Knoxville Utilities Board Smart Grid Project

Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB), located in Knoxville, Tennessee, will receive $3.5 million in funding to develop a smarter energy grid. The U.S. Department of Energy selected KUB as one of 100 companies to receive federal stimulus funds as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The Knoxville Smart Grid Community project includes the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) infrastructure and distribution automation assets. The project aims to reduce costs for operations, maintenance, and electricity through reduced meter reading expenses, faster outage detection, and improved peak load management. It is also aimed at increasing distribution system efficiency, reliability, and power quality. Better power quality and reactive power management are being addressed with fault current indicators and volt ampere reactive (VAR) control at substations. Furthermore, the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) is collaborating with The University of Tennessee to analyze the metering and distribution data.

Equipment

• 4,200 Electric Smart Meters
• AMI Communication Systems
• Meter Communications Networks
• Backhaul Communications
• 100 Programmable Communicating Thermostats
• Customer Systems for 4,200 customers
• Home Area Networks
• Web Portal Access
• In-Home Displays/Energy Management Systems
• Distribution Automation (DA) Equipment for 5 out of 261 Circuits
• DA Communications Network
• Automated Regulators
• Circuit Monitors/Indicators

Targeted Benefits

• Reduced Electricity Costs for Customers
• Reduced Meter Reading Costs
• Reduced Operating and Maintenance Costs
• Reduced Costs from Theft and Distribution Line Losses
• Improved Electric Service Reliability and Power Quality
• Reduced Truck Fleet Fuel Usage
• Reduced Greenhouse Gas and Criteria Pollutant Emissions