Unitil Customer Facing Technology Presented by Justin Eisfeller April 29, 2016
Unitil Electric Metering Systems AMI system: Landis & Gyr Gridstream TS2 and PLX hardware and Command Center software Manual read system: ITRON MVRS Legacy interval system: ITRON MV90 Meter Data Management System: Harrris-MeterSense AMI (L&G) MVRS (ITRON) MV90 (ITRON) MDM (MeterSense)
AMI System Overview Power Line Carrier (PLC) Fixed Network Two-way communication from customer meters to substations provided over power lines. Daily or interval reads Remote configuration Outage detection System snapshots Reporting Fixed network transmitting over power lines. Power Line Carrier (PLC) communication using Ultra-narrow-bandwidth (UNB) technology. Daily reporting of consumption data. Bi-directional communication. “Always On” connectivity model. Multi-utility endpoints – gas and electric.
Command Center Software AMI Capabilities GridStream TS2 “Always On” two way PLC communication using Ultra-narrow-bandwidth technology Automatic daily reading of meters On-demand reads; scheduled reads; “virtual” and remote disconnects (limited deployment) 4 programmable Time-of-Use periods Remote configuration of demand and TOU settings Continuous outage detection Extensive electric system data including voltage monitoring and system load snapshots Reporting of reliability and power quality data including momentary interruptions and harmonics Streaming 15 min interval data (bandwidth limited) Customer load control and communication through ZigBee (Unitil not using – requires EP upgrade) GridStream PLX TS2 Capabilities plus: Vastly expands effective bandwidth and available “channels” Receive data 3 times per day: including 15 min intervals, 15 min voltage, usage and demand data Near real-time communication Backwards compatibility Command Center Software Capable of reading all Gridstream products: TS2, PLX, Mesh RF, and Cellular endpoints Distribution Automation capabilities through Gridstream Intelligent devices Integrated with Unitil OMS
AMI-OMS Integration Unitil OMS Customer Outage Portal Example of staged outage restoration: Outaged Customers indicated with red “M” Restored Customers indicated with green “M” 15-20 minutes response time Customer Portal: provides outage map town totals restoration estimates plus Municipal map provides circuit information Customer Outage Portal
WebConnect Customer Portal My Unitil Enhanced self-service website View and print bills Pay online – ACH or credit card, single or recurring Detailed consumption history - net metering, TOU capability
WebConnect Customer Portal - 2017 My Unitil Notification preferences by category – paper, phone, email or SMS (text) Outage management system integration – confirmation of electric outage activity at premise level with ETRs Online service requests