Implementation of AMR and its Application in Outage Management PPL Electric Utilities Corp

1
Implementation of AMR and its Application in
Outage ManagementPPL Electric Utilities Corp

• Michael S Godorov
• Manager - AMR Operations
• June 2, 2005

2
Introduction

• Overview
• Project Mission
• Project Description
• AMR Technologies
• How Did We Do?
• Benefits
• Outage Verification
• Conclusion

3
Overview

• PPL Electric Utilities
• regulated electricity gas subsidiary of PPL
  Corp
• Annual revenues assets of PPL Corp.
• 5.8 billion 17.7 billion, respectively
• Serves 1.35 million customers over 10,000 square
  miles in Central Eastern Pennsylvania

1
4
PPL Electric Utilities

• Central and eastern Pennsylvania
• 10,000 square miles
• 1.35 million customers
• 680 million TD revenue
• 7,500 MW peak load
• 35.9 billion kwh delivered
• 2,200 employees

5
Project Mission

• Establish best metering automation plan
• address 3 major challenges
• increasing costs
• retail market deregulation
• unbundling revenue cycle services
• Challenge - establish as strategic enabling
  initiative, not just a meter reading solution
• How to accomplish
• establish a cross functional project team
• complete within less than 3 years from first
  meter exchanged
• assure near term gains would be secured
• investigate future benefits from AMI
  implementation

1
6
Project Description

• Established AMI project plan
• 5 phases
• detailed interviews
• detailed internal cost benefit analysis
• characterized best value proposition
• rigorous SST, plan to support implementation
• deploy meters, SCEs and cellular gateways
• Justification
• comprehensive economic analysis
• payback approximately 5 years
• Goals
• achieve benefits
• implement on budget and schedule
• explore future benefit opportunities

1
7
AMR Technology - PLC
Power Line Communications (PLC)
Communications Server
Billing system
Distribution Substation
Telecommunications Link
PPL Net
PPL Workstations (PC)
Substation Control Equipment
PPL TD Management Systems
Power Lines
Meter Retrofitted with Module
ServiceTo Home
8
AMR Technology - CDMA
Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Solution
provided by Comverge
PowerCAMP
Telecommunications Link
CSS
PPL Net
Client Workstations (PC)
Meters equipped with Cellular Radios
Existing Cellular Transmitter (Public Network)
Energy Management, Outage Management Systems
9
How did we do?

• Goals
• project delivered in less time than expected
• benefits realized and completed within budget
• Implementation
• largest AMI system 2-3 years
• deployed using IBEW and contractor workforce
• highest average daily exchange rate - 4200 meters
• 313 DCSI TWACS SCEs in 1-1/2 years

1
10
Benefits

• Significantly eliminated estimated bills
• Ability to access difficult-to-read meters
• Reduced trips to field (connect/disconnect read)
• Improved power outage detection and restoration
  process
• Resolve Billing Disputes on telephone via
  on-demand requests for meter reading information
• More timely bills
• Improved access and information on energy
  consumption to resolve high bill complaints
• Enhanced customer satisfaction
• Reduction in safety exposure

11
Outage Verification

• Reliability
• Outage verification
• application of PLC application
• hierarchical view of feeders, devices from a
  substation
• Enables circuit monitoring
• use of blink count
• identify potential neutral and phase issues on
  circuit

12
Outage Verification

• During Hurricane Isabel, PPL used AMR to aid in
  the restoration process by sending electronic
  signals to the AMR meter to verify that customers
  had service.
• the use of the AMR system allowed us to more
  thoroughly analyze outage locations and help
  dispatchers to direct crews more effectively.
• personnel entered transformer grid numbers into a
  web based application and pinged the meters
  associated to the transformer grid.
• within less than a minute users were able to view
  the status of communications with the meters to
  verify power to the meter
• Today, we use this functionality to aid
  restoration
• single no-light calls storm-related outages
• more automated

13
Outage Verification
AWSEM Ping Tool
14
Outage Verification
AWSEM Ping Tool
15
Outage Verification
AWSEM Ping Tool
16
Outage Verification
AWSEM Ping Tool
17
Outage Verification
AWSEM Ping Tool
18
Outage Verification

• Additional needs of an Outage assessment tool
• ping meters with fewer commands
• recognize extent of system problems
• improve service restoration monitoring
• proactive identification of service issues

19
Outage Verification
Group addressing
Ping more meters with less commands

• Allows us to ping up to 64 meters with one
  command
• Less commands for TNS to process

20
Outage Verification
OASys Outage Application
21
Conclusion

• We are meeting the requirements of the business
  case
• Improved our credibility with customers
• Overall, we are a better company with this
  solution
• For more information contact
• Mike Godorov at PPL 484.634.3277
• msgodorov_at_pplweb.com

1