1.0 Purpose

The purpose of these specifications is to establish the design, construction, and performance requirements for the approval of event loggers for electricity and gas metering devices. These specifications address the information, format and integrity of both self-contained and exported event logs and identify the conditions and circumstances in which an event logger may be approved to augment existing sealing requirements in metering devices approved as configurable devices.

2.0 Scope

2.1 These specifications apply to event loggers incorporated in electricity and gas metering devices and systems as governed by the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act and Regulations.

2.2 These specifications do not apply to any device which is not approved for use by Measurement Canada, unless the device forms part of a measurement system which includes an approved device and that system is being used for a purpose governed by the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act and Regulations.

2.3 These specifications do not apply to test standards, equipment or apparatus that is used to repair, calibrate, inspect or verify devices or systems.

3.0 Authorization

This specification is issued pursuant to section 12 of the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations (EGIR).

Abstract

A whitepaper outlining the need for effective procurement, deployment and the operational requirements using the Standards, ANSI C12.18, ANSI C12.19, ANSI C12.21 & ANSI C12.22 and their use by adopting the AEIC Guidelines.

Introduction

The AEIC Implementation and Performance Guidelines, v2.0, is a Utility-generated framework and testing criteria for vendors and utilities who desire to implement Standards-based AMI (StandardAMI) as the choice for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solutions.

Advanced metering is a metering system that records customer consumption [and possibly other parameters] hourly or more frequently and provides for daily or more frequent transmittal of measurements over a communication network to a central collection point1. AMI includes the communications hardware and software and associated systems and data management software that creates a network between advanced meters and utility business systems. This allows the collection and distribution of information to the utility, while also making it available to the utility's customers and other parties such as competitive retail providers2.

StandardAMI leverages Standards to cost-effectively and rapidly deploy and operate AMI with existing infrastructure, while leveraging investments already made in the AMR network. StandardAMI is not a compromise. It offers the makings of interoperable end-to-end solutions to the utility. StandardAMI begins with Standard Meter Data Management services (MDM) and links through bi-directional (and unidirectional) Standard networks to reach Standard end-point-devices, which communicate using Standard Communication Modules (SCM). It is not “just about the meter. ”

A complete solution cannot and should not be implemented strictly based on a single Standard. This is because Standards are written piece-wise to fashion a comprehensive solution through collaboration among Standards. For that reason the industry utilizes (or should utilize) a suite of Standards as the means for addressing the totality of present and future AMI needs.

A suite of Standards, that address the specific needs of the utility industry, has been developed over the past 30 years. These Standards are traditionally collectively referred to as the “Utility Industry End Device Data Tables”, thus giving the misleading impression that a solution can be provided through the deployment of one Standard that embodies Tables' technology in the meter (End Device). Furthermore, this has mistakenly led some to believe that interoperability among meters can be achieved simply by specifying values and extents of elements within Tables3. The reality is that ANSI C12.19 is the data model and it prescribes a collection of elements of information that may be stored in meters, relays, communication modules and data management systems. These are communicated, on the AMR side, using ANSI C12.22 (and/or ANSI C12.21 and/or ANSI C12.18) to address the totality of AMI requirements. Other specifications such as those provided by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) may collaborate with these Standards to provide interfaces to MDMs and Customer Information Systems (CIS).