Lacelede Electric Cooperative gets proof positive that wireless AMI can cost-effectively take care of its current needs and provide the technology foundation for meeting tomorrow’s demands.

Stoutland, Conway, Eldridge, Laquey. Sounds like a punishing front four defensive line.

Whereas linemen are generally large, the communities served by Laclede Electric Cooperative are anything but. Few weigh in at more than 1000 residents. Together, though, the dozens of cities, towns and villages spread across a 1400 square mile service area in south-central Missouri add up to more than 35000 members.

It’s the job of Laclede Electric Cooperative to ensure that all members – regardless of location – receive exceptional customer service and a reliable supply of energy, all at a reasonable cost.

Today, that means considerably more than what was envisioned in 1938, the year the cooperative was established. Back then, just getting power to distant farms and far-flung settlements was a significant accomplishment in a region that flanks the Ozark Mountains, and where a quilted terrain of pastures, farmland and woodland is stitched together by a network of streams.

A SIMPLE QUESTION LAUNCHES AMI INVESTIGATION
Two years ago, Laclede went looking for an AMI solution. It sought much more than a one-trick automated meter reading system. It wanted a solution that would cost-effectively take care of its current needs and provide the technology foundation for meeting tomorrow’s demands.

Central to its investigation was the question: “How can we better serve our members?”

Laclede wanted access to up-to-the-second field data such as outage, restoration, power quality events and load profiles to help them better manage and quickly resolve issues that affected people and businesses directly. Realizing that outstanding customer service stems from behind the scenes efficiency, Laclede also wanted technology that could capture granular performance data – from meters and other field devices – and easily incorporate it into backend business and engineering applications.

Down the road, it wanted a system that kept pace with evolving market conditions, making Time-Of-Use (TOU) pricing, remote disconnect, prepaid billing, and other Smart Grid services such as Demand Response and Distribution Automation easy to introduce and manage.

Like a lot of utilities, Laclede knew that AMI was the answer. But the next question was multiple choice: “What type of advanced metering would be right for the cooperative?”

To help answer this question, it enlisted Bob Herbst of Power System Engineering, a consultant with a successful track record of helping utilities navigate through technology decisions, particularly those involving automation and communications technologies.

Bringing Herbst onboard early helped Laclede clarify its AMI needs. He underscored the importance of selecting a communications network that would support the broader potential of the Smart Grid, and provided insight into the options and opportunities open to them. Plus, he helped the utility keep the evaluation process on track through what can be a complex and consequential stage.

TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN – AMI IN CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS
“At first, Laclede leaned toward PLC,” said Herbst. “When we looked closely at the coverage, deployment efficiency, cost per read and other factors, a wireless system came out on top this time. It offered functionality that met the co-op’s immediate AMI plans."

But would RF work? Missouri is, after all, the "show me" state and the cooperative's board wanted proof positive that a wireless system would operate reliably in the windswept Ozark Mountains and in a service area that incorporates a diverse range of customer densities.

One of the communication technologies Herbst thought Laclede should evaluate was the Tantalus Utility Network (TUNet®).

TUNet is known for its performance record in challenging service areas such as those in the Appalachian mountain range. The robust 220 MHz RF signal offers excellent radio range and penetration across uneven countryside and provides sufficient bandwidth for Smart Grid applications. This gives a utility deployment flexibility and the freedom to add new capabilities without adding more infrastructure. The network is already in place for the next stage of evolution.

“Tantalus proved to us that the entire service area could be covered using only seven tower sites,” added Ken Miller, the Cooperative’s General Manager. “This is an advantage over PLC which would have required injection points at each of our 27 substations. More infrastructure adds more costs, more maintenance, and increases the risk of site failure.”

“Unlike PLC, the wireless TUNet system provides definitive outage information after the power goes out, which is beneficial for a utility located in Tornado Alley’s fast lane. TUNet lets us gauge the full extent of an event within seconds – isolated outages or widespread blackout – and prioritize response to critical areas. We’ll now know about a problem before a member calls. It’s like being able to see in the dark.”

The "push" capability of TUNet makes this possible. Rather than polling devices on a fixed schedule then waiting for the response, TUNet automatically alerts the utility the instant a problem or anomaly occurs. Outages, power quality events, potential theft issues, and intermittent performance problems are immediately identified, which allows the utility to flag it for follow-up or prioritize response.

In other words, the utility gets critical information when it's hot, not after-the-fact when the call center is lit up with customer complaints.

TUNet also notifies the utility when power is restored, which helps ensure that no isolated outages remain after the crew departs. Near real-time outage reporting reduces downtime so a utility can quickly re-establish its revenue stream and provide a high level of service to customers.

TUNet HITS THE HOTSPOT WITH COLD LOAD PICK-UP
Another feature that caught Laclede’s eye was TUNet's cold-load pick-up capability.

“Few people realize that an outage is a two pronged attack – first when the lights go off, second when they come back on,” Miller stated.

The in-rush of demand during restoration trips the feeder or load back off-line, making restoration challenging and dramatically impacting customer service.

“The phenomenon is most common during cold snaps and heat waves when heating systems or air conditioners are running full tilt. Compounding the problem is that people tend to leave their lights and appliances switched on during the outage.”

Tantalus is developing a Gradual Connection option which will allow a utility to restore power step by step and avoid problems associated with cold load pick-up. TUNet Load Management devices will serve as the gateway that enables a utility to turn power back on systematically over a period of time. The solution involves TUNet’s group addressing feature, which allows the customer and/or the utility to select the order of precedence for re-activating direct load appliances such as furnaces, air conditioners or pool pumps.

“It’s like a reverse load shedding event. Instead of cycling power off, we will be able to turn it on safely and methodically, and thus return to normal operations without running the risk of a subsequent overload,” added Miller.

“Here, outages are a fact of life. Minimizing their impact is a priority. With this technology we can reduce lost revenues due to outages, improve the accuracy of SAIFI and SAIDI reports, and increase customer satisfaction.”

LEARN TO WALK, THEN START TO RUN
Laclede took a thorough approach to technology evaluation, offered Herbst. They didn’t just want to get a project going. They wanted to start in the right direction and on the right foot.

“They knew that every step toward full Smart Grid functionality would in some way be tied to the communications network. Wireless AMI proved to be the best fit and could also give it the maximum amount of flexibility as the journey progressed.”

Miller calls it a crawl, walk, run approach. But now, the cooperative is ready to hit the ground at full speed.

“Several towers have already been rigged with 220 MHz antennas, which will form the Wide Area Network communications backbone and give us plenty of bandwidth and redundancy over a broad service area. By early February, we plan to have the first set of meters in the field and then keep the pace up by deploying approximately 6000 meters a quarter until the project is completed at the end of 2010.”

The project calls for a complete change-out of existing electromechanical meters with solid-state Itron CENTRON® meters for residential accounts. Combining Itron’s precise metering technology with Tantalus’ versatile data communications network creates an AMI network that delivers the data needed for Smart Grid applications and ongoing operational and business improvements.

DESKTOP ACCESS SPEEDS CUSTOMER REPONSIVENESS
Like any major technology implementation, along the way there may be bumps in the road, Miller acknowledged. One of these could be getting staff up-to-speed with the new technology.

“AMI impacts every corner of the utility. Data delivered via TUNet will be integrated into our NISC iVUE billing system as well as load forecasting and other applications which can help Laclede improve system performance, forecasting and records management.

TUNet provides simple and straightforward interface options such as Multispeak that give Laclede the ability to easily integrate TUNet into the existing core business applications. Tantalus has focused considerable effort on making integration simple so that small and mid-tier utilities can leverage the data without hiring additional staff or overwhelming the IT department.

An easy-to-use, Web-based interface gives desktop access to information on power quality, current and historic usage readings, and status of individual or groups of meters as well as the ability to read-in (or read-out) new accounts without a site visit. Using TUNet’s over-the-air programming, staff can also change the reporting parameters of meters remotely.

For instance, a utility can enroll a homeowner in a demand response program in just seconds, change TOU reporting tiers or even adjust the order in which devices are re-activated if a home is part of a cold load pick-up program.

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES
Laclede’s AMI program may have started with a simple question: “How do we better serve our members?” But the answer it arrived at will result in value added member services and operational improvements in the short term, and years to come.

“It gives us the foundation to add Smart Grid applications as they become relevant and beneficial to our utility and our members,” added Miller. "Tantalus demonstrated the commitment and insight to work with us in applying TUNet for maximum results."

Better information leads to more accurate billing and forecasting, greater reliability and faster repairs. With TUNet, Laclede can eliminate the need to dispatch field crews to investigate every issue and provide our CSRs with the ability to respond quickly and knowledgeably to customer inquiries.

“The result will be improved 24/7 operational performance, minimal off-cycle reads, and fast customer service on every front, from clarifying statements to addressing blinking lights and brownout reports. Laclede never lost sight of its fundamental desire to provide members with the highest quality service and reliability possible,” concluded Herbst.

“The diligence and thoroughness demonstrated by the Laclede team during the technology assessment stage is commendable. The Cooperative was meticulous in its approach, getting input from all stakeholders and laying down the functional capabilities and economic benefits it required from an AMI system alongside its goals for future Smart Grid initiatives."

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