Making a business case for smart meters: Some additional benefits from SP AusNet s smart meter rollout

Transcription

1 Making a business case for smart meters: Some additional benefits from SP AusNet s smart meter rollout Neil Webb SP AusNet Smart Networks Business Intelligence Lead - Customer

2 What s in scope for today? and what s not Yes, I ll talk about smart meters No, I ll not be talking about reading meters

3 Other stuff beyond meter reading Some key thoughts on our smart meters: The smart meter is a low voltage network sensor (with meter reading) The smart meter has room to add new functionality The smart meter supports various WAN and HAN networks The smart meter WAN network is extensible and flexible The smart meter is smart and operates independently The smart meter has remotely upgradable software (firmware) and something about our environment: SP AusNet has limited monitoring of the low voltage network SP AusNet (as a Victorian distributor) has limited customer engagement SP AusNet has no residential demand response capability

4 Our smart meter technology domain Our smart meters are comprised of these primary components L+G U12xx/U3xxx meter A hot swappable communications module, either L+G / GE WiMAX communications module; or 3G communications module ZigBee SEP 1.1 on each communications module with Grid Net PolicyNet Network Management System in the data centre Grid Net PolicyNet SmartNOS resident on the communications module L+G meter programs and firmware on the meter

5 Getting more out of the smart meter Building a business case for remote meter reading is primarily an exercise in time & motion with some billing-orientated consumer benefits, for example remote connect/disconnect The Vic specifications provide a platform for additional electrical network and consumer benefits State and federal bodies are promoting greater customer engagement through education, pricing and control methodologies

6 Some smart meter initiatives at SP AusNet Asset Management PUF & PUF/fuse Consumer myhomeenergy Web Portal (inc VEET) Safety Unauthorised export energy detection Loss of Neutral detection Wire-down detection and locating Network Management Voltage profiling for code compliance LV Phase Identification Excessive Impedance detection

7 Asset Management PUF & PUF per fuse What is it? Plant Utilisation Factor (PUF) is an index for our distribution substations that indicates current usage against rating now and projected forward based on demand and historical weather data. Even for non-interval meters, a 15 min profile is constructed based on real data for that location, for that time period, for that customer type / tariff What are the benefits? Provides for the correct sizing of distribution substations as demand changes; prevents unnecessary outages during hot weather spells; predicts accelerated asset aging What are the issues? Heavy CPU load when calculating 15 min profiles for non-interval meters Works best with AMI and C&I interval feeds hard to project some unmetered loads How much does it cost? Business case developed based on reduced unscheduled outages, optimised network planning, reduced s-factor payments and improved asset life cycle maintenance Now what? PUF/fuse takes the same logic for normal PUF but at fuse level granularity, looking at the correct sizing of fuses and also considers scenarios where the loss of a substation may occur due to fuse over rating

8 Asset Management PUF & PUF per fuse Temperature Calculated load profile for sub Interval data available

9 Customer myhomeenergy Web Portal What is it? A customer web portal for the display of the customer s 30-min interval readings from the smart meter What are the benefits? The portal also provided customers with a unique view of their personal household energy consumption so that they can manage their energy better - especially with the imminent introduction of "flexible pricing". Potential future integration into VEET and other HEMS technology. As a Victorian distributor, we currently have limited direct access to customers. The portal provides SP AusNet with that relationship at a simple level. That relationship can then be used for other network benefits in the future, eg residential demand response What are the issues? Technology selection in an area that has few players and a general lack of maturity; first real direct customer engagement for SP AusNet; strong desire to not build a bespoke solution from scratch How much does it cost? Calculated risk model for entry into a new domain with limited opportunity for short term return. Long term HEMS opportunity combined with mid term CSR plus network orientated benefits Now what? Initial customer launch last Monday 19 November (myhomeenergy.com.au). Future upgrades to add further functionality and expand into VEET. Expanded business case for HEMS.

10 Asset Management myhomeenergy Customer Web Portal

11 Asset Management myhomeenergy Customer Web Portal

12 Consumer Solar Export to Grid Safety Unauthorised PV export What is it? Solar PV poses several problems for the distribution network management including localised voltage increases, reverse flow from 240V to 22kV, unauthorised solar installations. There are also many benefits & challenges e.g. correct dist sub sizing in high solar penetration areas (PUF) What are the benefits? Limited for distributors. Numerous for the customer. What are the issues? Export to the grid prior to safety inspections is to be strongly discouraged Lack of anti-islanding testing presents a risk to field employees during maintenance & outages How much does it cost? Nothing, almost. Data is easily extracted and presented in numerous formats as required Now what? Expand presentation and usage; add more views and data dimensions; look at using the data more in network load planning to avoid over sizing dist subs

13 Consumer Solar Export to Grid Safety Unauthorised PV export

14 Safety Loss of Neutral detection What is it? Analysis of smart meter data can identify irregularities in the behaviour of the supply connection to the household What are the benefits? Primarily detects a significant safety issue, reducing customer calls / complaints, improved reputation for reliability Ability to cease / target aerial supply cable replacement based on metrics rather than conductor batch or simply years in service ( ain t broke, don t fix it ) What are the issues? Lots of data to be analysed as every smart meter must currently record and report the data samples; How much does it cost? The data sampling cost is minimal aside from the data volumes. The analysis algorithms are not complex but do require field tuning to be reliable Now what? Also looking at high/low voltage threshold warnings; automatic local responses in the case of brown out being detected (ie temporarily disconnect supply); localised automatic loss of neutral detection and alarming / supply disconnection scenarios

15 Safety Loss of Neutral detection Lowest voltage on LV Circuit Highest voltage on LV Circuit Household LV Aerial Service Line Cable replaced loss of neutral confirmed on site

16 Network Management Voltage Monitoring What is it? Monitoring the voltage profile of the 240v network provides for code compliance, high voltage peaks and low voltage troughs, What are the benefits? Improved behaviour for consumers, less call outs, less insurance claims Network code compliance, PV voltage impacts, customer complaints quickly resolved with extended history per each customer s meter, What are the issues? Fairly easy process once reasonable granularity data is available from the smart meter. Some meter software upgrades to improve efficiency How much does it cost? Voltage monitoring has direct commercial benefits, but also a regulatory requirement. Also acts as infrastructure for many other initiatives. Alone, hard to quantify Now what? Full production monitoring of 240v across the SP AusNet network

17 Network Management Voltage Monitoring After Before 216v 253v Red Original Voltage Yellow 1 st Tap Change Green 2 nd Tap Change

18 Network Management Voltage Heat Map

19 Network Management LV Phase Identification What is it? LV Phase identification is a set of techniques and algorithms that use data collected from the smart meter to identify which circuit and phase that supplies each smart meter What are the benefits? Aside from providing improved balancing of the demand per circuit, per phase of the LV network, other network issues can be better identified once the circuit/phase relationship is know. This is essentially a building block for other smart meter initiatives. Incorrect meter to dist sub cross-referencing issues are also identified What are the issues? This is a technically complex process where other studies and implementations have had limited success. We have taken a different approach. New firmware has been developed for the smart meters and has recently commenced field deployment. There is also a large computational load with large data sizes necessary to reach the high confidence figures required. How much does it cost? The business case for this infrastructure work depends on the other business benefits that flow from this information. While it utilising other systems, the algorithmic tools and necessary cpu and storage will require justification Now what? Complete the production implementation and deploy the meter policy to all SP AusNet smart meters.

20 Network Management LV Phase Identification 20

21 More stuff happening or planned for this year Asset Management Low voltage network planning model inc solar / EV Consumer HEMS Outage detection / alerting Safety Brown Out detection and local response Loss of Neutral local response Wire-down detection (SCADA) and locating (AMI) Network Management Network impedance irregularity detection Voltage banding and alerting (prelude to IVVC) Network tariff optimisation (side benefit from IT investment)

22 Thanks