“Role of Smart metering in Distribution Reform’s”

Dissertation (I) submitted to the School of Business in partial

fulfilment for the degree of
MBA- POWER MANAGEMENT

Under the supervision of

Dr. Anil Kumar

Department of Power Management

School of Business, Kandoli,
Dehradun- 248007

BY

Deepak Tiwari (500074037)

Batch: 2019-2021
Semester: IV

University of Petroleum & Energy Studies

Knowledge Acres, PO Kandoli
Dehradun (248007)
 Mentor Agreement Form for Dissertation

I Deepak Tiwari, student of MBA – Power Management Semester III, with Enrolment number
R130219006 and SAP ID 500074037 will undertake Dissertation in the topic Role of Smart metering
in Distribution Reforms, under the guidance* of Dr. Anil Kumar.

Student Name Mentor Name

Deepak Tiwari Dr. Anil Kumar

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 Declaration

I, Deepak Tiwari, Roll No. R130219006, MBA (Power management), batch 2019-21 of University
of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, hereby declare that the summer internship report on
“Role of Smart metering in Distribution Reforms” is an original work and the same has not been
submitted to any institute for the award of any other degree.

Dr. Anil Kumar

HOD Energy Management Dept.

(Project Mentor)

Deepak Tiwari

Countersigned

Prof. (Dr.) Anil Kumar

H.O.D Power and Infrastructure management

UPES Dehradun

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 Abstract

AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) is the foundation for the implementation of the
Smart Grid in the Distribution System. The main goal of AMI is to allow two-way
communication between consumers and the utility's Smart Grid Control Center, which
includes real-time remote monitoring and control of energy usage and other parameters.
Meter data analytics play a critical role in the AMI scheme, allowing utilities to better control
their resources and business processes. Meter data validation, energy audit & distribution
transformer accounting, missing details, peak demand detection, customer profile analysis,
and load forecasting are all examples of locally developed meter data analytics. This benefits
utilities by improving visualization and situational awareness. These will also assist in
delivering better QoS to customers while also empowering them to better control their energy
use. The term AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) refers to the entire infrastructure,
which includes everything from smart metres to two-way communication networks, control
center equipment, and all the applications that allow for the collection and transmission of
energy consumption data in near real-time. AMI enables two-way connectivity with
consumers and serves as the smart grid's backbone. Remote meter reading for error-free
results, network issue detection, load profiling, energy audit, and partial load curtailment in
lieu of load shedding are some of the goals of AMI.

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Role of Smart metering in distribution reforms

Introduction

One of the most important functions of smart grid networks is smart metering. Smart metres are
enhanced variants of traditional power metres built in response to advancements in AMR and AMI.
The advanced ICT interfaces on the smart metres make them very sophisticated and detailed. Smart
metres can measure multiple parameters such as power factor or THD, as well as predict power usage
at specific intervals, in addition to metering features. MDMS not only has remote-control capabilities,
but it also enables users to track and control their home energy management systems from afar. Smart
metres are also known as smart sockets because of their ability to distribute power from the residential
grid to individual homes. Since it offers measurement of consumed electricity, power demand rates,
and power quality of the entire grid, the AMI is used to describe a smart metre based infrastructure
along with smart grid applications. Two-way communication between the grid and the smart metre,
data recording capacity at intervals of 10–60 minutes, at least regular data transmission to the
monitoring centre, integrated remote disconnection switch, HAN interface, data storage capability for
blackouts, voltage and current values, and reliable data communication infrastructure are all common
features of smart metering applications.

Several millions of smart metres have now been built around the world, with China accounting for the
majority of them. By 2020, it is estimated that the amount of smart metres deployed would reach 400
million. Almost all of the installed smart metres provide AMR functions such as comprehensive
consumption storage, despite the fact that they all provide the previously listed features. Several
functions required by MDMS and OMS are carried out due to the close relationship between smart
metres and AMI. Furthermore, smart metres' improved remote monitoring and control capabilities
ensure two-way communication and real-time data acquisition.

Power quality issues such as automatic voltage restore, frequency and voltage regulation, active and
reactive power control, DSM, decentralised generation in the sense of microgrids, and cyber-secure
communication systems have been the focus of recent smart metering research. In terms of metering
and communication substructures, the smart metering interface can be seen in Fig., where smart
metres interface consumption and distribution grids. The AMR, DMS, and TOU pricing sections
make up the metering portion, while the communication system includes control infrastructure and
network access interfaces like HAN and WAN that make up the HEMS section.

Wireline and/or wireless communication methods can be available via the communication interface,
allowing for a two-way data stream between the user and the DSO. A smart metre can also include
auxiliary modules such as a power supply, controller, metering and data acquisition interface, timer,
safety equipment, data logging module, and encoding/decoding modules in addition to the two main

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sections. Consumer information such as identity, energy usage logs, time stamps, and outage records
are stored in the data logging module, which is required for smart metres.

The metering segment includes an analogue interface that communicates with the grid to link
residential wiring to the distribution network, as well as voltage and current transducers for metering
interface installation. To produce TOU pricing data with a timestamp, the billing module is linked to
the timing module.

Smart metering infrastructure

Smart metres provide a variety of add-on applications and services, including DSM, energy theft
safety, and CPS security, in addition to remote monitoring and smart metering. The DSM and DR
systems have been improved to satisfy customer energy demand while maintaining the generation-
consumption balance. DSOs may also use DSM and DR systems to efficiently control energy
generation demands by avoiding mass generation at inconvenient times. Controlling peak clipping,
load shedding, valley filling, and peak shifting methods is one of DSM's most critical goals.

To operate these load shifting methods, the balance is calculated based on load sufficiency and
demand rates, with peak clipping allowing for lower energy consumption during peak times and
valley filling allowing for higher energy consumption during valley times. Peak shifting, which refers
to the composition of peak clipping and valley filling, allows for peak load reduction when reacting to
base load energy demand. Smart metres can be used to meet the instant and precise metering
specifications of DSM and DR systems.

The DR systems are focused on price-based or incentive-based methods, with TOU, critical peak
pricing (CPP), critical peak rebate (CPR), and real-time pricing being the most common price-based
programmes (RTP)

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 Objective

Following are some objective that we wish to achieve:

• To study smart metering implementation in Indian Power sector,
• How to deploy smart meters in Indian solar power sector,
• Analysing the different policies and the regulations regarding the deployment of IT in
Power Sector,
• Comparing different smart metering technologies.
• Identify the challenges regarding the It and Smart meters in India.

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 Research gap

• There aren’t many smart metering technologies implemented in Indian power projects
to identify the exact effect of these Investments.
• There is a higher dependency on secondary data so the research can be biased.
• Since secondary data will be collected from the government website, confidential data
such as the area study, the exact terrain and location etc cannot be extracted.
• Primary data will typically be based upon the opinions of the personnel and the
energy department students.

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 Data Analysis

The smart grid is expected to revolutionize existing electrical grid by allowing two-way
communications to improve efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of the generation,
transmission, and distribution of electrical power. However, issues associated with communication
and management must be addressed before full benefits of the smart grid can be achieved.

Furthermore, how to maximize the use of network resources and available power, how to ensure
reliability and security, and how to provide self-healing capability need to be considered in the design
of smart grids. In this paper, some features of the smart grid have been discussed such as
communications, demand response, and security. Microgrids and issues with integration of distributed
energy sources are also considered.

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How smart metering will help Distribution companies
According to a study, smart metering can help Discoms empower themselves by improving
billing efficiencies and reducing leakages; however, the size of financial investment needed is
a major roadblock in their route.
According to Crisil Ratings, India's conventional power metering scheme is insufficient,
resulting in MBC (metering, billing, and collection) inefficiencies, high commercial losses,
and revenue leakages.
Smart metering has the potential to empower Discoms by increasing billing efficiencies,
improving customer service, and reducing leakages, allowing financially distressed utilities to
maximise revenue, according to the study.
Given the increasing reliance on renewable energy, smart metering may also help meet the
demand for reliable metering systems, as a growing tribe of distributed generators with net
metering requirements emerges. However, there are a number of roadblocks, including the
size of the financial investment needed.
While the demand for smart metres presents an opportunity for domestic manufacturers, they
will need to increase production to compete with lower-cost Chinese imports, according to
the study. State discoms with high MBC efficiencies may think they can delay the transition
to smart metres, but the pandemic has shown that Indian discoms must be better equipped to
deal with such events.
Smart metering will be a top priority under the 3-lakh-crore financial package for the
country's terminally ill revealed in the Budget last month.
The Ministry of Power recently released draught guidelines for a reforms-linked, result-based
distribution sector scheme worth over INR 3 lakh crore, with around INR 1.5 lakh crore set
aside for smart metering. The result assessment matrix envisaged under this scheme will
connect the success of DISCOMs with proposed reforms, giving a boost to large-scale smart
metering rollout in India. This could be a game changer for the distribution sector.
Many trailblazing initiatives have occurred in India's smart metering path, including the
Central Electricity Authority's release of national standards for smart metres, the Central
Electricity Authority's practical specifications for Advanced Metering Infrastructure, and the
Ministry of Power's announcement to carry out 250 million smart prepaid metres in the near
future. While these measures have laid a solid framework for introducing smart metering,
there are still a number of requirements that must be met in order to effectively continue this
energy transition journey across India.

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The role of smart metres in accurate and remote billing of net-energy consumed will become
more important as solar roof tops become more popular. Due to decreased patrolling for
outage detection and remote operations such as metre reading, supply disconnection or
reconnection, etc., the carbon footprint is expected to decrease. Furthermore, smart metering
can play a significant role in enabling retail competition and providing customers with a
variety of energy retailers to choose from. Such industry trends not only highlight the
importance of smart metering in the energy transition, but also encourage us to continue
reforming this region.
On the technology side, despite the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Central Electricity
Authority laying a strong foundation, a large number of DISCOMs are planning to implement
smart metering projects in the near future, necessitating the upgrade of more testing
laboratories to be capable of testing smart metres, resulting in faster certification and
deployment. As the Indian smart metering industry matures, testing laboratories for
interoperability testing at the Network Interface Card level will be needed, reducing vendor
lock-in.
To assess the quality of smart metres, DISCOMs may perform accelerated reliability testing
in accordance with IEC standards, which may be adopted by the Bureau of Indian Standards
as well. Given that smart metering deployment at DISCOMs would involve various
workstreams, multiple suppliers, and risks, and that some DISCOMs are already considering
deploying a Smart Metering Operations Center (SMOC), now would be an excellent time to
develop SMOC guidelines for educating DISCOMs and harmonising implementations at the
national level in order to ensure maximum returns on investment.
After developing legislation for demand response, such as Time of Day tariffs for residential
customers with reasonable benefits, the true value of smart metres will be revealed. This
incentive-based framework will not only improve customer engagement, but will also assist
in grid balancing in a cost-effective manner. Regulations for running and sustaining a shared
backend IT infrastructure at the centre or state level are a must as national retail competition
approaches.
The 2 MHz delicensed spectrum (865-867 MHz) for Radio Frequency communication might
not be enough to accommodate the hundreds of millions of smart metres and billions of smart
city devices expected to be installed in India in the near future. An additional 7 MHz of
spectrum (867-868 MHz and a chunk of 6 MHz in 915-935 MHz) has already been
recommended for delicense by India's Telecom Regulatory Authority. The Ministry of

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Communications' Wireless Planning and Coordination wing must ratify this quickly in order
to establish a device ecosystem.
Innovative business models based on OPEX or hybrid (OPEX and CAPEX) can be
encouraged to a greater degree to mitigate the issue of funds being unavailable for smart
metering. In reality, effective revenue sharing models based on particular agreed-upon
requirements such as improved billing performance, reduced manpower costs, improved peak
load control, fraud detection, reduced outages, reduced AT&C losses, and so on may be
investigated. Furthermore, purchasing smart metres from financial institutions is an option.
This financial institution would buy smart metres and lease them to the execution agent (such
as a PSU or DISCOM) for a monthly rent that included a fair return on investment. Other
smart metering components may be purchased using OPEX or hybrid business models.
DISCOMs' small smart metering implementations are still CAPEX-based, and they don't take
advantage of economies of scale. More central or PSU participation in smart metering
implementation would be in the nation's interest on a policy level, resulting in a larger
number of players in the industry, driving competition.
Although the Ministry of Power has described escrow account and letter of credit as payment
protection in the OPEX model implementation by DISCOMs, their efficacy in actual
deployment remains to be seen. Finally, relying on imported smart metre components for cost
savings has its own drawbacks, including the risk of quality compromise and serving as a
roadblock to the Make in India initiative. As a result, a Production-Linked Incentive scheme
may be considered to encourage smart metre manufacturing in the United States.
Given India's foray into smart cities, the communication network set up for smart electricity
metering can be used to send data from water and gas metres to the appropriate water and gas
distribution departments, effectively transforming smart metres into smart city anchor
infrastructure. Smart metres will also have the ability to monitor and automate appliances in
homes and workplaces with the addition of additional home and building automation tools,
resulting in additional revenue streams.
Smart metres, which provide real-time information at the end-customer level, are the basis for
a smart grid. This granular visibility would support a smart grid and contribute to more
effective grid service. DISCOMs will be able to maintain grid reliability as smart metering
systems are combined with Advanced Distribution Management System, Distributed Energy
Resource Management System, Outage Management System, Distribution Transformer
Monitoring Unit, Electric Vehicle Energy Management System, and other systems.

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Implementation of smart metering infrastructure can help distressed power sector

Demand for electricity is expected to nearly double by 2030, but the sector is beset by high aggregate
technical and commercial (AT&C) losses. The use of postal services for delivering bills to consumers,
delaying payments, and collecting tariffs from inaccessible geographic areas has necessitated the
search for a replacement.
“AT&C losses account for a significant portion of the sector's total power losses. As a result,
distribution companies lose nearly 72 pence per kilowatt-hour of electricity they buy. By 2022, the
country wants to reduce AT&C losses to less than 12%, and by 2027, to less than 10%. The losses are
currently estimated to be 20%.
India is also diversifying its energy mix by incorporating more non-fossil fuel energy generation
technologies. Smart grids are tasked with integrating renewable energy while also lowering AT&C
losses. Smart-grids are digitally enhanced power grids that simplify and control the ever-increasing
complexities on both the supply and demand sides.
In terms of voltage regulation, rerouting, efficiency, tracking, and control, the smart grid improves
delivery and transmission quality management. System performance, reliability, renewable energy
goals, enabling new goods, technologies, and markets, customer preference and involvement, and
lowering operating and maintenance costs are all motivating factors for smart grids. According to
experts, Advanced Smart Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a safe and efficient solution for the
majority of these drivers. Smart metres can help you handle your energy more efficiently by
preventing data entry errors and lowering the cost of manual metering.

The importance of establishing AMI is to allow two-way communications with customers, remote
metre reading for error-free data, network issue identification, load profiling, energy audit, and partial
load curtailment instead of load shedding.
In contrast to traditional metering, it improves customer loyalty by improving complaint management,
system stability, reliability, and accountability. Furthermore, the decline in AT&C loss is a significant
catalyst for smart metre adoption from the utility's perspective.

“The Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) Smart Metering Programme (SMP) is assisting
electricity distribution companies in generating 95 percent billing efficiency during the lockdown,”

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Challenges
 Advance metering infrastructure programmes have a high upfront cost.
 The utility's willingness to undertake certain projects on a CAPEX basis
 Creating a compelling business case for smart metre investments
 Cyber-security and data analytics are failing to recognise the full advantages of smart metres.

Within three years, the Union government hopes to have smart electricity metres installed in every
home in the country. The high cost of installation, according to Down to Earth, could be a deterrent.
The Ministry of Power, in collaboration with the Union government's National Smart Grid Mission
(NSGM), has developed an IT-enabled tool for analysing project investments and returns. “Legacy
regulations must accommodate more technical solutions to make smart metering easier to do business
with,” says the study.
Software integration with the new framework is another stumbling block in smart metering. As India
moves closer to introducing pre-paid smart metres, the challenges of transitioning from the current
post-paid model to pre-paid must be addressed.
Similarly, communication technology preferences can stymie smart metre rollouts. The geographical
location and viability should be considered when deciding whether to use the General Packet Radio
Service (GPRS) or a radio frequency. Human resources must be capable of adapting to technological
changes as well as a lack of software knowledge.
Second, when the system is automated, it will eliminate their routine functions. This should be
approached with caution because it can lead to resistance to new technologies.
“It's important to communicate with customers and close information gaps about the value of smart
metres.
If these issues have been resolved, the smart metre will provide value-added scenarios. Along with the
demand-response scheme, a Time of Day tariff feature that enables customers to reschedule energy
consumption to off-peak hours and drastically reduce bill amounts may be a potential possibility. With
the rise of renewable energy in distributed generation, smart metres and net metering are becoming
more popular.
On the other hand, the size of implementation has proved to be beneficial. It has proved to be a viable
option for lowering the cost of smart metre implementation. EESL's Smart Meter National Program
(SMNP) aims to replace 25 crore traditional metres in India with smart metres, and is currently in
various stages of implementation. In Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, and Delhi, approximately 1.9
million smart metres have been built.

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Advantages

The advantages of AMI are numerous and can be classified as follows:

 Operational Benefits – AMI benefits the entire grid by enhancing metre read accuracy, energy
theft detection, and power outage response while removing the need for on-site metre reading.
 Financial Gains – AMI saves money for utilities, water providers, and gas companies by
lowering equipment and repair costs, allowing for quicker restoration of power during
outages, and streamlining the billing process.
 Customer Benefits – Electric consumers benefit from AMI because it detects metre faults
early, allows for quicker service restoration, and improves billing accuracy and flexibility.
AMI also offers time-based rate plans, which can help consumers save money and better
control their energy use.
 Security Benefits-AMI technology allows for better control of device resources, reducing the
risk of cyber-terrorist networks posing a threat to the grid.

Challenges

Despite its numerous advantages, AMI deployment faces three major challenges: high upfront costs,
convergence with other grid systems, and standardisation.

 High capital costs: A full-scale implementation of AMI necessitates investments in both hardware
and software components, including metres, network infrastructure, and network management
software, as well as costs associated with metre installation and maintenance.
 Integration: AMI is a complicated system of technologies that must be incorporated with utility
information management systems, such as Customer Information Systems (CIS), Geographical
Information Systems (GIS), and so on (GIS),Outage Management Systems (OMS), Work
Management (WMS), Mobile Workforce Management (MWM), SCADA/DMS, Distribution
Automation System (DAS), etc.
 Standardization: Interoperability standards must be established, as they are the keys to effectively
connecting and sustaining an AMI-based grid system. They set uniform criteria for AMI
technology, implementation, and general operations.

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AMI in the Indian Context

Investing in AMI to modernise India's grid infrastructure would alleviate a number of grid strains caused
by rising demand for electric, gas, and water supplies. AMI will boost three main aspects of India's grid
system in particular:

 System Reliability: AMI technology improves electricity delivery and overall reliability by
allowing electricity distributors to detect and react to electric demand automatically, reducing
power outages.
 Increased grid stability and functionality, as well as reduced power outages and simplified billing
operations, would significantly reduce the costs of supplying and maintaining the grid. Thereby
significantly lowering electricity rates.
 Power Theft: In India, power theft is a common issue. AMI systems that track energy
consumption would allow for near-real-time power monitoring, resulting in improved system
transparency.

Basic Functions of AMI

The AMI framework can assist utility in effectively managing their resources and business processes.
The following minimum functionalities must be supported by the AMI system:

A) Data reading from a remote metre at configurable intervals (push/pull)

B) Time of day (TOD)/Time of use (TOU) metering
C) The ability to pay in advance
D) Billing/Net Metering
E) Identification, warning, and documentation of alarms and events
F) Remote Load Limiter with defined/on-demand connection/disconnection
G) Firmware update for the remote
H) Integration with other systems such as IVRS, billing and collection software, GIS
mapping, customer indexing, new connections and disconnection, analysis software,
and the Outage Management System, to name a few. Import of legacy data from
existing modules/ MDAS of RAPDRP where ever possible. The extent and
modalities of integration with the existing system including RAPDRP has to be
worked out by the bidder.
I) Security features to prevent unauthorised access to the AMI, such as Smart metres
and metre data, and to ensure that all AMI elements are authenticated by third parties.

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 This is merely a sample, not an exhaustive list. The framework should be able to
accommodate additional functionalities as required by utilities. To ensure data consistency,
the system should correctly maintain system time synchronisation across all devices.
Interfacing with potential Smart Grid functionalities such as failure management systems,
distribution automation like self-healing systems, distribution transformer monitoring units,
electric vehicles, distributed energy infrastructure, and so on should be supported by the
system. The communication network shall preferably be able to support multiple applications.

The Bidder must submit an approach paper outlining the overall design and organisational
philosophy of the proposed AMI solution, as well as methodology for achieving the various
functionalities mentioned in this document, and highlighting any additional features.

General AMI System Requirement

Smart Meters (single phase whole current, three phase whole current, CT & PT operated three phase
metres, and CT operated three phase metres) for consumers/systems shall be provided based on Radio
Frequency (RF) mesh in a license-free frequency band/ Power Line Carrier Communication (PLCC)
or GPRS/3G/4G communication technology, or a combination of these technologies, as required by
the site and to ensure compliance with the law.

Data from smart metres that use RF mesh/PLCC technology will be obtained by Data Concentrator
Units (DCUs)/Access points and sent to HES via WAN, while data from smart metres that use
GPRS/3G/4G technology will be sent directly to HES via WAN. As part of a fully functioning AMI
scheme, the AMI Implementing Agency (AIA) will be responsible for proper data exchange between
smart metres, DCUs, MDMs, HESs, and other operational/requisite applications.

For encryption and decryption, AIA must use the required protection algorithm. It is critical for the
smooth operation of the entire system that the specifics of such an algorithm, including the process for
security key generation, be stored in a protected escrow account that can only be used by the utility if
the contract is terminated for some purpose.

AIA could create a suitable infrastructure for providing end-to-end metering services. AIA is free to
choose the best solution from among all the possibilities. However, in order to meet the performance
standards specified in this document, one entity, namely AIA, will be responsible for the entire
responsibility of a fully functioning AMI system. The communication provider may use an RF mesh
in a license-free frequency band, Power Line Carrier Communication (PLCC), GPRS/3G/4G
communication technology, or an RF-based canopy system, or a combination of these technologies,

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depending on the site requirements, using the best available technology in the proposed
implementation region.

The following AMI system core components must be provided:

Head End System (HES) Meter Data Management System

a) Smart Meters
b) Communication infrastructure
c) Head End System (HES)
d) Meter Data Management System (MDM)
e) Web application with up-to-date online customer info, etc.
f) Mobile app: The AMI Implementing Agency (AIA) will develop a mobile app that will
enable consumers to log in using an android/iOS/Windows device to view details about their
energy usage. The app will also serve as a forum for implementing peak load management
features by displaying current tariff and reward rates, as well as participation options. This
mobile 4 app shall be part of complete system and therefore no additional cost shall be
payable for upgradation / maintenance separately.

Smart Meters (Single phase & Three phase)

 The enclosed Technical Specifications apply to single phase and three phase entire current
smart metres. Until the relevant IS for CT operated smart metres is available, three phase CT
operated metres must comply with IS 14697. Until metres are delivered, the
supplier/manufacturer must have a valid BIS certification.

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  The AMI Implementing Agency (AIA) will mount the smart metres in accordance with the
Utility's rules and regulations. Customer identification number, metre ID, hardware and
software configuration, name plate information, make, and form i.e. After the metre is
mounted, all of these items are needed. Phase, 3 Phase, etc. (depending on utility
requirements) shall be revised in DCU/HES/MDM. The data will also be modified on the
portal/app, which will be used to provide information to customers.

Communication infrastructure

The networking system should be built on an RF mesh network, PLC, cellular network, or a
combination of these technologies. For the NAN and WAN networks, acceptable specifications from
the ITU/IEC/IEEE/CEN/ CENELEC/ ETSI must be used. The communication network must provide
a secure channel for two-way communication between the different nodes (smart metres) and the
HES. The license-free frequency band available in India should be used for RF-based networks. The
AMI Implementing Agency will be responsible for engaging a network service provider in order to
achieve the performance standard specified in the document.

General Requirement
With the site conditions in mind, the AMI Implementing Agency (AIA) will build a secure,
interference-free, and robust communication network. It must be adaptable in terms of providing
contact in areas of varying terrain and densities. The AIA would develop the network architecture
while taking into account the utility's current and expected infrastructure. Suitable consideration for
potential expansion as per Utility requirements should be taken into account during design. The AMI
Implementing Agency (AIA) will conduct a site survey before developing the communication
network and will have the most effective communication infrastructure.
The AMI Implementing Agency is responsible for the entire infrastructure and related civil works
necessary for the installation and commissioning of equipment/devices such as DCUs, repeaters,
routers, and access points, among others (AIA). The bidder must show operational testing of all
network elements to the satisfaction of the utility.
A disaster recovery mechanism should be included in the bidder's network solution. The Bidder must
also explain HES and MDM's redundancy mechanisms as well as their disaster recovery plans.
The utility's guidelines, rules, and existing procedures must be followed when installing different
equipment and power supply wiring to all field equipment. The utility will provide the electricity
needed for the operation and maintenance of the entire AMI system at no cost. A suitable network
management system (NMS) must be installed to continuously track the performance of the

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communication network. The NMS will enable configuration and parameterization of networking
devices and nodes, as well as viewing of all networking elements deployed on site.

Network Security
The Network must have appropriate cyber security measures in place, including but not limited to
those mentioned below. The protection of the network will be applied to all interfaces as well.

 Secure Access Controls: The system must have processes in place for identifying and
managing user access to the operating system and its applications. For access control, best
practises from enterprise security, such as password power, password ageing, password
history, and reuse prevention, must be followed.
 Controls on Authorization: A least-privilege definition would be available, in which users are
only permitted to use or access functions for which they have been granted authorization.
 Logging: Any successful and unsuccessful attempts to log in, any privilege change requests
(both successful and unsuccessful), user activities affecting security (such as password
changes), attempts to perform actions not allowed by the authorization controls, any
configuration changes, and so on must be logged. Furthermore, access to such logs must be
restricted in compliance with the above-mentioned least-privilege principle, so that entries
are not inadvertently or maliciously deleted.

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  Hardening: Delete and/or uninstall all unwanted packages from the system. Both unused
operating system functions and networking ports should also be disabled or blocked. All
known insecure protocols must be disabled, and only safe maintenance access will be
allowed.
 Malicious Software Protection: Anti-virus software and other malicious software prevention
tools must be supported for all programmes, servers, and databases, among other things.
 Network Security: The HES's network infrastructure must be stable, with firewalls and
encryption support. If the network firewall fails, the device should also allow for the
configuration of host-based firewalls as an additional layer of protection.

Meter Data Management System (MDM)

The Meter Data Management System will help metre data storage, archiving, retrieval, and analysis,
as well as validation and verification algorithms. It will serve as a central data storage facility. MDM
must be able to import raw or validated data in specified formats and export processed and validated
data in the agreed-upon format to various other systems sources and services. It will provide validated
data for upstream systems including billing, customer information systems, customer service,
analytics, reporting, network planning and analysis, load analysis/forecasting, Peak Load
Management, and outage management, among others.

MDM can also accept the utility's potential requirements, including the incorporation of other smart
grid functionalities such as Distribution Transformer Health Monitoring System, self-healing system,
and so on, as and when they are implemented. The provider must specify and deliver an initial system
that supports the collection and storage of data for the specified number of consumers/smart metres
(the exact number must be defined by the utility based on the number of consumers in the
city/town/village) with the ability to expand in the future.

The MDM shall have the ability to selectively choose which data to be maintained and which to be
purged or archived as per requirement of Utility (user selectable).

Functional Requirements

Asset Management

 The MDM is responsible for maintaining information and relationships between the current
installed metre location (apartment, store, industry/address, etc. ), customer information
(name, address, etc. ), consumer account number, Meter ID, Type of Meter (type of
consumer, 1 phase/3phase, with or without relay, etc. ), and the current installed metre
location (apartment, shop, industry/address, etc.). GIS-supplied details (longitude, latitude,

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 connection with feeder/ transformer/ pole, etc.), metre configuration (demand integration
time, load profile capture period, etc.), and so on.
 From the time metres and communication equipment are mounted in the field, the programme
should be able to monitor their status. Throughout the device's existence, the history of in-
service asset position is kept, with start and end dates associated with each in-service location
reference.
 Ability to record and log any metre damage or degradation caused by a customer or service.

AMI Installation Support

 The MDM must also facilitate system lifecycle management, which includes device
registration, activation, provisioning, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning,
among other things. If a metre or module fails to deliver the correct metre data after
installation, the MDM will raise an exception.
 The MDM is required to include a reconciliation report that lists the metres that have been
mounted but have not communicated for a specified (configurable) period of time. MDM can
produce reports comparing the number of metres mounted to the number of metres that
effectively communicate. 7.1.3 Data from the Meter
 Meter data from HES and metre data obtained by hand held metre reading instruments and
manual metre reads will be accepted, processed, stored, and analysed by the MDM. In the
case of manual reads, there should be a place to record notes such as measured energy, etc.
 The MDM can accept, process, store, and analyse non-billing metre data from AMI Head End
Systems, such as voltage and power quality data (such as under/over voltage). Registered
users and other service services should be able to ping metre energised states and schedule
and on-demand metre reads using the MDM.
 The MDM shall provide storage of all collected Meter Data, events and alarm. It shall have
capacity of storing 5 years data or more via archiving.
 Maintain accurate energy consumption tracking and resolution through metre adjustments
with no loss of individual metre data.
 For a duration of 30 days, have a full history and audit trail for all data obtained from metres,
as well as commands sent to metres and other devices (configurable period).
 Run read-on-demand systems.
 Handle unique metering configurations, such as net metering and multiple metres on the same
property.
 The MDM must be able to handle data at a minimum of 15 minute intervals.
 Data Integrity- The AMI Implementing Agency (AIA) must ensure that all metered data
collected from data collection systems is checked for data integrity.

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Data Validation, Estimation, and Editing (VEE)

 Metered data must be validated and estimated using normal estimation methods. The MDM should
also be able to help and manage the following data:

 Registered Read Data, which includes register reads, the regular billing period, and derived
billing determinants such as TOU.
 Data channels with variable intervals and units of measurement (interval data channels)
 Calculated Data, such as billing determinants and aggregated loads, that is extracted or
computed.
 Event data storage of all event and warning data obtained from metres, network devices, and
the MDMS itself

When the following anomalies in the cumulative ("CUM") register reads occur, MDM shall flag,
alert, and initiate an estimating procedure, including but not limited to: o CUM Decrements over the
course of a billing period (except net-metering)

o CUM reads increase faster than the threshold set by the user.
o Read dates in the future or in the past
o The number of digits is greater than the number of metre dials

When the following irregularities in Time of Use (TOU) register reads occur, MDM shall identify,
flag, warn, and initiate an estimating procedure, including but not limited to:

 Decrements in the register (except for net metering)

 o Resets (to zero) (except net-metering)
 o CUM reads increase faster than the threshold set by the user.
 o Read dates in the future or in the pastErratic compared to CUM read (sum of TOU reads
minus CUM read)

When the following anomalies in Demand register reads occur, MDM shall detect, flag, warn, and
initiate an estimating process, including but not limited to:

 Do not reset during a loop o Do not reset during a customer move-in or move-out
 Improperly reset the off cycle
 The price is too high

• After metre data validation and calculation, including a transformer / feeder station-by-station
energy audit, all data will be moved to the billing system.

• For non-metered service points such as street lights, farm lights, traffic signals, and so on, MDM can
estimate consumption.

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• In addition to VEE data, the MDM must keep the original obtained raw data in an unaltered state.

• The MDM shall be able to automatically flag data changes from manual edits, VEE (Validating,
Editing, and Estimating) rules, and data source corrections and electronically generate post-VEE data,
despite the latency of data collection through the AMI system..

Customer Service Support

Customers would have access to current and historical usage and interval data, outage flags, voltage
and power quality indicators via the solution. Depending on the user's preference, the data will be
presented in graphical and tabular formats. The customer may also use the customer portal to access
data. A user-friendly graphical interface will be used to integrate the solution.

• MDM will send configured alarms and events to selected users via email or SMS.

• The MDM must support the web portal or have the ability to communicate with a 3rd party
portal/utility portal in order to provide consumers with near real-time online views of both
consumption and cost, as well as to assist consumers in understanding electricity usage and cost
statistics, warnings and notifications, and energy saving tips at various levels of detail. The portal
should allow users to view past electricity use, such as last week's, yesterday's, current days, or other
periods, depending on their preferences. Consumers should be able to access their data through
colourful graphs and maps, as well as import it into a spreadsheet, through the portal.

• Must support a mobile app that allows consumers to log in using an Android/iOS/Windows device
to view information about their energy usage. The app will also serve as a forum for implementing
peak load management features by displaying current tariff and reward rates, as well as participation
options.

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Analysis

The MDM must be able to perform analysis based on configurable business rules, which may include,
but are not limited to, the following:

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• Display consumption/load profiles by configurable time (15/30 minutes, hour, day, month, year, etc.,
day type (weekday, weekend, holiday, festival, etc. ), tariff, customer type, or any user-defined set of
metres.

• Aggregate all DT/Feeder/consumer category loads to generate peak and off-peak load trends.

• Conduct an energy audit by DT/feeder.

• Conduct load analyses for various user segments and categories.

• Ability to provide data to load forecasting, load analysis, or demand response applications and
handle errors such as missed reads and 17 intermittent metre reads before entering forecasting, load
research, or demand response applications.

• Ability to customise the system so that it can accurately visualise demand trends, detect irregular
patterns, and visualise load analysis to determine which assets are being overused.

• Identifying new trends of use by analysing data, setting fraud warnings, transformer overload alerts,
demand-supply gap alerts, and so on.

• Ability to collect and store data from smart metres and outage systems for outage and restoration
events, as well as to record all such events for review.

Revenue Protection Support

• Ability to detect possible energy diversion situations by analysing metre tampering flags, power
outages, consumption patterns, and usage profiles, and producing regular, weekly, and service order
requests for investigation.

• A user-friendly gui would be used to configure the business rules for revenue security notifications.

• If field activity information is given to the MDM, the MDM will filter out revenue protection
warnings that could be triggered by field activities.

• The MDM will help analytics/investigation (i.e. viewing current and historical use patterns) to
validate alleged revenue protection issues..

Demand Control/Demand Response Support

As part of PLM, the bidder must explain how its MDM supports Smart Grid Demand Response
services involving Demand Response (DR) systems. The following interpretation must be supported
by the solution:

 Adding up the real use during the disaster recovery event.

 Adding up the actual consumption of the various groups that took part in the DR case.

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  Taking the real consumption and comparing it to the baseline consumption for the groups
listed above.

The MDM will help with the tracking, monitoring, and management of Smart Meters and accidents,
as well as the monitoring of consumer reactions so that customer incentives can be paid.

Additional Features

Net-Metering

 When the following anomalies occur, MDM will flag, warn, and initiate an estimating process,
including but not limited to:

o Register decrements for Time of Use (ToU) of forward energy within a billing cycle o CUM
decrements of forward energy within a billing cycle o Every net-metering user generates (exports)
more power than the solar PV rooftop system's installed energy.

o Every net-metering user exports more energy than the programmable threshold value on any given
day.

 Prepaid functionality The prepaid functionality can either be availed at smart meter level or through
MDM. In case of MDM, following shall apply

 Pre-payment metering and the ability to communicate with pre-payment applications should be
supported by the MDM.

• The prepayment can help the system by storing payment and connection parameters centrally and
updating the information on the user portal/app.

• The system should track the prepaid consumer's energy usage on a regular basis and reduce the
available credit based on consumption.

• According to the notified rules and regulations, the device can submit connect/disconnect commands
based on available credit.

• If a consumer's balance falls below a certain level, the system can give them a low-credit warning.

User Interface

The AMI Implementing Agency (AIA) is responsible for the following user interface: Utility: The
user interface for utility must be capable of performing at least the following functions:

• Compare overall energy costs based on a single rate schedule versus one or more alternative rate
schedules.

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• Allows the consumer to see how different rate choices impact costs.

• Allow the consumer to see how changing the load or consumption levels, or moving them to various
time periods, affects costs.

• Compare and contrast different facilities based on prices, total spend, cost per square foot, and cost
by weather..

A GUI that allows approved users to view energy consumption trends and the data behind them for
selected customers displays metre data at a user-defined configurable interval. Provide a graphical
user interface for approved users to display metered data, create and view reports, change settings,
and create and upgrade service requests. Display the energy consumption profile for a single metre or
a group of metres using a graphical user interface. The load profile should show energy consumption
and peak demand for a user-specified time period in user-defined intervals.

Display the energy consumption profile for a single metre or a group of metres according to the Time
of Use (ToU) tariff through a graphical user interface. Access to a minimum of 5 years of historical
energy usage and meter reads through the GUI. GUI to clearly and visually distinguish between
metered, estimated, allocated and substituted data.

 GUI to provide role-based access based on user identity and user role. Shall have following
types of users:
A. Administrator
B. Operator
C. Field staff
D. Viewer/Guest
 Configure the MDM's appearance, feel, and functionality in compliance with business
requirements, procedures, and conventions. (For example, graphical user interfaces, material,
screen design, validation rules, exception handling, and so on.)
 The ability for the utility to set up alarm and event alerts through the user interface, which
can be sent to a combination of configurable email addresses, cellular text messages, or
phone numbers.
 User interface for a service that updates prepaid consumers' credit amounts in MDM. For
authentication, such a user interface will require a password and a login id before allowing
access. After receiving information such as customer id, mobile number, and recharge level,
the user interface will update the MDM. Payment information will be updated to consumers
through SMS, email, and other means.

Consumer:

All approved consumers' user interfaces must be able to perform at least the following functions:

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 Display metered data, trigger and view reports o View data using the Time of Use (ToU)
tariff o Request connection/disconnection o Update mobile number/email21
 May submit service requests for full demand updates, metre readings, and other tasks.
 For net-metering customers, data can be viewed for both import and export. o For prepaid
customers, data can be viewed for both recharge history and current balance.
 Prepaid consumers shall be provided facility to recharge their account by logging on user
interface. User interface shall require consumer id., mobile number & password for secure
login. This user interface shall be integrated with the present online payment gateway of
utility

Basic Features of 1Phase & 3Phase Smart Meter

 Measurement of electrical energy parameters

 Bidirectional Communication

 Integrated Load limiting switch /relay

 Tamper event detection, recording and reporting

 Power event alarms such as loss of supply, low/ high voltage

 Remote firmware upgrade

 Net metering features

 On demand reading

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DATA DISPLAY FACILITY (AUTO/MANUAL)

Data Display shall be in three modes

1. Auto Scroll

2. Scroll with Push Button

3. High Resolution (Shall display energy values with resolution of 2 digits before decimal and 3
digits after decimal in push button mode)

IoT and smart meters

• Traditionally being a part of the electrical grid infrastructure, a smart meter is an electronic
device that allows for remote monitoring and recording of energy consumption. However, in
the age of IoT and IoT platforms, standalone smart meters give way to more advanced and
multi-purpose smart metering solutions.

• A typical challenge for companies implementing smart meters is how to integrate them within
their infrastructure and set up custom-tailored smart metering use cases. The best way to

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 achieve these goals is by using an IoT platform that offers out-of-the-box solutions and
templates for smart metering, such as Things Board.

• One of the strongest advantages of an enterprise-grade IoT platform is its data processing
capabilities.

Building end-to-end smart metering solutions

• Reliable and fault tolerant data collection for your smart water meters, energy monitors, smart
energy meters, etc.

• Advanced, customizable data visualization for real-time and historical smart metering

monitoring.

• Alarm widgets to instantly notify users and / or operators about any critical events or unusual
consumption levels.

• Integration with third-party analytics frameworks and solutions for advanced processing of

smart metering data and reporting.

Problems faced in this project

The problems regarding how to bring FDI in India are–

• Cost of the implementation

• Security of the system

• Difficult of manage and control the smart meter devices

• Consume more energy

• Need specialized personals

• Information and data management

• Implementing the Smart metering technology in the current infrastructure of the power
distribution.

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 Conclusion

Smart Grid innovations have added new dimensions to the entire energy distribution system by
increasing the resolution of real-time operations and enabling consumers to manage their own
electricity use. The analysis of metre data extracted over various time horizons and with various time
resolutions aids in the planning and meeting of energy requirements. By facilitating energy audit,
metre data analytics can assist utilities in identifying problems in the current delivery system and
operating in a more productive manner. These analytics, when combined with a Management
Information System (MIS), provide insight into network efficiency, growing demand, and power
supply quality, among other things, to aid decision-making. It allows consumers to see their own
consumption patterns, allowing them to better regulate their energy use and lower their bills. It also
allows customers to engage in a demand response programme and effectively use the available
resources.

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