Here at Perennial a big payoff with our AMI system is in outage management. With old analog or mechanical meters outages were typically learned from when the customer called in. With AMI Perennial knows immediately when an outage occurs because each meter can report its own status, restoration tends to be faster & better communicated. In 2010 Perennial integrated its irrigation load management into the AMI system. By doing this it has allowed Perennial to monitor loads more accurately, find faulty load controllers and determine exact control hours on each irrigation service.
AMI is more than just metering reading
AMI stands for (Advanced Metering Infrastructure), which is an integrated, fixed network system that enables two-way communication between utilities. The primary function of this infrastructure is to collect, store, and analyze consumer energy usage. AMI helps utility companies like Perennial collect data at certain intervals. Perennial began implementing an AMI system in 2008.
The heart of Perennials AMI network is built on three core components. Smart meters are digital devices that are installed at your business, irrigation service or home. These meters record consumption in intervals of an hour or less depending on the service type. The communication network connects the devices back to the utility. Perennial uses a radio frequency mesh network where meters relay signals to each other until it reaches the AMI server. The key requirement is that data flows in both directions: Perennial can read the meter remotely and can send commands or signals back to it. The data management system is located at Perennials office headquarters. Meter readings are received from the meters to the AMI server. These readings and other data are then imported into Perennials (CIS) Customer information system where it’s processed for billing.
What does this mean for you as a customer? The most visible change is more detailed information about your energy use. AMI gives you and Perennial hourly consumption data on your energy bill. AMI in the U.S. has accelerated significantly over the past decade. Approximately 165 million AMI meters are installed nationwide.
