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Automated Meter Reading
Automated Meter Reading
A
utomated Meter Reading (AMR) is an
established method used by electric
utilities for billing their large and
industrial customers. With advances in
solid-sate electronics, microprocessors
and Wireless technology, it is now possible to
design cost effective systems to overcome problems
associated with utility meter reading in commercial,
residential and manufacturing sectors. Automatic
Sub metering helps the consumer, the power
provider and energy services provider access to the
latest and accurate information from the metering
devices and also provides savings in time,
manpower, and helps efficiency and energy
management. Many countries have adopted this
technology for such numerous advantages.
An automatic meter reading installation can
provide following features to energy suppliers:
Ç Periodic electric, gas and water meter reading
Ç On-demand electric meter reading meter reads)
Ç Interval energy and demand meter reading Ç Load control and emergency load shed
Ç Tamper and Outage detection Ç Electric, gas, and water usage profiling
Ç Customer “connect” and “disconnect” (via Ç Time of use metering
Ç Detailed information on energy consumption
Ç Reduced meter reading costs
Ç Ability to access difficult-to-read meters
Ç Improved customer service
Ç Reduced percentage of estimated bills
Ç Improved meter reader safety
Ç Implementation of real-time pricing
Ç Reduced read-to-bill time
Ç Improved fraud detection
terminals that communicate with a central communications take place over the same lines
controller via phone lines. There is great similarity that deliver electricity. This technique involves
between the host side electronic meter reading and injecting a high frequency AC carrier onto the
automatic meter reading system function. power line and modulating this carrier with data
Following figure shows a typical PLC originating from the remote meter or central
implementation. station. Power line carrier techniques may be used
successfully and cost effectively for short distances;
i.e., from a customer's meter to a pole or surface-
mounted transformer. It is very expensive to pass
this data through a distribution transformer and
onto the primary distribution lines and the resulting
communications is slow due to the narrow
bandwidth and mono-directional meaning data is
transmitted from the meter to the utility but the utility
can not send data or control signals back to the
meter or associated devices at the subscriber side.
Radio Frequency - Radio frequency, or RF,
systems make use of small low power RF
transmitters or transceivers located at the controller.
These may take advantage of licensed or
unlicensed portions of the RF spectrum and the
effective radiated power of the transmitter. This
scheme employs a mobile unit operated in a van
that sends a wakeup signal and transmit command
to the remote meter units in its range. The remote
meter units picks up the signal and respond by
sending back requested data to the van's computer
for later uploading and billing. A variation of this
approach employs remote meter units that
regularly transmit every few seconds and a small
portable receiver connected to a hand-held data
Communication methods terminal.
There are several communication methods used for
meter reading, they have various strengths and End Users
weaknesses. These communication methods In all the aforementioned countries, AMR meters
include have been deployed and pilot tested primarily in the
Ç Telephone lines (PSTN) C&I segment. These are the heavy power users,
Ç Mobile data networks (GSM, etc.) which include manufacturing industries such as
Ç Power line Carrier (PLC) textiles, pulp and paper, and food and beverages.
Ç Radio Frequency (RF) The system is likely to facilitate accurate data
Ç Satellite communication collection from the meters based on which the
In the following describe the most common utilities are expected to charge these users
communication methods used in a AMR appropriately. With increasing manufacturing
deployment. setups, the demand from this sector is likely to
Telephone lines - Telephone lines are desirable increase. The market is growing in the residential
from an economic point of view since most segment as well. The added advantage for the
electricity users in the country have telephone utilities implementing the systems in this segment is
service. The telephone system provides an ideal that the billing process is easier and payment of bills
communication infrastructure for AMR systems due is enforced effectively, which at present is a
to simplicity of operation, quality of data, high profound predicament for the utilities. These
noise immunity, reliability and low cost, both at the systems are also likely to help the citizens monitor
remote site and the central station. their electricity consumption and prevent illegal
Power Line Carrier - Power line carrier electricity consumption.