Talking meters save labor, improve service for rural Wyoming co-op
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Meter Technician Bill Dahlke installs the substation equipment necessary to operate the Two Way Automatic Communications System, which will allow Carbon Power & Light to take detailed and accurate meter readings from its central office. (Photo courtesy of Carbon Power & Light)
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Small doesn't have to mean old-fashioned, as Carbon Power & Light is proving by being one of only two rural co-ops in the west to install "talking" meters throughout its service territory.
The Saratoga, Wyo., electric cooperative is about two-thirds through retrofitting each of its 5,600 meters with the Two Way Automatic Communications System. TWACS enables an operator in the CP&L office to request specific information from a meter. The meter sends the requested data back to the office, a process that takes a total of around 18 seconds.
Automated meter reading technology is based on more than two decades of development, testing and utility use. "TWACS has been around for several years, but most of the users are big utilities in the east," noted CP&L General Manager Chuck Larsen. "A utility in South Dakota was looking at the system the same time we were, and the manufacturer was looking for a way to introduce TWACS west of the Mississippi River. I guess that makes this sort of a demonstration project."
Small co-op finds many uses for detailed load data
Larsen read about TWACS in REA Magazine and realized that AMR could be a boon to a small rural utility. "Our linemen don't have to spend two days a month reading meters, and rural customers don't have to take their own readings anymore," he said. "We can take accurate, incredibly detailed readings without leaving the office."
And that is only the beginning of the talking meters' capabilities. TWACS monitors power usage at 15-minute intervals, giving members a better understanding of their energy use and billing. "That's one of the biggest advantages to the system," said Larsen. "If someone feels they were overcharged, we can point to the day and time the kilowatts were consumed. It can help customers figure out how to reduce their energy costs."
The system has potential as a demand response tool. Detailed data can be used for load forecasting and pricing, while load control capabilities help utilities measure load management effectiveness. The two-way system enables operators to remotely record and reset peak demand.
Outages and service problems can be detected and corrected faster with TWACS. If a member reports a problem with blinking lights or thinks that the voltage isn't right, CP&L can check the data on that meter. Recently, the meters on two unoccupied homes in the same area stopped reporting at the same time. A lineman dispatched to the location discovered that a transformer had blown out. Without TWACS, the utility would not have found the problem until the residents returned home and called in complaints.
An extra component installed at the same time as the TWACS module allows electrical service to be connected and disconnected from the office. CP&L is installing the component on houses and apartments that have frequent changes in service status.
Training and financial investment benefits members
Such advanced technology turned out to be surprisingly easy to use, a good thing since a small utility cannot afford to tie up staff in extensive training sessions. CP&L sent a meter technician and a member of the billing department to the manufacturer to learn how to install and operate the system. The meter technician installs the TWACS module in standard meters in the shop. It takes linemen less than a minute to simply replace old meters on homes and businesses with new units. Customers experience only a brief outage followed by more accurate and precise bills.
The biggest issue in adopting a new technology for any utility is the cost. CP&L funded the purchase of TWACS equipment, with a $600,000 loan from the Rural Utilities Service. "RUS announced that it was considering AMR systems for loan fund eligibility, so we didn't have to make a case beyond the usual application process," Larsen said.
All the co-op had to do was find the right AMR system for its needs. CP&L chose TWACS because it was a power line carrier system, using existing power lines for data transmission. Radio transmission, another form of AMR data collection, was ruled out because of difficult terrain within the service area. Another advantage to TWACS was that delivery point substations are the only collection points, further simplifying the installation.
With more accurate billing, reduced field trips and faster response to service problems, Larsen estimates that TWACS will pay for itself within four to five years. He credited the CP&L board of directors for taking an open-minded and progressive approach to new technology. "CP&L has always prided itself on being the little co-op with big ideas, and our members are the ones who ultimately benefit," he stated.
