Abstract: | Because of the high capital cost of AMI, the system must be able to adapt to certain kinds of anticipated changes that may occur. The capability of the system to adapt can reduce the need for future system upgrades and corresponding significant costs. Some of possible upgrades include:
• New physical communications methods
• New features available from equipment vendors
• New tariffs, possibly with certain restrictions, e.g. number of rates or time
• Connection to new types of load control equipment
• New communications protocols
• Changes to operating parameters
• New computing applications
Such changes should be possible at incremental cost, rather than wholesale replacement of system components.
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