Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) for Distributed Generation and Smart Grids

Introduction

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a system of technologies that enables two-way communication between utility companies and customer's electricity meters. The system includes advanced communication and measurement technologies that provide utilities with real-time energy consumption and distribution data, enabling them to optimize grid performance and reduce operating costs. AMI typically involves installing smart meters and digital devices that can measure and record energy usage in real-time. These meters have communication capabilities, allowing them to transmit energy usage data back to the utility through wireless or wired networks.

In addition to enabling real-time monitoring of energy usage and distribution, AMI technologies can facilitate demand response programs, incentivizing customers to reduce their energy usage during peak demand. This can help to avoid power outages and prevent the need for costly infrastructure upgrades.

Today's Metering needs reliable grid operation.

With the increase in distributed generation (i.e., renewable energy sources, intermittent power supply, virtual power plant) and the impact of EV Charging Stations on grid stability, a reliable system for monitoring, operating, and automating end-to-end grid solutions is essential. The smart grid integrates the electricity grid with its corresponding information systems and smart meters to gather data from the power grid and provide unique characteristics to each player in the energy market. AMI is one of the key components of smart grids comprising systems and networks responsible for collecting and analyzing data received from smart meters. In addition, AMI also manages the different applications related to power and services based on the data collected from smart meters.

Market Players in AMI Technology

  • Itron: Itron is a US-based company specializing in smart grid technologies, including advanced metering and data analytics solutions. Itron's ACE SL7000 is one of its smart meters that generates several types of metrological data, allowing multiple recordings of load profiles. Itron's AMI system deploys and unlocks value-based outcomes and establishes a foundation for next-generation.

  • Landis+Gyr: Landis+Gyr's FOCUS AXe platform for advanced Metering and smart grid applications enhances the sensor ecosystem with proven reliability and innovative features.

  • Honeywell: Honeywell's Cat M Wireless Interface Card (WIC) is a state-of-the-art communication module befitting the market's most advanced Residential and Commercial Electric Meter today, supporting wide-ranging use cases for AMI and distribution monitoring and control solutions.

  • Sensus:  iConA™ Gen 4 Electricity Meters provide expanded measuring and monitoring capabilities across North America to deliver real-time, actionable information for smart grid applications.

  • Siemens: Siemens EnergyIP® MDM X (SaaS) helps to understand data related to energy consumption, forecast accurately, operate efficiently, and fulfill the responsibility to their customers. Siemens was awarded a contract 2022 to upgrade Egypt's second-largest city's distribution management system, establish advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), and supply 300,000 smart meters.

  • General Electric: Grid IQTM Advanced Metering Infrastructure Point-to-Multipoint Solution Provides Secure, Scalable, High-Capacity, and Long-Range Wireless Coverage of a Utility's Complete Service Territory

Factors Driving the Use of AMI for Grid Stability

Fig 1. shows the smart grid with distributed generation, consumer facilities, and Advanced Metering Infrastructure.

Smart grid has distributed generation in consumer facilities, energy resources, and Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Fig 1: Smart Grid with distributed generation, consumer facilities, and AMI Components (source)

Features of AMI System

Various factors drive the need for AMI systems for grid stability. (source)

AMI Architecture

An AMI architecture includes three main components: Smart Meters, Data Connectors, and the central system. Smart Meters collect electricity consumption data from customers, and these meter readings are sent to the Data Connectors. Computing elements in smart meters perform pre-configured tasks such as remotely connecting or disconnecting, remotely upgrading the firmware, and tamper and theft detection and prevention. Utility Centre, on the other hand, are used to collect the data that are gathered from Smart Meters, to send commands to Smart Meters through the Data Connectors to get the Smart Meters to perform specific tasks and to monitor aspects of the Smart Grid, such as the amount of generated power, the transmission lines, and the distribution centers, etc. An AMI has three main zones or tiers of communication known as the home area network (HAN), neighbor area network (NAN), and wide area network (WAN) (Fig. 2). Table 1 describes the characteristics of each network.

AMI has three components, including Smart meters, Data connectors, and the central system, and contains three main tiers of communication known as HAN, NAN, and WAN.

Fig 2: Hardware components and general architecture of AMI source

Table 1: Bidirectional Communication Links

Advanced Metering Infrastructures for smart grids enable bidirectional communication to monitor energy transmission and distribution processes, as shown in Fig. 1 & 2. It focuses on different approaches and algorithms to reach advanced management architecture. Different standards and protocols, such as DLMS/COSEM, SML, and IEC 61850, are used as solutions to address several challenges of the smart grid scenario and are designed for various sectors according to their needs. Thus, the design of AMI and smart meters that offer multiple ways to communicate with the grid opens a wide area of research, allowing many market players to come up and protect their innovations as intellectual assets.

IP Moats and Patent Trends for Advanced Metering Infrastructure

With technological advancements, grids are no longer just a combination of wires, electrical devices, and generating & distributing stations. The Internet has become essential for data collection, forecasting, monitoring, and controlling power for reliable operations. The issue of IP safeguarding for these unique ideas is a serious consideration for companies in the power industry. Top players in the power industry, like General Electric, Siemens, Itron, etc., invest a large amount of capital in research and development for stable grid operations and ensure their innovations are protected through patents. Fig 3.0 shows the major technology domain involved in Advanced Metering Infrastructure in distributed generation and smart grids by these market leaders.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure dominates telecommunications, digital communication, measurement, IT, computer technology, and other technology domains.

Fig.3. Technology Domain for AMI

Based on the analysis presented in Fig 4 (obtained from orbit intelligence), SGCC (State Grid Corporation) appears to be the top patent assignee, followed by Itron and Mitsubishi Electric. Other major players in AMI for smart grid applications are General Electric, Toshiba, Hitachi, LG Electronic Siemens, and many more. It is also interesting to note that several state electricity corporations and Industrial leaders are aggressively filing patents related to this technology.

Fig. 4. Top Patent Assignees and their counts of AMI

From Fig 5, it can be inferred that most AMI-related innovations have happened in the past ten years. The analysis shows that between 2016 and 2020, the highest patent filing activity took place, with the highest of 733 patents in 2017. This could be attributed to the sudden increase in the advancement of AMI systems in the electricity grid in most countries globally.

AMI-related innovations increased from 2016 to 2020 and peaked in 2017 with a recorded 733 patents.

Fig 7. Year-wise Patent Counts

Conclusion

AMI has significantly contributed to the smooth functioning of the smart grid connected with distributed generations and delivering peak loads. AMI systems are highly vulnerable to privacy threats and potential infrastructure damage. Defensive solutions by Key Management Systems (KMS) can protect the system from threats. Therefore, a lot of research nowadays revolves around KMS for the future development of AMI. Moreover, with the increase in virtual power plants and energy service companies connected to smart grids, researchers are developing technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine learning, and AI to collect and analyze data and forecast better energy requirements. Thus, many patent assignees and market players are found with their inventions in developing new algorithms and autonomous systems to collect data, process, and make autonomous decisions to improve grid management.

Disclaimer: This report is based on information that is publicly available and is considered to be reliable. However, Lumenci cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or reliability of this data.

Disclaimer: This report is based on information that is publicly available and is considered to be reliable. However, Lumenci cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or reliability of this data.

References

  1. Shokry, Mostafa, et al. "Systematic survey of advanced metering infrastructure security: Vulnerabilities, attacks, countermeasures, and future vision." Future Generation Computer Systems (2022).

  2. https://www.power-grid.com/news/ami-communications-technology/#gref

  3. Orlando, Matteo, et al. "A smart meter infrastructure for smart grid IoT applications." IEEE Internet of Things Journal 9.14 (2021): 12529-12541.

  4. Orlando, Matteo, et al. "A smart meter infrastructure for smart grid IoT applications." IEEE Internet of Things Journal 9.14 (2021): 12529-12541.

Author

Dr. Shalini Mishra

Associate Consultant at Lumenci

Shalini works as an Associate Consultant at Lumenci. Her area of interest is Power electronics and Electrical Drives and condition monitoring of Transformer Insulation. She holds a PhD and a master’s degree from IIT(ISM) Dhanbad.

Lumenci Team