Distribution Automation
The cost of electricity is ever increasing and a concern for all. These increasing costs are caused by the growth in the number of utility customers and the costs of adding these new customers to the electrical utility network.
In order to reduce the cost to the customer, innovative pricing has been introduced throughout the industry. This pricing is geared toward use of electricity during various times of the day. Electricity costs more during high use times and less during times of lower use. The ability to measure usage and to adjust distribution of electricity in real time to high need areas during high need times is an important factor in providing low cost electrical power to all users. The need exists for gathering this use information and providing it to the utility company for effective distribution during time of need. This dynamic allocation of electricity allows for attractive pricing adjustments for users. It also allows the utility to re-route electricity to needed areas during high-use times. The need is a hierarchical information transport system to gather the data at the user end and to make it available to the utility provider.
The AgileMesh Solution: By using our patented wireless mesh technology, AgileMesh nodes can be distributed around the neighborhood and provide multiple aggregation points for the user information. The internal processing engine of the AgileMesh node can be programmed to accept the data from the user smart meters and can format it for transmission to the next level of the hierarchy. Multiple neighborhood aggregation meshes can be connected together providing the next hierarchical level. Ultimately the aggregated information is back-hauled to the utility control point for effective analysis.
Distributed automation components: The components of this distributed automation system are already being installed. Smart meters connect to households and provide the first input of usage information. This information is available wirelessly in the local area. This needs to be aggregated at the neighborhood level and made available to the next level of the hierarchy. The wireless mesh technology is one that fits the architecture of distributed automation.
AgileMesh Distribution Automation System components:
- Sensor nodes
- Mesh aggregation nodes
- Backhaul links
- Monitoring and control software
Contact us today to discuss how we can provide this important piece of the distribution automation system.