Influence of power quality on FortisAlberta's PLC based Automatic Meter Reading system

Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) is a basic requirement of smart metering, which enables one-way or two-way communication with meters by utilizing modern communication technologies, such as Radio Frequency (RF), Cellular and Power Line Carrier (PLC). A PLC based AMR system uses power lines as the carrier for transmitting metering data. It has been widely used in North America due to its capability of accessing the whole distribution network of a utility, making it an economical solution for rural based or sparsely populated areas. However, by sharing power lines with various types of devices and loads, the PLC signals are inevitably exposed to interferences from customer operations and system equipment. This paper will introduce the implementation of a PLC based AMR system at FortisAlberta, and present the findings from investigations about the influence of power quality on the AMR system, followed by a discussion of a troubleshooting process to deal with interferences and resonances.