Study of the Effects of Smart Meter RF Transmissions on GFCI Outlets

Abstract

Research and development are currently being performed to transform the US's utility electric grid into a “smart grid [1], [2].” Smart meters are among the first intelligent metering devices used within the “smart grid” concept. They have been deployed in thousands of commercial and residential electrical installations around the US [3], [4]. While the wide-scale deployment of these devices has initially proven very successful, there is still much that is unknown about how they will impact the long-term operation of a large utility grid or the electrical devices sourced by them [5]. One such device, whose operation appears to be impacted by the smart meter, under specific conditions, is a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). It has been reported that the RF transmissions from smart meters can induce false tripping events on GFCI outlets installed on temporary construction poles. In an effort to understand why this may happen, a research study, which is presented here, has been performed to understand the correlation between RF transmissions and GFCI tripping events on construction poles.