FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) Application for a Certificate of Public ...

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Response:
FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC or the Company)
Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project
Response to British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC or the Commission)
Information Request (IR) No. 1
Submission Date:
October 5, 2012
Page 22
Although none of the legislation and regulation provided by FortisBC as part of the Application
applies solely to FortisBC, provincial energy policy as detailed in the 2007 BC Energy Plan is
given effect through several pieces of legislation which impact utilities operating within the
province. FortisBC has provided the relevant pieces of legislation and regulation in Appendix B
of the Application which are supported by the Company’s proposed Project.
10.0 Reference: Project Need
Response:
Exhibit B-1, Tab 3.0, Section 3.2.3
Smart Grid Building Blocks - FortisBC’s DSAP
“The largest opportunity yet to be attributed to system improvements such as DSAP
includes the measurement and confirmation of current system losses and identification
of future system loss reductions. This opportunity requires the implementation of an
advanced metering system in conjunction with the already implemented DSAP as an
essential component of the smart grid.”
[Ref: B-1, p. 28]
10.1 Please explain further the opportunity benefit attributed to DSAP that will result
from the completion of the AMI project.
The opportunity benefit being referenced is the ability to identify distribution system losses on a
per-feeder basis. The DSAP greatly enhanced FortisBC’s visibility of its distribution substations
by adding advanced substation meters at 26 of the Company’s legacy substations. Together
with the advanced meters already installed at new substations constructed over the last ten
years, FortisBC now has advanced meters installed on almost all of its distribution feeders.
Once AMI meters are installed it would be possible to conduct energy loss measurements on a
per-feeder basis. This would be done by subtracting the total energy consumed at customer
end-points from the energy supplied to a distribution feeder (as measured by the substation
advanced meters). Prior to completion of the DSAP, a large number of distribution feeders
would not have had the advanced substation meters necessary to support this calculation.
For further information please refer to the responses to BCUC IR1 Q78.3, Q78.3.1 and Q78.3.2
for a discussion of system loss calculations.