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ARRA Project Brings AMI Metering to the Southeast

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS091105-08
Release Date: 11/5/2009 2:57:00 PM

From Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast is bringing advanced metering to region installations saving approximately two percent of energy costs through energy monitoring and replacing many outdated systems with the latest technology.

The Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NFESC) has been forming the structure and requirements for an integrated Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) that will enable Commander, Navy Region Southeast (CNRSE) bases, NAVFAC Southeast and NAVFAC headquarters to manage utility commodities more effectively and efficiently.

"AMI is one of the basic building blocks of the Smart Grid initiatives we have been reading so much about recently," said Tom Grant with URS Corporation, the design contractor. Smart Grid is the wave of the future in building controls such as HVAC control. When the meter recognizes that peak charges are occurring the meter can tell the thermostat to increase by one degree in order to save on energy cost.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) program provided NFESC a way to secure funds that are now accelerating the implementation of the Navy's AMI Program.

As a result, three Design-Build contracts were awarded in the fourth quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2009. These contracts were regional contracts targeting the Northwest, Southwest and Southeast.

"Here in the Southeast region Square D was awarded $23 million in September 2009, to install a comprehensive AMI system throughout the Southeast at 12 bases to include 2,177 smart meters," said Don Shaver, NAVFAC Southeast AMI program manager.

Shaver further stated that Naval Weapons Station Charleston, Naval Air Station (NAS) Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, and NAS Ft. Worth were not included in this initial ARRA funded AMI effort and that Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay was on the short list to be added to the ARRA list.

In addition, NFESC is utilizing non-ARRA funding to implement an AMI system in OCONUS locations such as Guam and in the Southeast at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"Setting up the AMI program is complicated," said Grant. "It will require a phased process that will involve many people at the bases that are receiving the new system."

There are four phases to the project. The first phase, Initiation or inception, were the team visits the sites to develop the functional requirements. This is accomplished by sampling current metering programs and defining the scope of work.

During the second phase, the development phase, the contractor will develop the final design for the Southeast region installations, each being unique in terms of size, location, mission, occupants, environment, etc. Specific meter installation requirements (pipe size, flow rates, indoor vs. outdoor) will be confirmed when the contractor develops the design surveys.

The third phase of the project is implementation. Typically, this is the most visible phase of the project because it is during this time that equipment is actually installed.

"Because the primary utility commodity metered will be electricity, outages may mean interruption of computers, lights, air conditioning, etc., for short periods of time," said Shaver. "If an electricity outage is necessary, base personnel will be asked to shutdown equipment in the affected area as a precaution to protect the equipment or any stored data." Outages will be closely coordinated between installation public works and tenant commands to minimize impact to daily operations.

The fourth and final phase of the project is the close out. The importance of the close out phase cannot be over-emphasized. During this period, the newly installed meters and system will be tested and validated.

"AMI is here and the success of the program will rely on everyone's participation, commitment and support of the project activities," said Shaver. "The benefits will include dramatically improved accuracy in billing for all tenants on our bases and provision for real time data that will improve our ability to generate energy consumption reductions and consequently life cycle budget savings."

This effort will further enhance the CNRSE's ability to implement its energy strategy as the regional commander considers metering as vital component to this strategy.