AMR/AMIMetering Experiences

IURPA/SURPA/SCRPA

Conference – June 2010Eddie Fee, Jr.

Revenue Assurance Administrator

AMR @ OUC

1998 – Started using walk-by AMR (Itron)– Mechanical meter w/ electronic AMR module– Select ‘rear-lot’ subdivisions, installed by employees– Currently have ~55,000 AMR walk-by in field

2001 – Started using fixed network AMR (Itron)– Pole or wall-mounted collection & concentrators– LSA apartment complexes, installed by employees– Eliminates ~28,000 trips annually for off-cycle read– Currently have ~20,000 AMR fixed network– Meters read twice daily

AMI @ OUC

2005 – Started testing of AMI– Elster’s Energy Axis (REX) system– Remote Disconnect capability (under canopy)– Communicates meter to meter & back to collection point

2008 – Installed AMI addt’l 7,500 AMI meters– Select neighborhoods, installed by contractors

Currently have ~30,000 AMI meters in field– Meter read twice daily

Contractor Installation of AMI

100% in-shop testing of all removed meters– Wanted to gain better knowledge of meter tamper

rates for service territory– Overall meter tamper rate of 3.7% with some

neighborhoods as high as 14.4%– Even w/ training, only 26% of tampered meters

actually reported by contractor

AMR Tamper Flags

Itron AMR Tamper Flags– Tilt & Inverse tamper flags associated w/ outage– Must be filtered against valid field orders– Sometimes sign of electronic module failure

Elster AMI Outage Flags– REX1 – dip in voltage recorded as ‘outage’– REX2 – dips not recorded as ‘outage’– Must be filtered against valid field orders and

recorded OMS outages for area

AMR/AMI Exposures & Considerations

Contractor installs w/o meter testing may not give utility good understanding of tamper rates

Develop reporting tools during test phase & before major deployment

No monthly Meter Read visit to inspect seal, meter, & report safety hazards at location

Tampering during outages may go unnoticed Pirated software to change/re-program meter