A SMARTERGRID STARTS WITH SMART METERS
Electrical District No. 3 (ED3) completed a major technology upgrade - transitioning approximately 35,000+ customer meters to advanced smart meters. This multi-year project to install smart meters from Sensus has allowed the utility to modernize its infrastructure and improve service and efficiency. The smart meter initiative was completed prior to its roadway map for implementing the NISC enterprise software.
OPTIMIZING OPERATIONS The new Sensus smart meters use point-to-point radio frequency communication rather than the old power line carrier system. This provides more data, better monitoring capabilities, and enhanced control features. With the smart meters, the utility can connect and disconnect single-phase meters remotely instead of sending a truck roll.
MAXIMIZING RELIABILITY The smart meters have significantly improved outage management and outage response times. When an outage occurs, system dispatch can immediately see the impacted area on their outage management system integrated with the smart meters. This allows them to quickly troubleshoot the potential cause and location, drastically reducing outage duration compared to the old manual method. By getting crews out faster to fix outages, the utility can restore power more quickly and improve overall system reliability. Other key benefits include improved voltage monitoring, detection of power theft, and integration with the next-gen billing system through deployment of the NISC software platform. The smart meters are also prepped for the future, allowing over-the-air software updates.
EFFECTIVE COORDINATION The smart meter overhaul exemplifies ED3’s ability to make pragmatic decisions for the future that includes an evolving smart grid. This kind of agile decision-making, combined with close coordination between multiple groups like metering, engineering, operations, vendors, and management, empowered the team to nimbly adapt installation schedules and concentrate labor power where it made most sense. Such organizational flexibility and strong teamwork across all levels were critical success factors that kept this massive grid metering modernization initiative on track despite Covid delays, supply chain hurdles, and other unforeseen challenges along the way. The cohesive execution highlights the district's preparedness to continue evolving its infrastructure to meet future demands.
