Rotary: Smart Meters
Posted by Trudy Gallant
on Sep 2, 2012
....your presentation will help us all to be more aware of the "big picture"
BC Hydro's Smart Meter Program
We are all used to just turning on the switch and having electricity simply be there, but after hearing Cindy Verschoor's presentation about the Smart Meter program, I think we all know a lot more about where it comes from and what it takes to keep the current flowing and the "lights on"!
Cindy and her colleague, Greg Alexis, explained that the Smart Meter program is all about modernizing our aging power grid. With demand expected toincrease over 50% in the next twenty years and with the challenges of delivering service "24/7" to our industries and to our homes..BC Hydro has intitiated this $930 million dollar upgrade to exisiting infrastructure..hoping to realize $1.6 billion dollars in savings over the next 20 years. Of all their current infrastructure improvements, Smart Meters are the only one that will help to reduce costs. In BC, we currently enjoy the 4th lowest electical rates in all of North America.
Cindy explained that Smart Meters are like the inventory control programs that a store would use..they will help measure and manage consumption at the back end of the system..giving the company new data on the quantity and quality of the flow of power. Besides now knowing when and where power is out the new data will help to identify power theft and maintain public safety from power surges and fires created due to transformer overload. They currently lose about $1 million dollars a year just to electricity theft.
More accurate data about usuage will also allow Hydro to tailor the release power flow and eliminate wastage of power. They currently need to send more power than needed to ensure that shortages wont occur due to underestimation of needs. This will further save resources and help to offset costs.
When fully operationalized, the new system will also allow power flow in two directions..if your home or business was creating surplus power (through solar, wind or geothermal generation) you could sell that power into the system. It will also allow use of individual "home enengy management systems" so that individuals can be more thoughtful abouthow they are using/saving energy in their homes.
Cindy also addressed concerns about the safety of the Smart Meters. She advised us that many industrial customers voluntarily adopted this new technology over the last ten years. The system operates a radio frequency to send the data back to Hydro from the meter. The freqeuncy turns on every 8 hours (or three times a day) for a very brief time...it is on less than 2.74 seconds in a 48 hour period.
Thanks Cindy and Greg...your presentation will help us all to be more aware of the "big picture"
of where our power comes from, how it gets to our wall switch and what it takes to make that all happen.
We are all used to just turning on the switch and having electricity simply be there, but after hearing Cindy Verschoor's presentation about the Smart Meter program, I think we all know a lot more about where it comes from and what it takes to keep the current flowing and the "lights on"!
Cindy and her colleague, Greg Alexis, explained that the Smart Meter program is all about modernizing our aging power grid. With demand expected toincrease over 50% in the next twenty years and with the challenges of delivering service "24/7" to our industries and to our homes..BC Hydro has intitiated this $930 million dollar upgrade to exisiting infrastructure..hoping to realize $1.6 billion dollars in savings over the next 20 years. Of all their current infrastructure improvements, Smart Meters are the only one that will help to reduce costs. In BC, we currently enjoy the 4th lowest electical rates in all of North America.
Cindy explained that Smart Meters are like the inventory control programs that a store would use..they will help measure and manage consumption at the back end of the system..giving the company new data on the quantity and quality of the flow of power. Besides now knowing when and where power is out the new data will help to identify power theft and maintain public safety from power surges and fires created due to transformer overload. They currently lose about $1 million dollars a year just to electricity theft.
More accurate data about usuage will also allow Hydro to tailor the release power flow and eliminate wastage of power. They currently need to send more power than needed to ensure that shortages wont occur due to underestimation of needs. This will further save resources and help to offset costs.
When fully operationalized, the new system will also allow power flow in two directions..if your home or business was creating surplus power (through solar, wind or geothermal generation) you could sell that power into the system. It will also allow use of individual "home enengy management systems" so that individuals can be more thoughtful abouthow they are using/saving energy in their homes.
Cindy also addressed concerns about the safety of the Smart Meters. She advised us that many industrial customers voluntarily adopted this new technology over the last ten years. The system operates a radio frequency to send the data back to Hydro from the meter. The freqeuncy turns on every 8 hours (or three times a day) for a very brief time...it is on less than 2.74 seconds in a 48 hour period.
Thanks Cindy and Greg...your presentation will help us all to be more aware of the "big picture"
of where our power comes from, how it gets to our wall switch and what it takes to make that all happen.