Control and monitoring of electrical distribution grid using automatic reader systems

Technological innovation undertaken in recent years led to the introduction of electronics in power system metering apparatus. Deregulation of electricity markets around the world is pushing players to face competition. Supply companies are thus looking for ways to improve their efficiency and to gain a client´s preference and confidence. Taking advantage of the technological innovation, automatic meter reading (AMR) and energy management systems (EMS) can be a vital tool in such a competitive scenario. Providing a wide range of services, from remote metering of electricity consumption to monitoring of supply quality, these systems can arm electric utilities with the necessary tools to improve supply efficiency and customer services. Following these trends, electric utilities around Europe and all over the world are testing AMR and energy management solutions, and tailoring systems to their needs and modus operandi. Based on previous experience, gained with R&D work since 1991, EDP, the Portuguese electric utility, is currently working on such systems and planning field trials in several scenarios. This paper presents EDP´s approach towards AMR and EMS, describing the system architecture and services; the way interoperability with existing commercial and technical management systems is planned; how technical solutions are planned to be tested and field trials are designed. Finally some results of the ongoing projects are presented