CPUC Meter Safety Testing Confirmation Needed.
(c) Copyright 2011 Lance Houston
There are numerous safety concerns with the new smart meters being installed by PG&E throughout parts of California. The new meters are novel in many ways compared to the old style analog meters that have safely and reliably metered electrical consumption for decades.
One of the novel features in the new meters is the incorporation of an internal disconnect switch that the power company purports safely disconnects/reconnects power to the dwelling it supplies by remote control. This disconnect feature is a new and significant change to the old style analog meters. The safety of the new disconnect feature is in question.
As a California Electrical Contractor, I estimate that a 200 amp disconnect enclosure would be sized roughly 20″x 20″x 6″, several times larger than a smart meter. Concerned about this, I asked other electrical contractors’ opinions about the remote disconnect switch. Like myself, they found it hard to believe a 100, 200, or 400 amp disconnect switch can be crammed into a tiny meter enclosure.
Smart meters are Novel Electrical Devices
The smart meters incorporate multiple new features into a single unit :
1) electronics for actual metering of power consumption,
2) radio frequency transmitter(s) for sending data,
3) radio frequency receiver(s) for receiving data, and
4) an electromagnetic switch for connecting/disconnecting electrical service.
Federal Regulations
Under Federal Regulations testing and safety approval is required for certain products. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule 29 CFR 1910). Under this rule, Electrical conductors or equipment are required to be tested and or approved for safety. It does not appear the smart meters have been tested under this federal safety regulation. Smart meters have not been tested and approved under OSHA regulations.
California Regulations
Under California Regulations testing and safety certification is required for meters and meter data. (California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) D.98-12-080; Permanent Standards For Metering And Meter Data). Under this rule, that was created in part by PG&E, self-certification is done by the meter manufacturer.
The CPUC allows the maker of the meters to do their own testing for safety. Amazingly, “not all components of a meter product are required to be included in the meter product during certification testing.”
Independent third-party testing and review of the end use product is not required. “Trust us the meters are safe.”
Reports of Smart meter Fires
Electrical fires where smart meters have been installed are reported in several California counties, in Alabama, and in countries like New Zealand. Reports detail that the meters themselves can smoke, smolder and catch fire, they can explode, or they can simply create over-current conditions on the electrical circuits. The potential for arcing in the new disconnect feature should be carefully scrutinized. Incidents of fire are reason enough to halt installations.
Test Results Must be made Public
PG&E and the CPUC purport the smart meters are being manufactured in accordance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. To date, no verification has been made available to the public. The CPUC requires a test report and certification by the manufacturer prior to approval of use. However, to date a comprehensive smart meter test report and filed certification application has not been made available to the public. Because of the novelty of the new smart meters, testing should be by independent third party.
Conclusion
Smart meters are novel devices that have not been tested and approved under OSHA. It is unknown if the field ready (end use product) have been tested or certified for safety. Because the smart meters are novel devices and there are confirmed reports of fires, I believe smart meter installations should be halted immediately. Concerned customers should be allowed to have analog meters re-installed. They have a longstanding safety record.
10 Reasonable Questions
1. Have all the testing requirements in CPUC D.98-12-080; Permanent Standards For Metering And Meter Data been completed?
2. Does D.98-12-080 and ANSI include testing for all the features of the smart meters?
3. According CPUC documents “not all components of a meter product are required to be included in the meter product during certification testing.” Have the smart meters (end use product), undergone testing and certification as a complete field ready unit? If not, why not?
4. Is there a full load test for the meter disconnect switch?
5. If a dwelling’s electrical service is rated at 200 amps, the meter has the potential to have a 200 amp load. Are the smart meter disconnects rated for the maximum potential load of the dwelling it serves?
6. Are the smart meter disconnects tested and certified to safely disconnect/reconnect under full load conditions?
7. Sizes (amperage) of electrical service to dwellings vary. How many different size meters are there (100amp, 200amp, 400amp etc.) What are the ratings of the meters being installed?
8. Is there independent third party testing? If not, why not?
9. Is there independent third party review of the test results? If not, why not?
10. How does the public know the smart meters (end use product) are safe, what evidence is there?
Resources:
OSHA: rule 29 CFR 1910: Electrical conductors or equipment require testing
OSHA: 1910.399 recognized testing laboratories
OSHA: Sections1910.303 General Requirements and 1910.307 Hazardous (classified) locations
CPUC: D.98-12-080, Decision Regarding Permanent Standards For Metering And Meter Data
CPUC: Direct Access Meter Product Self-Certification Process
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It looks like one more step towards the total super grid incrementally being put in place and yes it is bypassing citizens right to give their input or have a dialogue on the matter. More on the total global grid which will affect health and possibly monitor everything we use on a dialy basis or micro-managed for the centralized one world economy. (More here, http://www.augustreview.com/issues/technocracy/technocracy_endgame:_global_smart_grid_20110609169/#).
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I’m guessing that the switch is a solid-state relay, which uses triacs for switching. A partial failure of a triac results in half-wave rectified DC flowing, which wreaks havoc with motors, transformers, and electronics.
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Let me assure you that these relays are tested to the full requirements of ANSI and surpass the requirements for the nominal power consumption of a home. They need to withstand 7000 Amps and remain operational as well as a 12000 Amp test for fail safe operation. The fires reported are most likely due to the control box being old and improper installation of the meter. Not the fact that it is a smart meter. These fires would have occurred even if an old electro-mechanical meter would have been installed.
You claim a lot of extraordinary things without any references “Ben.”
You assurances are worth exactly zero.
Feel free to write back if you can find any references. We’ve been waiting for 3 years for PG$E to respond.
One outrageously misleading claim (as in wrong and false) of yours catches my attention —
“These fires would have occurred even if an old electro-mechanical meter would have been installed.”
That would be wrong; impossibly wrong.
Its wrong because the former standard meters (“analog meters”) had / have no internal On/Off Switch ! None.
And if you had actually read the above article you would realize its that switch that is causing the fires.
The old meters weren’t really “electro-mechanical meters” as you try to claim because there were no moving parts related to turning the power on or off.
The only electro-mechanical parts were related to spinning the dial to measure consumption.
That means there was no 7,000 (seven thousand) amp switch in the old meters (None, zero, nada – no switch at all) to make sparks and generate heat that can start a house fire !
(and Yes I suspect you are employed by some corporation like PG$E who makes money with “smart”meters. – So here’s a challenge for you “Ben” — prove me wrong.)
Specific danger when Firefighters and electricians assume safe isolation by Power Company of power using the flimsy relay.
Unlikely that the relay can withstand full voltage out-of-phase difference across contacts when used in Co-gen or PV installation.
Cannot handle a though-fault, 10,000 to 20,000 A from Utility.
Software and WI-FI operated, not proven fail safe.
Hydro Quebec has moved thousands of meters too close to propane tanks, as the old meter was NOT a sparking device. Watch for gasoline, dust, sawdust, gasses, solvents that can be ignited by the 200 Amp relay arcing when disconnecting and connecting load.
Does the relay have a seismic rating for safe operation in Seismic Zones?
Relay appears to be a latching type: pulsed to switch ON, another pulse to switch OFF.