Clayton County AMI Deployment

Case Study: AMI Deployment In A High Growth Town

SINGLE NETWORK WATER AND ELECTRIC – AMI DEPLOYMENT IN A HIGH-GROWTH TOWN

After two years of planning and solution selection, the Town of Clayton, based in the Raleigh-metro area, was ready to move forward with implementation of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) serving both water and electric utilities. MeterSYS guided them from feasibility to implementation resulting in an integrated system that provides timely and accurate readings electronically and on-demand, improves data related to reduce non-revenue water loss, engages customers through an online portal about their energy and water usage, and improves operational efficiency across all Town departments.

THE CLIENT: TOWN OF CLAYTON

The Town of Clayton – located just outside of Raleigh, NC – is a fast growing community known for its small town ambiance, great schools, quality housing choices, and easy access to the nation’s primary arteries, I-95 and I-40. Clayton has grown by more than 275% since the year 2000 to a current population of 26,307. At this rate, Clayton could easily exceed a population of 50,000 by the year 2050.

THE PROBLEM: A UTILITY SYSTEM THAT NEEDED TO KEEP UP WITH GROWTH

With that impressive growth comes the responsibility to prepare plans and make investments that proactively manage development while taking advantage of opportunities and dealing with challenges in the community. One such challenge was the implementation of AMI to serve both water and electric utilities and streamline operations. Having identified areas of concern and deficit, the Town knew they needed to address the following:

  • High growth community with an increasingly savvy customer base seeking more insight into utility usage
  • Water and electric utilities operating in separate and different systems that were aged and manually time intensive
  • Reduce truck rolls and greenhouse gas emissions

THE METERSYS SOLUTION

With so many decision points and components to consider when developing a solution, the Town recognized that they needed support from a dedicated firm that can provide not only expertise, but risk mitigation strategies to eliminate any potential issues. With a proven process and over 30 client success stories, MeterSYS was hired to serve as Project Manager to lead in the Single Network AMI implementation and streamline town operations.

As Project Manager, MeterSYS oversaw:

  • Network installation and a robust testing program
  • Multiple software integrations
  • Enhanced asset management process and data capture
  • Organized customer notification and education program

MeterSYS supported the Town through due diligence on the front-end of the project, quality control measures such as work order checks and database comparison throughout implementations, and change management elements such as job-specific training on the back end.

THE OUTCOME: A METER ABOVE THE REST

The Town now has an AMI system that provides more timely and accurate reads electronically and on-demand, improved data to reduce non-revenue water loss, a customer portal to engage with customers about their energy and water usage, and improved operational efficiency thanks to utilizing system alerts and reports to pinpoint issues.

With its new AMI solution, the Town now offers:

  • A more efficient automated meter reading process, with no job loss to Town employees
  • Improved electricity outage response and proactive continual flow notification for water
  • Customer portal for the savvy and engaged customer, with usage tools to monitor and control consumption
  • Standardized metering equipment and improved processes for device and data management

MeterSYS Difference Statistics

METERSYS

Our company was founded on the clear need for public utilities to have an experienced and trained AMI advocate for each aspect of smart metering assessment and implementation.

WE…

  • Represent the interests of utilities among manufacturers and distributors to ensure you solution is the right solution for your utility goals.
  • Value transparency in our actions and believe that through positive disruption of the smart metering market, we can shift more value and sustainable benefit of AMI investments to our clients.
  • Serve as a resource and advocate for utilities and help our clients improve operations, enhance revenues, and provide greater service for their customers.

ABOUT US

MeterSYS provides a full spectrum of AMI services including feasibility, network design, procurement, implementation, and post-deployment systems enhancement. We help utilities evaluate and upgrade infrastructure, technology and operations to meet and exceed regulatory standards. MeterSYS will help you leverage your network and put your data to work:

  • Post-AMI Initiatives, including customized staffing reallocation plans; maintenance standards; performance protocols; DMAs; pressure monitoring; leakage management solutions
  • loT and edge devices; network security/ privacy; emergency and disaster recovery; third-party software solutions
  • Customer portal; rebate and conservation initiatives; open data platform

BENEFITS OF AMI

  • On-demand read capability
  • Improved asset management
  • Increased efficiency and conservation
  • Enhanced customer service

Download the full case study for Clayton County – AMI Deployment In A High Growth Town.