AM 1.0 - Residential AMI Case Study
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Statement of Methodology

Application
Method
Site Selection
The following criteria was used to select the site:
Location
Demographics
Comparable construction
TNS System and TWACS
TNS and TWACS are already in use due to previous system upgrades (AMR, and load control. A new server with greater capacity was installed in order to receive and store the increase in data retrieved by the AMI meters.
Smart Meter Selection
UMT
TWACS Advanced Meter
 Measurements The following areas will be measured:
The impact of e-tools in helping consumers change their behavior
Effective processes and procedures for proper end-user information
Additional values of AMI
MySource Meter
Customers can access their real time and historical energy consumption data through this site and from any location that has internet available. MySource meter will also provide weather data.
Education and Training
In order that customers will attain the most value from MySource and MySource Meter, Central Rural Electric Cooperative will provide hands on training.
Customer Survey
To measure the effectiveness of the AMI project a survey will be conducted. The survey will include questions pertaining to energy usage and behavior modification.


Case Study Analysis Minimize


AMI Functional ROR (Beyond kWh)


Integrated Cost Savings Analysis


Consumer Behavior

AMI Functional ROR (Beyond kWh)

AMI offers significant value beyond kWh.  The critical questions are, how much value and how is it attained?  Smart Energy Source is developing a rate of return grid that will provide insight to key elements such as impact constraints, process improvement needs, competencies needed, technology constraints, etc.  This will provide greater insight as to the low hanging fruit and how to create a model that is cascaded based on ROR and the overall value proposition.


This data is on the SES gateway on MySource and is available to SES Partners. To become an SES parner, click here.


Integrated Cost Savings Analysis

AMI provides savings to the utilities independently, but the SES case study will evaluate the cost savings of an integrated utility model.  The integrated business model will analyze how economies of scale can impact cost savings specifically.  Equipment cost, engineering, project management, process re-engineering, and system operations all have significant costs assigned with them and the analysis will determine the projected savings through leveraging resources and assets.


This data is on the SES gateway on MySource and is available to SES Partners. To become an SES parner, click here.


Consumer Behavior

The case study will analyze the impact of providing real-time data to the consumer with an in-home interface (MySource).  The intent is to determine what impact additional information will have on consumer usage.  Will the consumer utilize the data to make informed decisions about usage and ways to cut cost?


This data is on the SES gateway on MySource and is available to SES Partners. To become an SES parner, click here.



AM 1.0 Residential AMI

Although many utilities have been using automated meter reading technology for reading meters for quite some time, the information was only used to benefit the utility. More specifically, the billing department was the primary department that used the meter readings. With AMI technology the information provided by the meter not only benefits the utility but also the consumer. Another advantage to AMI is the amount of data that the unit is able to gather, the AMI is more advanced than AMR and even utilities are just realizing the potential of AMI technology. The question becomes, are utilities able to utilize this data to improve business practices? At this time the answer is probably not.


Case Study Objectives
♦  Provide e-tools to consumers that will help them make smarter energy decisions.
♦  Make better use of down line automation equipment.
♦  Determine if smart meters decrease service calls and customer billing complaints.
♦  Compare behavior patterns of consumers with smart meters to those who do not have smart meters.
♦ Measure effectiveness of smart meter utilizing surveys and use data to determine if the AMI program benefits the utility and the consumer.
♦  Provide a modeling of time-of-use.
♦  Analyze the impact of AMI on business practices to maximize the benefits enabled by the technology.
♦  Integration of technology to manage the data generated by an AMI system through efficient integration and interoperability measures for the purpose of automating business processes.


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