Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!sei!rsd
From: rsd@sei.cmu.edu (Richard S D'Ippolito)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: KWH meter readings by phone?
Message-ID: <9095@fy.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 17 Oct 90 19:10:59 GMT
References: <1676@ole.UUCP>
Reply-To: rsd@sei.cmu.edu (Richard S D'Ippolito)
Distribution: na
Organization: Software Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Lines: 43

In article <1676@ole.UUCP> ray@ole.UUCP (Ray Berry) writes:
>
>	I told a friend that there is at least one company offering hardware
>to read power meters remotely by phone and he told me I'm dreaming.  Does
>anyone on the net know about this?  Any info you could forward would be ap-
>preciated.
>-- 
>Ray Berry  kb7ht  uucp: ...ole!ray CIS: 73407,3152 /* "inquire within" */


You're awake -- tell your friend that if the meters had teeth, they might
bite him!

For several (more than seven) years, there have been several US and foreign
manufactuers of remote metering equipment for utilities, including Metretek
in Florida.  

I have created systems using these products to control switches, breakers,
and power-factor correction equipment for utilities, including a whole
utility in Tennessee that had remote metering (phoneline), and control of
electric heat pumps and water heaters in private homes.  All of the
equipment reported readings by phone (we made some of it, other manufactures
like Metretek added circuitry to standard GE KWHr meters).  

We commanded some equipment by phone and other equipment by sending pulses
down the power lines.  The Tennessee project has been operational since
1985.  All info was reported to a control room operator on color monitors,
and commands were issued by selection from the displays using light pens or
track balls.

These KWHr meters were programmed to pick up the phone at various intervals
and call in with the readings.  If the phone were in use, the meter would
not detect a dial tone and simply wait a short interval (usually 5 min) and
try again.  If the occupant picked up the phone when the meter was on the
line, it would hang up and wait until later.  Readings were sent in every 15
min or half-hour (the computer told the meter during each call when to call
in next) in order that the utility could record average KW demand.  The
customers with the remote readers and controls on the heaters were
volunteers and received better energy rates, as it allowed the utility to
smooth demand.


Rich