Edison SmartConnect™ - About the Program

SCE's Vision for Advanced Metering

SCE will replace today's electric meters with a new "smart" meter and communications system that improves customer service, offers customers new rate options and helps customers save energy and money. The "smart" metering system may ultimately reduce day-to-day utility operations costs by streamlining processes and automating the matching of resources with demand.

SCE is building an advanced metering system that will bring customer usage and meter data into the digital "central nervous system" of its power operations. Edison SmartConnect™ will be the information backbone for technologies that measure usage and power quality, and enable dynamic pricing and demand response. The advanced system will enable customer-premise information and automation.

The project is leveraging commercially-available components by using open designs for both the metering and communications devices to provide a long-lived, flexible and sustainable technology platform. Open design facilitates the present-day and future technology developments in home connectivity, distribution grid intelligence, and distributed generation, all of which could leverage the advanced metering infrastructure technology.

Program Scope & Schedule

The scope of SCE's metering solution is to replace approximately 5 million electric meters for SCE's residential, commercial and industrial customers (below 200kW in demand) beginning in 2009.

Multi-Phased Approach

Edison SmartConnect™ is using a multiphased approach to develop and deploy 5 million meters.

 

Phase I: Research
Completed December, 2006

• Preliminary requirements, conceptual architecture and conceptual feasibility.
• Reference architecture, beta product testing completed.
• Meter and telecommunications RFP for meter and telecommunications issued to vendors with next generation product available within the program deadline.
• Regulatory application filed for Phase II.

Phase II: Development
January 2007 - December 2007

• Field testing for meters and telecommunications systems.
• Field testing for meter data management system installation.
• Identification of cost effective advanced meter solutions that benefit customers and make new services possible through smart metering technology.
• Regulatory application filed for Deployment phase.

Phase III: Deployment
January 2008 - June 2012

• Execution phase involving preparation for deployment in 2009.
• Preparation includes logistics set-up, telecom network installation, new meter sets, and field testing.

Full deployment of 5 million customer meters is on-schedule to begin in 2009 and run through 2012.