BOONE, N.C. — Had Hurricane Florence caused more power outages in and around Boone, Diana Wilcox ’91 would have known about it immediately from her laptop at home, just as she will know if there is an outage during the first snowfall of the season.

“It was a situation where we prepared for the worst and were grateful that it didn't happen,” said Wilcox, business and technology applications analyst and customer service supervisor with New River Light and Power (NRLP) Co., a nonprofit operating unit of Appalachian State University. NRLP serves residential and commercial customers within the Town of Boone and the surrounding area.

Wilcox would have known because she was able to monitor NRLP’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), which was installed in 2017.

AMI is an integrated system of smart meters, communications networks and data management systems that enables two-way communication between utilities and customers. According to NRLP, the investment in AMI means the company has “one of the most technologically advanced power control systems available.”

Ed Miller, general manager of NRLP, said the total cost of the upgrade was just over $2 million, a cost NRLP was able to justify because the AMI system allowed the company to reduce staff while improving restoration time — the time it takes to restore power.

“Had there been an outage, the AMI system would have alerted NRLP staff immediately and displayed the meters involved in the outage on a map so that crews could have quickly seen where the problems were,” said Wilcox, who worked closely with the AMI vendor during installation. “This has been really helpful to the crews in finding the root cause when we do have outages and fixing them quickly.”

For every outage, whether due to snowfall and/or ice, a hurricane, a car accident or even wildlife, NRLP is notified of the outage through its AMI system. The system can detect the number of meters impacted, length of outage and can even aid in the location of the device that needs to be repaired.

According to the Department of Energy, in addition to identifying and isolating outages, the AMI system has the ability to automatically and remotely measure electricity use, connect and disconnect service, detect tampering and monitor voltage.

“As we see the electric utility industry change, NRLP is now more than ever aware that our customers expect more from their utility,” Miller said. “The ability for a customer to monitor and control their consumption is becoming more of a norm than the exception. With data being updated every 15 minutes, customers can see through our customer portal how their usage changes over the course of the day without waiting until their next bill to see their consumption.”

The company said the AMI system benefits NRLP customers by improving billing accuracy, helping troubleshoot problems with high bills and aiding with improving energy efficiency. Customers can compare their usage with that of a typical home with similar characteristics, providing awareness that, Miller said, “is key to understanding our energy usage habits and what we can do to improve efficiency.”

“There was also a sustainability aspect in that the AMI meters are read, connected and disconnected remotely,” Wilcox said. “This means that we no longer have to roll trucks to perform most routine meter-related tasks.”

Miller said future features the AMI system will offer include prepaid service, high-use notifications and energy saving tips, all of which will be offered in the beginning of 2019.

Additional features, such as time of use rates — pricing that reflects the cost of producing electricity at different times of day based on demand, enabling customers to save money during hours when electricity is more expensive — will be offered when NRLP changes energy providers in 2022.

About App State's New River Light and Power

For 110 years, New River Light and Power (NRLP) — a nonprofit electric utility operated by Appalachian State University — has provided reliable power to residents of Western North Carolina. The utility currently serves approximately 9,000 residential and commercial customers in and around Boone, including the university. NRLP is dedicated to expanding access to higher education, contributing approximately $650,000 annually to the university’s general scholarship fund. Additionally, the utility awards NRLP scholarships to support graduating Watauga County high school seniors pursuing an App State education, as well as those interested in pursuing a career in linework. NRLP holds the American Public Power Association’s Reliable Public Power Provider and Smart Energy Provider designations, recognizing its commitment to safety, efficiency, renewable energy and environmental stewardship. Learn more about App State’s New River Light and Power at https://nrlp.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.