With 300 million smart meters deployed, utilities are now focused on integrating and optimizing information gathered by smart meters and transmitted by Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) communications systems, as well as from other investments in the digital grid, to provide benefits and new capabilities to customers and system operators. AMI systems integration with Outage Management Systems (OMS) and Distribution Management Systems (DMS) is providing enhanced outage management and restoration with improved distribution system monitoring.
Smart meters position the grid as a platform for the integration of energy resources such as distributed generation, community solar, electric vehicles, storage, and micro-grids. Smart metering gives customers real-time consumption information via display devices that translate the meter reading into a language the customer can easily understand. These devices help customers change their consumption habits without waiting...