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Advanced Metering Infrastructure for Distribution Planning and Operation: Closing the Loop on Grid-Edge Visibility

Journal Article · · IEEE Electrification Magazine

In the recent history of electric utilities, the potential to have visibility of the grid edge is gaining significance for the reliable planning and operation of a clean energy smart grid. Before the recent large-scale customer adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs), distribution networks were planned with a simpler fit-and-forget philosophy. The importance of customer-sited DERs to achieve climate change goals marks a major shift for utility operations. Changes to traditional fit-and-forget planning paradigms require better availability of grid-edge data. Smart metering is an enterprise-wide tool that is enabling visibility when and where it has been most needed. As of 2020, the rollout of smart metering, or advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), had reached more than 100 million meters in the United States, and nearly half of all electricity customers are now equipped with a smart meter (Figure 1). Smart meters are quickly becoming a ubiquitous data capture feature of smart grids. AMI enables utilities to record and measure electricity usage and power-flow metrics at a minimum of hourly intervals and at least once a day. At a minimum, AMI enables interval metering, automatic meter reading enabling accurate and time-interval billing, and the ability to provide feedback on customer energy consumption.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Hawaiian Electric Company
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1922397
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-6A40-83724; MainId:84497; UUID:1cc0cac1-c426-4e2a-9048-c01dad7f3f27; MainAdminID:68554
Journal Information:
IEEE Electrification Magazine, Vol. 10, Issue 4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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