings
  • 10. Data estimates Indications f I di ti from other projects e.g. th j t • UK’s smart metering – 44m homes x 2 reads per d day = 32 billion annual d b ll l data events • At Austin Energy 500,000 smart meters at 15 minute reads = 200TB annually • 400MB per meter per year …..Approximately 15TB per year in Bermuda
  • 11. Metering & sub metering sub-metering LEVEL I LEVEL II LEVEL III Appliance Usage Metering Monitor Home Energy Monitor Management System (HEMS) Plug-in to a device or appliance and Connect to utility meter and monitor Connect to meter and appliance to monitor consumption by kWh or household consumption by kWh or monitor appliance and household $$$’s e.g. Kill-A-Watt: $$$’s. Also upload information to consumption, automation, PC or web e.g. The Energy configuration and participate in Detective (TED): utility pricing events and DR/load curtailment e.g. T d il t il t Tendril:
  • 12. Sub-metering Sub metering & HEMS • C Consumption d t b appliance ti data by li • A gateway to targeted load curtailment: - Water heaters - Pool pumps - Refrigeration - A/C ??? • Evolution from HEMS to home automation
  • 13. HEMS – a crowded market market…
  • 14. Meter communications • T ti Testing with RF mesh NAN – b kh l over ith h backhaul cellular (3G) networks • Evaluate impact of: l f - Long Term Evolution (LTE) - WiMax - Fibre-To-The-Home Fibre To The Home - Carrier based versus private? • Regulatory changes in telecoms industry l h l d
  • 15. Communications Assumptions Requirements Capacity • Normal condition - ~0.20 MB per hour/300 smart meters • Critical/disaster condition – ~2.50 MB per hour/300 smart meters Message Latency • < 5 seconds for real-time smart meter operations Coverage • Island-wide available although meter p g positioning can be an issue g Reliability • > 98% for smart meter operations Security • Comply with NIST IR 7628 security guidelines
  • 16. Communications options 3G RF Mesh PLC Network Type Operator managed WAN Utility deployed and Utility deployed and operated operated Topology Cellular Star, tree and mesh Power line Spectrum Licensed Unlicensed Power line Data Rate 1 Mbps Up to 100+ Kbps Up to 100+ Kbps Latency < 1 sec 1 – 60 sec < 1 sec Coverage Island wide although Up to ~50m Up to several Km’s with some weak areas k decreasing d t rate d i data t Reliability > 99% successful link Product and design Dependent on power line establishment specific quality Security Application layer security can ensure end-to-end protection
  • 17. Communications options 3G RF Mesh PLC Ease of network • carrier maintained • Utility deployed and operated • Utility deployed and operated install & operation • strong market driving lower costs Lifetime • mature technology • Immature technology • dependent on long-term • still being deployed • Proprietary with no other technology momentum known use-cases Capacity & • high capacity with 2+ Mbps • low capacity/data rate • low data rate that degrades performance data rate today • performance dependent on over distance • superior latency performance network design Low interference • licensing of spectrum • Unlicensed spectrum shared • possible interference with with other networks protects from interference by cordless phones, baby wireless technologies monitors, upcoming 802.11ah etc. etc Voice & data • can utilize existing network • not available • not available availability agreements Strong Intermediate Weak / Not supported
  • 19. Benefits – customer Enhanced customer experience enabling: • Bill-to-date, web presentment, enhanced move in/move out move-in/move-out etc. • Pre-payment, enhanced budget billing etc. • S Security notifications it tifi ti • Faster restoration and improved prioritization ….however, the financial returns are hard to quantify…. quantify
  • 20. Benefits - utility • Data, data, data….. • Improved customer service • O t Outage management t • Financial optimization - Rapid service activation/deactivation - theft mitigation (MDA) - flexibility (TOU, Pre-Pay, set & forget) - real-time cost management/recovery l ti t t/
  • 21. AMI – evolving capabilities
  • 22. Keys to success • Customer engagement is critical through education and understanding of th b d t di f the benefits. Di fit Dispel th F U D ! l the F.U.D.! • Commitment and support from all levels of the organization as many business units must collaborate • Data & telecoms architecture - invest the effort in the up-front analysis to get this right – after the fact will be p y g g expensive • Policy definition. understanding of legal and regulatory requirements – economies may form around the data • Process re-engineering. Situational awareness will drive the evolution from reactive to proactive business p processes
  • 23. “It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information” …….quipped Oscar Wilde in 1894. 23