HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 419-07City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
CITY MANAGER
NOVEMBER 13, 2007
DEPARTMENT: UTILITIES
CMR: 419:07
AUTOMATED METER READING PILOT PROJECT UPDATE
This is an informational report and no Council action is required.
BACKGROUND
In 2003, Council authorized staff to proceed with an Automated Meter Reading (AMR) system
pilot pr~ect to evaluate the feasibility of remotely reading electric, gas and water meters (CIP
EL-04014 - Automated Meter Reading System). The meters included in the pilot were costly to
read because they were located in difficult locations to access in buildings; needed to be read
more frequently than normal; or were located in remote areas. The purpose of the pilot project
was to gain experience and detem~ine applicability of AMR to a variety of customer types and
installation enviromnents. The project was originally divided into ttzree phases. Phase I included
meters at multi-dwelling ~mits where meters are frequently read outside of the regular meter
reading cycle due to high resident turnover; Phase II includes meters at retail establislzments; and
Phase III includes meters at large comanercial and industrial facilities and locations in the
western Palo Alto foothills.
In January 2005, staff issued a Request for Proposal (RFP #110780) as part of CIP EL-04014 -
Automated Meter Reading System. In July 2005, Council authorized staff to enter into a
contract with Itron, Inc. (CMR:187:05) for furnishing and installing an AMR system in areas
identified for Phases I and II. The system installed included a fixed radio network (allows for
immediate remote access to meter data) that covered a limited area, mobile meter reading
computer (meter reading equipment mo~.mted in a meter reading truck for drive-by readings),
hand held meter reading computers (for walk-by reading from the sidewalk), and AMR-ready
meters equipped with an Encoder Receiver Transmitter (ERT) which transmits meter read data.
Phase III was placed on hold pending the evaluation of Phase I and Phase II.
CMR:419:07 Page 1 of 4
DISCUSSION
Project Scope
To date, staff has overseen: (1) the procurement of 3,740 AMR meters for a fixed radio network,
669 AMR meters for mobile and hand-held meter reading devices, an AMR mobile meter data
collector (installed in a meter reading truck), and 12 handheld meter data collection units for the
meter readers and the meter shops; (2) the installation of a Fixed network collection system and
3,740 AMR meters in the Oak Creek Apartments and Stanford West Apartments area along Sand
Hill Road, Stanford Villa area along Ahna Street, and portions of California Avenue, nine
collector units (communicates to host server) and 78 repeater units (sometimes needed to boost
si~aal fiom the meter to permit complete transmission to the collector unit) for the fixed
network, and 669 AMR meters in the Town and Country Village and Stanford Shopping Center
areas; and (3) Meter reader training on the use of the hand-held meter reading devices, and Meter
shop and field training on the installation and maintenance of the AMR equipment
In addition to the .~\,[R meters in the original contract, the City has also been requiring
developers of new subdivisions with 30 units or more to install AMR capable meters as part of
their project costs (CMR: 184:06).
Utilities and Human Resources staff have met and conferred with the Service Employees’
International Union (SEIU) leadership to discuss the AMR pilot project including the future of
AMR technology in Palo Alto and possible benefit and impact to employees. A letter
summarizing the meeting was subsequently sent to SEIU for comment. Staff is continuing to
seek SEIU input on the possible impacts of AMR.
Results
Justification for the pilot project focused on the benefits related to the reading of electric, gas,
and water meters. Listed belo~v a’e some of the original goals and expectations of aa AMR
system that the pilot program was to help demonstrate, mad a brief description of the results to
date.
Meter Reading
Staff has been collecting and verifying data from AMR meters with fixed mobile and hand-held
reading methods since early 2006. In September 2007, data collected with the handheld
collectors for a meter reading route was successfully used to bill customers for electric, gas, and
water usage. The system ~vorks as expected and tlss portion of the ta’ial has been successfully
implemented.
Improvements to Meter Reader Safety
The projected safety improvements caImot be demonstrated at this time because of the limited
scope of the pilot project. However, staff is confident that by reducing employee exposure to
walking and tripping hazards, dogs and other pets, automobile traffic, umeceptive customers,
heavy water meter box lids, marginally accessible meters, etc., that work related injuries for the
meter reading ~-oup will be reduced.
CMR:419:07 Page 2 of 4
commitment from Utilities a~d there is insufficient manpower to manage the ~MR and CIS
upgrade projects at the same time. It is anticipated that the CIS upgrade will be completed
sometime in early 2009. Finally, any synergies between the AMR and the universal
telecommunications proposal need to be evaluated. The infrastructure fiom the universal
telecommunications network and proposed ultra-high-speed broadband system could be used as
the communications method for the A_MR teclmologies. The utilities would get the benefit of
avoiding construction of communications infi-astructure mad the telecommunications system
would benefit by getting revenue to support the netwvork. Since the broadband system is
currently under negotiation, an analysis of the benefits aa~d costs cannot be determined at this
time.
Staff is anticipating returning to Council in 2009 with a recommendation on the implementation
of advanced metering technology. This will give staff sufficient time to evaluate tectmo!ogies
and coordinate with the energy efficiency programs, CIS upgrade, and the universal
telecommunications program.
RESOURCE IMPACT
None at this time.
POLICY IMPLICATI ONS
None at this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
No environmental review is required at this time.
PREPARED BY:Tom Ting, Electric Project Engineer
Taha Fattah, Senior Market Analyst
Tomm Marshall, Assistant Director, Utilities
Engineer
DEPARTMENT APPROVAL:
Director of*Utiliti~
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
CMR:419:07 Page 4 of 4