Dive Summary:
- Constricted with a small budget while serving over 34,000 customers spread out over 22 substations in seven counties, the South Central Indiana Rural Electric Membership Cooperative (SCI REMC) decided in 2007 to invest in a long-term scalability solution by installing a IP-based point-to-multipoint network to connect its SCADA and AMI systems back to the core network.
- The SCI REMC's investment in the data network allowed the company to be self-reliant, backhaul data from its systems, send information to on-site technicians, control substations remotely and seamlessly add critical components onto the existing network, such as two-way radio repeaters and alarm and video security systems.
- In the future, the SCI REMC is looking to expand on its current network by monitoring data on regulator controls and reclosers, installing feeder automation pilots and relay points to improve connectability to the more remote locations it serves.
From the article:
"... With more than 34,000 customers spread over seven counties, SCI is the largest of rural Indiana's 40 electrical membership cooperatives. Yet, it operated with a small budget for the project, and knew that a wired network would not be a cost-effective solution. The utility collaborated with an engineering firm that advised it to install an IP-based point-to-multipoint network. ..."