August 2011 - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
August 2011 - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
August 2011 - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
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8 KIUC CURRENTS<br />
By Anne Barnes<br />
COOPERATIVE TECHNOLOGY<br />
Advanced Meters<br />
for Advanced Service<br />
Frequently asked questions about smart meters<br />
If you are a regular reader, you know that In<br />
November 2009, KIUC and 26 other electric<br />
cooperatives from 10 states were awarded a<br />
$33.9 million matching grant from the U.S.<br />
Department of Energy under the American<br />
Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) for Smart<br />
Grid Demonstration Projects. DOE awarded the<br />
National Rural Electric <strong>Cooperative</strong> Association’s<br />
<strong>Cooperative</strong> Research Network half of the<br />
project’s total cost of $67 million to test and<br />
develop technologies that operate together to<br />
make the grid more efficient and reliable. The<br />
cost of KIUC’s project is $11 million, of which $5.5<br />
million is being provided by the ARRA.<br />
As part of the program, KIUC is investing in<br />
new, smart meters to improve the efficiency and<br />
reliability of the electric system. Members have<br />
begun asking questions about these new meters<br />
and how they work. Here are the most common<br />
questions and answers.<br />
How is KIUC’s efficiency improved by<br />
Smart meters?<br />
With remote meter reading and reconnection,<br />
we save time and money. And with more detailed<br />
data about demand and usage we can distribute<br />
power more efficiently.<br />
How will the new technology improve<br />
affordability of electric service?<br />
Operating more efficiently can help minimize<br />
cost increases. We also can use the new data to<br />
help our members address high bills.<br />
How will new smart meters increase<br />
KIUC’s reliability?<br />
New meters help us locate and respond to<br />
outages faster and more safely, and help us<br />
improve power quality, reducing surges and<br />
blinks.<br />
When will my meter be installed?<br />
KIUC anticipates installation for the<br />
demonstration project to begin in 2012. The fiveyear<br />
process will include an expected two years<br />
of installation of new meters at members’ homes<br />
and installing communications infrastructure to<br />
assess smart grid effectiveness, and three years<br />
for data gathering and analysis.<br />
Will I lose electrical service during<br />
the installation?<br />
Yes, for a few minutes. You will need to reset<br />
electronic clocks and other devices.<br />
How does my new automated meter<br />
work?<br />
With these new meters, KIUC will be able to<br />
communicate with each individual meter<br />
remotely from our central office.
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