Experience with a high speed MV/LV power line communications system for remote metering, load control and network automation

Abstract

Remote Metering Systems Limited (RMS) was formed in 1992 with the primary aim of developing a high-performance LV/MV power line carrier (PLC) communications system designed to serve the needs of the electricity supply industry (ESI). At the 1992 MATES conference, a paper was presented on the theory behind this technology by Nunn et al. (see ibid., p. 304, 1992). Since then, over one hundred man-years of effort have been invested in the development of the system. The result is called PowerNet and is capable of supporting a wide variety of applications, including automatic meter reading, demand side management and distribution automation. This paper looks at the development programme and some of the key features and applications. It then discusses the implementation of the system in the form of a 2000-meter pilot scheme based in Perth and Fort William, Scotland, UK, and discusses the applications being developed to exploit it and the practical experience of using a high-speed PLC system.