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Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), which is being considered as the first step towards smart grid, has been well acknowledged by distribution utilities for automating the management, operation and control of low voltage distribution systems with multifold installations happening across various countries. AMI offers smart meters, variety of protocols, sensors, network and software infrastructure providing two-way communications between utility & consumer. With the emergence of new system level concept in the smart distribution arena, Distribution Automation (DA) and AMI systems convergence, for developing next generation advanced distribution automation applications it is required to change the way in which AMI systems are currently being operated and provide additional capabilities or enhancements for integrated operation with DA system. In this paper we analyze the requirements for such AMI system based on state-of-the art technology advancements towards effective DA-AMI convergence operation along with a case study.

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Traditional Load Flow methods are considered as one of the most important tools for analyzing the operation of power system and to perform the planning studies. Since distribution systems exhibit characteristics like higher R/X ratio and loading of the feeders is higher, traditional load flow methods fail to analyze these networks and hence separate methods are developed to handle the situation. However, these distribution load flow methods restrict to calculating power flow at feeder level (> 11 kV) by representing load as a suitable model. The load segments i.e. 3-phase 4-wire LV network downstream to the 11kV/400V distribution transformer, is represented as time deterministic static loads while calculating distribution load flow. Due to the increase in demand for more situational awareness until the edge of the network and with large scale deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) & Geographical Information System (GIS) technologies, it is possible to do load flow analysis on 400V 3-phase, 4-wire LV distribution network in phase-wise manner using smart meters, geographical & communication technologies. In this paper, we propose algorithm for such a load flow method and discuss its applications.

Distribution automation (DA) applications are limited to feeder level today and have zero visibility outside of the substation feeder and reaching down to the lowvoltage distribution network level. This has become a major obstacle in realizing many automated functions and enhancing existing DA capabilities. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems are being widely deployed by utilities across the world creating system-wide communications access to every monitoring and service point, which collects data from smart meters and sensors in short time intervals, in response to utility needs. DA and AMI systems convergence provides unique opportunities and capabilities for distribution grid modernization with the DA system acting as a controller and AMI system acting as feedback to DA system, for which DA applications have to understand and use the AMI data selectively and effectively. In this paper, we propose a load segmentation method that helps the DA system to accurately understand and use the AMI data for various automation applications with a suitable case study on power restoration.