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

Journal Article · Fri Dec 09 04:00:00 EST 2022 · IEEE Electrification Magazine

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/MELE.2022.3211102· OSTI ID:1922397

McKenna, Killian; Gotseff, Pete; Chee, Meredith; Ifuku, Earle

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 Laboratory (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, Journal Name: IEEE Electrification Magazine Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 10
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
advanced metering infrastructure
distributed energy resources
distribution network
distribution systems
grid-edge
metering