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News Release

Ohio Cooperative Migrates from Power Line Carrier to Sensus Solution

Hancock-Wood Electric maximizes investment with
Distribution Automation

With the same ingenuity that led local farmers in northwest Ohio to embrace technology to advance production methods, Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative has pushed new boundaries in driving reliability and energy efficiency for its 11,300 members. The co-op was an early adopter of the power line carrier (PLC) system for electrical metering, but by 2012 that system was starting to show its age.

That’s when they decided it was time to transition to advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to address transmission issues and improve member services.

“With 13,000 meters and 1,800 miles of line to manage, we knew there had to be a way to improve reliability and streamline the process,” said Andy Wiles, SCADA Technician at Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative.

After an extensive evaluation process, Hancock-Wood selected the Sensus AMI solution with Distribution Automation (DA) capabilities to enhance system reliability and minimize outages.

Hancock-Wood updated its PLC system to the Sensus DA and AMI solutions to improve the member experience, cut down costs and increase efficiency.

“We went from getting one meter read per month to 3,000 per month with the Sensus AMI system,” said Hancock-Wood Senior Engineer Ryan Goolsby. “It instantly removed so much guesswork for our technicians as they monitored and managed meters.”

While the Sensus AMI solution and DA capabilities provide Hancock-Wood personnel with the real-time connectivity they need to enhance member service, it also helps the co-op save money over the long haul.

“With DA, we can monitor and maintain the voltage at a pre-determined threshold,” said Wiles. “This can allow us to save money by optimizing our costs related to purchasing energy.”

As Hancock-Wood looks ahead, the co-op owns the framework to continue building new capabilities and keep up their pioneering ways.

“With our Sensus AMI solution, we’ll keep pushing the limits on what’s possible,” said Goolsby.

Read the case study to learn more about how Hancock-Wood uses the Sensus DA solution to enhance the member experience.
 

Summary:
  • Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative wanted to establish reliable communication to new distribution equipment and transition from its aging PLC system.
  • The co-op deployed the Sensus DA and AMI solutions to improve outage management and system reliability.
  • Hancock-Wood personnel now have real-time connectivity, allowing for better member service.
  • DA allows the co-op to better control costs by monitoring and maintaining voltage at an optimum threshold.

We went from getting one meter read per month to 3,000 per month with the Sensus AMI system. It instantly removed so much guesswork for our technicians as they monitored and managed meters.

Ryan Goolsby

Senior Engineer
Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative

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