hard-won wisdom for smart meter...

Hard-won wisdom for

smart meter deploymentsAugust 24, 2011

Lessons from the Real World Webinar Series

Today’s presenters

Jessica BakerBusiness Architect &

Project ManagerBGE

Shanu NigamSmart Grid Solution Architect

Accenture

Jesse BerstChief Analyst

SmartGridNews.com

Agenda

Hard-won wisdom in

seven areas

1. Network & meter deployment

2. Technology & integration

3. Security

4. Vendor management

5. Customer communications & education

6. Data management

7. Project management

Name Background

Shanu Nigam Senior Manager & Solution Architect – Accenture’s Smart Grid Services

• Solution architect for the BGE smart grid program and leads the smart grid business intelligence effort

• 7+ years working with electric and gas utilities including solution architectures and business transformation.

• In-depth knowledge of SOA techniques and technologies for applications such as MDMS, Headend & Meter technology, HAN, DRMS, IVVC, OMS and Online presentment

• Bachelors in Engineering (Computer Science) from M.S.University, MS (Computer Science) from University of Southern California and MBA from UCLA

Speaker

Name Background

Jessica BakerProject Manager, Smart Grid Meter Installation and Provisioning, BGE

• Eight years active duty as a Naval Flight Officer

• Project manager Constellation Energy business performance improvement

• Smart Grid Business Architect, BGE

• Founder and president of Constellation Energy’s Eco-Team, a grassroots employee group focused on driving sustainability initiatives throughout the company and in the community

• Graduate, U.S. Naval Academy, MBA Boston University (with high honors) and a certified Project Management Professional

Speaker

Baltimore Gas & Electric: Practical Lessons Learned

August 24, 2011

Confidential & Proprietary – For Discussion Purposes Only

Agenda

Overview of BGE’s smart grid program

BGE’s vendor selection

Categories of lessons learned

Q &A


Smart Grid at BGE

Enable home area networks

Install 2.1M gas and electric advanced meters and modules

Install radio based field devices to collectmeter data

Utilize radio based technologyto communicate between field collection devices and the back office (backhaul and head end)

Install a

meter data

manageme

nt systemto store the new meter data

Install a customer

Web portal

BGE Vendor Selection

AMI Silver Spring Networks (SSN)

Backhaul Verizon

MDM Oracle MDM

Meter Installation Grid One Solutions (formerly known as VSI)

Meters GE, L+G

Security Testing InGuardians

Consultant Support Accenture

3rd Party Meter Testing Vision Metering (formerly known as Austin International)

Meter Disposal/Resale Vision Metering

ERT Recycling BPAI


Categories of Lessons Learned

Network & Meter Deployment

Technology & Integration

Security

Vendor Management

Customer Communications & Education

Data Management

Project Management



• Pre-sweep target areas

Physically inspecting premises prior to installation helps identify issues that might prevent successful meter installs.

Plan to address buildovers and obstructions that are normally considered customer responsibility.

• Consider a Field Trial (pre-deployment of a few hundred meters)

Utilized to test, validate, update operational processes for AMI managed services prior to high volume

• Sequence your deployment

When deploying network components, hold some in reserve for optimization. Maintain a network deployment pace that ensures build-out of the network prior to meter installs.

Deploy meters in contiguous areas with pre-determined saturation targets.

• Determine the meter data and events required based on current and potential future requirements



• Consider various meter accuracy demonstrations

Dual pan (side-by-side) read comparisons

Dual pan manual read vs. over-the-air AMI read

3rd party meter accuracy testing

Image capture for last reads

Secondary read validation

• Maintain adequate inventory

Institute a structured and regular release process for ordering

Provide periodic forecasts to the manufacturers during

mass-deployment

• Design processes and provide capability for utility crews to install AMI meters from Day 1

Legacy meter

Smart meter


Technology & Integration

• Establish guidelines and principles on how information will be exchanged between backend systems and with external systems.

• Test early and often

Conduct proof-of-concepts to confirm the process flows between meters, head-end and MDM before finalizing technical designs.

• Aim to reduce time between when data is recorded in the field and when it is made available through customer facing portals.

• Business processes, including exceptions, should be accurately defined and approved by end users.


Security

• Identify and address security vulnerabilities across all asset types

• Establish enterprise level security & privacy guidelines and requirements, balancing risk decisions with business criticality of data

• Proactively request relevant documentation and dedicated security team from vendors at project start

• Conduct a risk assessment:

Assess current state security posture to bring it into alignment with the requirements and best practices

Conduct formal Security Threat Modeling sessions

Execute a comprehensive Vulnerability and Penetration Test

• Staff the security team with relevant expertise in the diverse areas of a Smart Grid security architecture (field devices, systems, integration, network etc.)


Vendor Management

• Due to the evolving nature of the smart metering space, ask for periodic review of vendor roadmap and detailed information on functionality in upcoming releases

• Agree upon the scope of responsibility in an official Statement of Work.

• Identify a dedicated point person

• Require participation of vendors in relevant business process and technical design discussions.

• Key contract provisions: installation incentives for hard-to-access service points. Ensures alignment of segment saturation goals and build-out of the mesh.


Customer Communication

• Plan on education of smart meter benefits, meter accuracy and health concerns through a customer communications organization dedicated to developing and implementing a comprehensive customer education and communications plan.

Close coordination with neighboring utilities and stakeholders including PSC, AARP, OPC, DOE for metrics reporting and customer education plans

Defined schedule for targeted communications to upcoming deployment segments using multiple communications vehicles

Incorporate results from Dual Pan meter accuracy demonstration (side-by-side meter read comparison)

Incorporate results from 3rd party meter accuracy testing

Image capture of all last reads and secondary read validation (field read followed by warehouse read) to ensure accurate customer billing


Data Management

• Prepare for the ‘Data Tsunami’ - evaluate the type of information being returned based on current and future business requirements

• Develop a Smart Grid Data architecture that supports management of data and creates information for real-time decisions, operational decisions and business insights

• Plan for effort to move a superset of data from key business systems into a warehouse

• Business Intelligence products for smart meter analytics are a new & emerging market; take an incremental approach to developing a data warehouse


Project Management

• Build contingency in your testing timelines

Execute distinct phases of testing – System, Integration, User Acceptance, Operational Readiness and Performance – with no overlaps

Plan for discovering new/missed requirements during early testing stages and schedule time for updates to technical deliverables

Defect management and resolution: daily defect calls with representatives from all systems

• Plan for addressing customer obstructions found during pre-sweeps and mass deployment.

• Smart meter programs are multi-year multi-release efforts. Be deliberate and specific about requesting necessary SMEs.

• Define internal and external metrics early


Continuous Learning Process

Compile Best Practices and

Lessons Learned

AMI Pilot

(One-time input)

Industry Conferences,

Webinars

Utility Relationships

Accenture CoP

Online Research, Publications, Newsletters

Internal End-of-Phase/Release

Lessons Learned

Share Learnings & Recommendations in

a Team Forum

Make Decisions, Implement Lessons

Learned, Update Project Plans

#1 Lesson Learned:

Build and tap into industry peer group for relevant,

real-time, practical lessons learned

Questions?Questions?

Thank you

Jessica BakerBusiness Architect &

Project ManagerBGE

[email protected] Nigam

Smart Grid Solution ArchitectAccenture

[email protected]

Jesse BerstChief Analyst

[email protected]

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