Converging Information and Technologies. By George M Belich

Transcription

1 Converging Information and Technologies By George M Belich

2 Introduction The twentieth century brought about a many changes in metering and information technologies. But most of the information, although similar, was developed on separate paths. As the new century begins these technologies and information from these technologies are on a collision course to become simply data over time. Metering, SCADA, Building controls, Production and Facility information (data) are growing together to create the opportunity to manage the whole and not just the sum of the parts. Imagine a fully integrated metering system with standard equipment, connectivity, standard communications and integrated information. This provides less confusion to the end user and customers for utilities management. Using the quote Metering is just physical device accurately measuring something, from A Universe of Universes By GEORGE JOHNSON A cosmologist. I would like to stress the word accurate and with the numerous communication technologies add the word timely. The many technologies within the variety of industries can meet this definition. How do we determine what is the best practice, the most reliable, the easiest to maintain and much more? The wall that existed at the delivery, revenue, and utility meter is breaking down. The technologies that exist on both sides of this are beginning to overlap. What can be learned by crossing over these approaches? The old saying is the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. The two points here are the physical device we refer to as a meter and the customer, not an account number.

3 This information is not simply electric, gas and water but also pricing, production, temperature, equipment run times and many, many more building and facility data elements. What does it take to acquire, manage and use this information over time? What works the best and allows the users of the utility information to be efficient? The Parts This converging allows a rethinking of the metering approach and presents an opportunity for the integration of multiple technologies. Step out of the box as follows: Define the need : Instead of beginning at the metering location begin at the information presentation. Whether it be a bill, an energy service requirement or a control room. Take a blank sheet of paper and write down the information that allows smart and productive business decisions. Usage vs Cost vs Production vs Temperature. The value of the business decision being made will allow you determine what the price you can pay for this information. The need becomes a driving force to the applied technology.

4 Draw the map: Take the need and define the metering or supply points that will allow this blank sheet of paper to be produced correctly. This reverse engineering process allows the metering requirements to be clearly defined and the path that the information must follow. A supply point may be a generator, transmission tie, sub station, feeder, production quantity, temperature, runtime variables or statuses. Define the frequency: How often do you want to look at this? How automated do I want this to be? Human nature wants to have it now. Is now every 1 second, every 1 hour or just now? What is your definition of real time? These questions can be answered in many ways. Maybe you learn as you go and modify the frequency. Don t do all the work, let technology be your resource. Define the data transport mechanism: IP The latest information technology that is taking our industry by storm. Not just in data presentation but also data acquisition. The infrastructure is growing and will probably be the predominant method of acquisition in the future. It may not always be the best answer because of the security and protection that IT groups put on their system and the data. This method may be combined with others for this reason. Land lines Old standby, most available, long distance costs coming down because of competition. The issues here are speed and maintenance, particularly at higher access frequencies. Could be used as a back up but may be cost prohibitive. Cell lines First choice on the hard to get to meters. Slow and sometimes difficult to connect to legacy meters. Easily implemented where network exists. The more it is used the more expensive it will be. CDPD Built in as subset to the Cell line system. Pay as you go. Not always used efficiently. This can get rather expensive when you are reading frequently and not making use of the packet efficiencies. RF/Radio Infrastructure costs does not payback without large volumes. May have to fight for licensing in certain scenarios. RS 485/Fiber/Hardwire Fast, efficient and dedicated. But usually proprietary and closed. Not multi vendor capable. A combination of technologies is possible. Utilities currently use telephone, fiber or IP to substations and wireless to the meters. The LAN WAN structure will be come more evident in time.

5 Define the acceptable protocols: TCP/IP The latest and greatest technology that everybody is using. It is easily integrated into the corporate IT structure and support. The biggest issue will be reading through or around the firewalls that exists or creating enough security to protect the meter information. BACnet Building management standard protocol. Used on the other side of a delivery meter for controls and data acquisition. Becoming a very acceptable standard in one of the merging industries to metering. DNP3 Utility protocol dominant in the SCADA environment but accommodating the basic utility data. Designed for the lower end of the real time access but encompasses all necessary information for the metering process. Modbus Crosses many industry boundaries. Allows for many different suppliers of hardware to exist on the same network. ANSI C12.19 The first pass and request to an electrical meter standard. Being championed by the Canadian utility market. The greatest request is standardization. The problem is each industry is evolving a standard therefore metering across the boundaries will not be standard in the near future. This standard allows for vendor specific information, which allows for functional competition. CE BUS/ LonWorks The idea of integrating a smart utility meter with appliances on the other side. Allows for going beyond the delivery meter for information and control. Protocol that is beginning to make its mark in the market place. Vendor specific The largest and most confusing market. Encompasses all the legacy meters that exist and will only be replaced as deregulation requires them. In some cases these protocols will not go away because it is very hard to throw away a revenue grade meter for a smarter meter, therefore these meters are only getting moved to other metering applications. This recycled market will only grow as more metering points are found. Define the team: What value and specialties do you bring to the metering process? Determine what is missing and find that technology. Can we get the utility providers who has the meter knowledge and customer history that provides a place to start. Is anyone helping the customer with the converging technologies? As the industries collide customer confusion will increase. We think that deregulation is bad on the vendor side, imagine what the customer thinks. The bill payer must not just pay for the utilities but also the technology to monitor and manage them. The costs that are incurred by utilities for generation, delivery and metering are incorporated into the customers bill. Is there value in this offering?

6 IT support is important part to the metering process. This group provides that reliability, integration and data management required to have a successful metering process. Their structure, discipline and knowledge are probably the most critical asset to the team. Who uses the metering information? Maybe the question is Is anybody using the metering information. Most advanced meters provide Determine the bottom line: The metering equipment and installation costs are a one time charge that can be spread out of the lifetime of the meter. The information value, delivery and reliability cannot be emphasized enough in these technologies. The universe now provides on many scales, particularly within the deregulated environments. Each area is learning from the other to enhance the metering aspect of what is delivered. The more important the information the more value it has and the costs can be justified. Information transport costs may or may not have an effect on the startup but will have ongoing operational costs. Radio and any form of direct connect may not have as extreme of a cost if there is enough saturation. Their cost will be more on the front end of a meter system. Software maintenance costs should be viewed as more important than the initial costs of the system. With the constant changing of operating systems, databases and personnel turnover, support becomes very critical. Scaleability and user friendliness are important. If you are scared to operate the system the system will not perform. If hardware supporting your data transport network fails then no data will be obtained. With no data than the metering becomes guess ta mated or virtual, not real. How accurate is this? Some rules of deregulation allow for this on a on going basis. With the size of the load and the variety of technologies maybe the justification of a redundant meter is possible. People costs to operate and run the system will vary based on requirements. All systems are not totally automated. Human intervention or observation is record at some point of the process. People costs can be minimized by the ability of technology to perform the exception reporting and push the results out with the follow up available through the software system. Benchmark the approach by testing and operating trial systems. If your complete infrastructure on a small scale is easily available it is worth piloting. If not, visiting customers of the vendors supplying the components is a necessity to develop a comfort level with your options. Hard numbers talk. Ultimately you will not buy something at a price that does not fit your budget and size. The selections available allow for a large scale of affordable to pricey options. Stay within the budget. It is very hard to measure the intangibles that exist with all the technologies. If you speak to the users of these technologies the most common things mentioned are easy of use, support, scaleability and most of all reliability. This intangible is nurture by the education process gone

7 through by reviewing all the options for a true metering. With the converging of technologies and deregulation there were be a lot of gut choices. Summary: Utilities have the opportunity to use their technologies and process well into the 21 sr Century. Stepping out of the box to apply it to other aspects of information quality, integrity and process. Many other technologies are reading, managing and presenting metering data. Remember that metering is not complete unless the accurate measurement to be used in a business decision. This decision could be bill, generation management, distribution management, demand side management, cost of product / goods developed or purchasing on the open markets. The inputs are expanding with the emergence of building management, energy management, sub metering, HVAC controls, weather data and many more. Just keep in mind, is it accurate for what I need and how timely is if for the decision process.

8 Biography Speaker: Position: Company: Country: George M Belich President Stark North America, Inc. USA Mr. Belich has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Grove City College. He began his utility career with Westinghouse Electric meter group working with mag tape recorder and power line carrier systems for six years. At that time he joined Process Systems, Inc., now part of Siemens PT&D, where he worked in the engineering, marketing and sales department over the next 12 years. During that time he provided a variety of systems to utility and non utility customers for meter reading and data manipulation. The past 3 years have been spent building Stark North America, Inc. in the North, Central and South American markets. George M. Belich, President and Chief Executive Officer, is the founder of Stark North America, Inc. He has more than 20 years experience in the utility industry with an emphasis in data collection, analysis and management. Under his direction, the Company has grown to become a preeminent provider of metering information systems.

9 Company: Country: Company Background Information Stark North America, Inc. USA Stark North America, Inc. is an energy information systems company. We provide software solutions to a variety of energy management needs. In addition, we offer application services, consulting, integration services and turnkey hardware/software installation. In collaboration with our Resellers and alliance partners, we service and sell our products worldwide Established in 1981, Stark Software International ( SSI ) has supplied energy information systems to over 450 of the UK s largest energy users. We currently employ personnel in the areas of Energy Services, Turnkey Solutions, Customer Services and Software Development. Since 1994, in collaboration with distributors and co marketing partners, we have been selling our energy software products, in particular our RT software, around the globe. Key international markets include North America, Australia and New Zealand. Installation in the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Colombia and Argentina add to our expanding portfolio of export successes.

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