Abstract
Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) refers to the electricity service infrastructure between electricity consumers and suppliers and is technically essential for the realization of a smart grid environment. To implement AMI, various communications technologies are being used based on the application environment according to the utility. However, using a single communications method can give rise to attenuation in the downtown underground distribution line section or cause higher supply costs due to decreased density in the range from farming to fishing areas. A hybrid AMI is one solution to this problem. According to an economic analysis of previous AMI deployment, the cost to install a communications network accounts on average for 45% of the total cost. Since the installation cost of a communications network is influenced by the density of the installation environment, a hybrid AMI, which allows the configuration of a flexible network using both wired and wireless communications, can be a good alternative, both technically and financially. This study conducted a simulation based on density of the installation environment and configuration of the communications network to analyze the economic effect of installing a hybrid AMI communications network. It assumed that a hybrid AMI was deployed in an overhead distribution line in a low-density area. The simulation outcomes were compared and analyzed against the power line communication (PLC)-only AMI method. The results showed that the hybrid AMI method had a 10% communications network cost reduction effect compared to the PLC-only AMI method. In addition, the analysis indicated that there was a maximum 19% cost reduction effect in communications network installation depending on the method of network installation, suggesting that the hybrid AMI was economically more effective than the PLC-only AMI method.
Highlights
Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is the electricity service infrastructure between electricity consumers and suppliers that uses two-way communications to read energy use, collect energy-use information, apply rates, and enable additional services [1,2,3,4]
The analysis shows that as of 2030, the hybrid AMI would have a cost reduction effect of 5.6% or 174 billion KRW compared to the power line communication (PLC)-only AMI
Based on the total cost, including smart meters, the results of the cost analysis show that the hybrid AMI has a 5.6% or 174 billion KRW cost reduction effect compared to the PLC-only
Summary
Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is the electricity service infrastructure between electricity consumers and suppliers that uses two-way communications to read energy use, collect energy-use information, apply rates, and enable additional services [1,2,3,4]. According to the European Commission, Member States aimed to supply 200 million smart meters by 2020 [5]. This indicates that more than 70% of users will be included in Smart Grid technology through the use of smart meters [6]. As part of the national plan, China is promoting the spread of smart meters, and 150 million smart meters have been introduced by 2015 and are expected to grow steadily at an average annual rate of 8% by 2020 [5,8]. Japan has set a goal of Energies 2017, 10, 1308; doi:10.3390/en10091308 www.mdpi.com/journal/energies
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