Zelienople seeks funds for advanced meter system
ZELIENOPLE — The borough took another step toward joining the ranks of so-called smart cities, after council approved a resolution at its Monday meeting to pursue funding for an advanced metering system.
If finalized, the borough would replace its current electric meters with an advanced, or smart, metering system which would monitor electricity and water usage. These meters would be connected to a wireless network, allowing borough employees to keep track of the data and send commands to the meters.
The next step is for the borough to get state Department of Community & Economic Development approval to apply for a loan to cover the $1.2 million cost of the project.
Jared Price, chief technology officer at American Municipal Power, the Ohio-based nonprofit that sells Zelienople its power, presented details to council this week.
“You’re going to have a level of visibility in your distribution system that you’ve never had before,” Price said. “That will allow you to more effectively manage and maintain your electric distribution system and also information on your water distribution as well.”
The $1.2 million overall cost would cover initial services and upkeep, down from an estimate given last year of $1.5 million.
Borough residents can expect to see an estimated $3 to $5 per month increase in their utilities bill if council finalizes the project, according to council President Allen Bayer.
The borough has been mulling advanced meters for about five years, said Andrew Spencer, assistant to the borough manager, who added they only recently became cost effective.
“Five years ago, when we started down this road, I thought we’d be sort of on the cutting edge and Zelienople would be on the forefront of this technology,” he said. “(Borough manager Don Pepe) and I had lunch with the district manager of Penn Power a few weeks ago and came to find out that not only has Penn Power put in all smart meters, but they won’t be reading meters in the next year. We’re really not ahead.”
In the past, the electric and water systems were single-purpose and cost $1 million for each utility to install.
Today’s systems cost about the same but are multipurpose, covering water, electricity and more while centralizing control of both platforms, said Chad Garland, public works director. This multipurpose capability is made possible by the network that connects the sensors and leads to future integration possibilities.
“The network is really the key,” Price said. “You’re going to want to use this for other things. So today, reading meters and being able to send commands to readers, tomorrow it may to be able to integrate with street lighting, traffic controls, environmental sensors.”
The benefit of this system is the increased efficiency and productivity of borough employees who will be able to allocate resources to problem areas and wirelessly monitor what those problems are and where they are occurring, Price said. Additionally, the easy access to data would allow the borough to make more informed decisions about the borough’s water and power.
Council voted to move forward with the process. Assuming funding is acquired and the plan goes smoothly, Price said the borough could start implementing the project May 1 and be billing on the system in December.
