The project to update Clarke Electric member’s meters to use modern technology is now complete. Nearly 7,000 meters were replaced over a period of eight months following two years of research and planning.

For the first time in the history of our cooperative, we received 100% of our monthend billing reads remotely! This meant that we didn’t have to send staff out to read meters or troubleshoot faulty metering equipment, effectively saving our co-op – and you – money.

Over two years ago, our staff began researching the latest generation of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to replace a system nearing its end of life. Honeywell's solution was selected which allows us to collect data over a cellular network and enables an array of reporting tools that will provide us with trends, patterns, and other data we can use. Even more exciting than the overall performance of the AMI system are operational efficiencies being driven by near real-time outage notification alarms and power quality events.

So, what does that mean for you? For one thing, we are actively responding to and, oftentimes, restoring power before our members are aware that they are without power. It also means we can analyze voltage and current interval data to quickly find and repair failing equipment such as connectors, member wiring, transformers, etc.

Using the new metering data, Clarke proactively made repairs on nine connections and replaced eight overloaded transformers on service orders in the last three months. Future outages were prevented in every instance and one repair to member-owned wiring potentially prevented a structure and grass fire.

This is a new way of doing business for Clarke and we are working diligently to process large amounts of data and automate our workflows. Please continue to report your outages and any power quality issues you may experience.

We are excited about what the future holds with options for alternate rate offerings, advancements in energy efficiency programs, and comprehensive engineering analytics. Look for updates in our monthly newsletter as we share case studies and dive deeper into how our technology is becoming increasingly integrated to better serve you.