The 10 Myths of DCSI By Doug Varner

What is DCSI vs. TWACS Logic Test DCSI is to TWACS as ITRON is

Company Organization ESCO Technologies DCSI www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company Nexus Energy

What is a Myth A belief or set of beliefs, often unproven or false, that have accrued around a person, phenomenon, or institution. I review very common myths regarding DCSI www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth #1 – DCSI was kicked out of PG&E To date, DCSI has met all PG&E AMI milestones At the last RFP vendor meeting PG&E affirmed continued work by established AMI vendors A cursory reading of CPUC filing by PG&E indicated a continuous review and testing of AMI technologies on the market. A switch from electromechanical to electronic meters would trigger a review of the business case and technologies www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth # 2 – TWACS Cost to Operate is Expensive The costs of meters are similar or lower than many other AMI systems out there Injector – Distribution Transformer Inbound and Outbound Reading Equipment Communication Paths are Established Software is much less than existing AMI Software www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth #3 – TWACS is a Rural Solution TWACS can handle Urban areas PPL – Allentown FPL – Miami (load control) WPS – Greenbay TWACS is not subject to many of the technological issues associated with RF in Urban areas www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth #4 – TWACS Needs Specialized Instrument Transformers TWACS uses any voltage transformers that are 500 VA and above Some lower cost voltage transformers that are purchased for 480 volt applications may not meet the 500 VA rating TWACS uses any current transformer www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth #5 – TWACS is Old Technology 975 in 60 is a common DCSI saying FPL shed 975 megawatts in 60 seconds using TWACS technology for load shedding Sometimes old = reliable = dependable TWACS is a proven product on the market now and not a promise for tomorrow www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth #6 – TWACS has limited Bandwidth In the past, yes. Current technology allows for concurrent phasing, concurrent feeder and concurrent bus messaging both down and up distribution lines. Old product was single phase messaging TWACS can meet or exceed other AMI bandwidths for an apples-to-apples comparison. www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth #7 – DCSI Makes Feeder Switching Hard The way TWACS operates is that feeder switched meters are transferred automatically in the software. Can be handled manually by using the feeder switching sheet Easy process. No fuss. www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth #8 – To Get Accuracy Over Long Distances, TWACS needs Repeaters In the United States there is a line that runs 130 miles without a repeater. 80 miles is not unusual without repeaters. We experience 99. 9% accuracy at FPL on reads. www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth #9 – TWACS is Unsecured for Data Transmission TWACS system is a secure system on a utility's power line and not on public networks or over-theair data transmission Can’t replicate a TWACS system easily TWACS will meet the NERC guidelines when they are approved www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI

Myth #10 – DCSI is a AMR Company Additional Myths are: Hardware Company Challenging Software Integration DCSI has been 2 -way for 20 years DCSI has more full scale deployments than any other AMI solution The last full scale AMI deployment in the Industry was TWACS DCSI has tripled in size moving to three separate locations for hardware (HAN) and Software (multispeak) development. www. twacs. com An ESCO Technologies Company ISO 9001: 2000 © 2007 DCSI