Jul/Aug 2010: City Reporter
ADVANCED METERING: A STEP TOWARD WESTERVILLE’S ENERGY FUTURE
With an eye on the future of our electrical system, Westerville has been examining new technologies expected to influence energy futures in our region, state and nation.
Last October, Westerville was among the few communities to receive federal grant funds to enable the pursuit of advanced metering infrastructure, and provide an opportunity for the City to remain relevant now that advanced metering is already being deployed in neighboring communities.
This initiative involves an advanced meter, also known as a “smart meter.”
The technology in new-generation meters is different primarily in that they are capable of establishing a secure communication that allows remote meter reading.
Eventually, added features would enable residents to do things like securely monitor and control their energy usage from inside and outside their own homes.
This program and funding opportunity involves a meter replacement on homes served by the City of Westerville’s electric utility.
Advanced meters allow for immediate detection of outages, and streamline operations.
In its initial stages, this program is also expected to help reduce energy usage, manage peak demand for electricity and deliver cost savings.
The following information provides an overview of advanced metering.
Please take an opportunity to learn more and share your questions, concerns and ideas with us as we explore opportunities and potential first steps that will benefit your home and community by aligning it with new technologies.
For more information on advanced metering, please visit
www.westerville.org
, or call the Electric Division at (614) 901-6700
.
What is an advanced meter?
Across the U.S., many cities are preparing for the future by upgrading electric system infrastructure to emerging modern standards for energy efficiency. An advanced meter includes a secure communication feature that allows remote meter reading and will eventually enable residents to monitor their electric usage. The City has been approved for a $4.3 million Federal Economic Stimulus grant to install Advanced Metering Infrastructure. Westerville is one of 98 communities around the U.S. to receive a grant, which provides an opportunity for the City to stay current with the advanced metering that is being deployed in neighboring communities.
What are the benefits?
Overall, Westerville’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) will promote energy efficiency throughout the community. The project will also allow for immediate detection of outages – residents will not need to call in an outage. The initial stages will streamline operations at the City’s Electric Division, helping to reduce energy usage, manage peak demand periods, deliver cost savings and protect the environment through less vehicle emissions.
Longer term, residents will have more visibility into – and control over – electricity usage in their homes. Residents will be able to save money by choosing to participate in time-of-use programs that offer lower rates in off-peak hours. For instance, it would cost less to run the dishwasher or the washing machine in the evening than during the afternoon. The AMI initiative also represents an important first step to the future electric grid that includes diverse, advanced energy resources.
Ensuring privacy
Cybersecurity is a top priority for the AMI initiative. To ensure data security, Westerville will comply with standards set by the federal government (National Institute of Standards and Technology). The privacy and security protections will be similar to online services many residents commonly use today for online banking and shopping.
Project finances
The $4.3 million federal grant offsets a substantial portion of the project cost. Costs are further reduced by leveraging the City’s investment in fiber optic infrastructure that’s already under way. The Electric Division will finance the remaining $2.7 million over 20 years. The project is expected to have little or no impact on customer rates while delivering $500,000 in annual savings through improved efficiencies in City utility operations, according to a 2009 feasibility study.
Westerville: the intelligent community
The AMI initiative reflects the commitment of the City and community partners to ensuring Westerville has the technology infrastructure essential to quality of life and economic development in the decades ahead. Other initiatives include:
» Fiber optic infrastructure
» Community data center
» Technology-related energy efficiency programs
Project status
Westerville has been named a recipient of $4.3 million in federal economic stimulus funding. City Council has voted to accept the grant.
Next steps:
» Public education and discussion
» Solicit bids and approvals
» If approved, residents begin receiving new meters in August.
10-year process to full features
NOW - 2013
Installation will take two years and will result in:
» Remote meter reading and fast re-connection
» Quick notification of an outage
BY 2015
Advanced meters linked to Internet, allowing online review of consumption to better manage usage
2015 - 2018
» Home area networks linking appliances could be established
» Access home energy system remotely
» Time of use and dynamic pricing would be evaluated
2019 - 2020
Potential time-of-use and dynamic pricing, providing lower bill for off-peak usage and higher rates for usage during peak hours
Why Westerville?
Westerville is committed to building the infrastructure that meets the quality-of-life expectations of our residents and helps support local economic development in the decades ahead.
Initiatives like the fiber optic infrastructure, the community data center and energy efficiency programs are all part of an objective to plan for and secure Westerville’s future.
That commitment extends also to planning and security required for an advanced metering program, including meeting standards set by the federal government for cyber security.
These protections will be similar to services many residents use while banking or shopping online.
For more information, please visit
www.westerville.org
, or call the Westerville Electric Division at 614-901-6700.
INDEPENDENCE DAY ACTIVITIES
4th of July activities in Westerville - Saturday July 3, 2010
PARADE 1 p.m. (start at S. State St., north through Uptown)
FIREWORKS 10 p.m. (from Alum Creek Park south)
“Freedom: The Best Gift of All” is the theme for the 2010 Independence Day Parade, sponsored by the Rotary Noon Club of Westerville.
For more information, visit
www.westerville.org
WESTERFLORA
Gardens and blooms around Westerville are the featured attractions in this year’s WesterFlora Garden Tour, a showcase of homes and gardens on Sunday, July 18, 1 -7 p.m.
The theme this year is “For the Love of Gardening,” a tribute to the beautiful gardens and residential green spaces in and around the community.
The WesterFlora Garden Tour, now in its 19th year, offers a selection of colorful gardens and plant collections throughout the Westerville community.
Theme gardens, scenic views and inspiring landscaping are also well known among tour sites.
“For the community, this brings a sense of pride and ownership to the gardens we admire, and encourages others to take care of their property or maybe start gardening,” said Karen Hovey, WesterFlora Chairperson.
“We try to select a good cross-section of garden types, those with water features, rocks, or perennials, and gardens with what we call ‘good bones,’ meaning shrubs and trees.
We look for creativity in how it is laid out, how easily it can be accessed and what it takes in terms of maintenance.
Curb appeal is also important, so there are a lot of things involved in designing the tour.”
Between 12 and 14 gardens are featured on the self-guided tour.
Homeowners are usually on the premises to answer questions or describe their work.
As an added feature, artists from the Ohio Plein Air Society (outdoor painting) will be in certain gardens along tour stops.
The event has evolved from a judged gardening competition to a non-competitive garden tour leading to greater community participation.
Members of the Westerville Civic Beautification Committee select gardens for the tour from the entries received through May and June, and those that best represent landscape diversity, uniqueness, and horticultural expression.
“In the last few years, gardening green has been a focus, so we have included more gardens that represent the use of less chemicals, use rain barrels and promote the natural habitat,” said Hovey.
For more information on WesterFlora visit
http://www.westerflora.com
WesterFlora 19th Annual Garden Tour
Sunday July 18, 2010
1 – 7 p.m.
"For the Love of Gardening"
Free to the public
YOUTH POLICE ACADEMY GEARS UP FOR LATE JULY
Young cadets will be in training with the Westerville Division of Police beginning this month, as part of the Division’s Youth Police Academy, July 26-30, 4-9 p.m.
The program, now in its third year, is designed to teach students in grades 8-12 the fundamentals of police work and expose them to police exercises, public safety and law enforcement as a career.
The Academy is a prelude to the Westerville Police Explorers, a law enforcement worksite-based program for young adults ages 14-21.
Officer Randy Bailey, who manages the Academy on behalf of the Westerville Division of Police, says 20 students are signed up for the 2010 class.
While most students represent Westerville City Schools, the program is open to all schools districts, this year attracting students from Centerburg, Canal Winchester, Worthington Christian and Olentangy schools.
Students have to go through an extensive background check process, including visits to their home, school and work, if employed.
A letter of recommendation, application and question and answer session with parents is also required for admittance into the Academy program.
“This is a great opportunity for students who have a genuine interest in law enforcement,” said Bailey.
“We share and explain every aspect of police work without the physical part of Academy training, including police pursuits, search and seizures, traffic stops and proper and safe handcuffing techniques.”
The program also exposes students to classes and simulations of building searches, sobriety testing and SWAT equipment, as well as demonstrations with a K-9 unit and Taser.
“We’ll have a class on a Taser, what it looks like and what happens when it’s used in a criminal situation,” said Bailey.
“Usually, one of the officers will volunteer to be Tased to demonstrate the capabilities of the device.”
At the conclusion of the five-day training course, students have insight into the inner workings of public safety, crime prevention and law enforcement.
The Police Division hopes that the Academy graduates will go on to join the Explorer program for more comprehensive training and development in law enforcement.
At the annual graduation dinner at the Westerville Community Center, Bailey says entire families begin to share the Academy experience.
“One grandparent said these programs are the best thing that ever happened to her grandson,” said Bailey.
“She told me she never realized her grandson was so tall until he put that uniform on.”
Bailey has seen others make the experience a family affair.
Recently, one family joined the Divison’s Citizen Police Academy just so they could better understand the future occupation of their son.
Registration for the 2011 Youth Police Academy will start in early March and conclude in April.
For more information, contact Officer Randy Bailey at 614-901-6472.
STAY SAFE IN THE HEAT: OUTDOOR AND PARK SAFETY
When the temperatures soar in July and August, the risk for problems associated with outdoor activity and play, like heat illnesses, also rise.
Heat and hydration issues, along with extra safety precautions on trails, park equipment and sports fields, are particularly important this time of year.
Heat illnesses and injuries most often occur when people are active in hot and humid conditions and not acclimated to the higher temperatures.
Youth and older adults are at particular risk.
These problems can range from heat stroke—the most serious—involving the body’s inability to control its temperature, to heat exhaustion—the body’s response to excessive water and salt losses through heavy sweating—to heat cramps and rashes.
Athletes, particularly young athletes who may be participating in summer camps or extended outdoor play, should pay close attention to hydration.
Dehydration plays a role in heat stroke, as it limits the body's ability to regulate body temperature by sweating and/or skin blood flow. To minimize the potential for thermal injury, experts recommend replacing water losses due to sweating during exercise at a rate close to or equal to the sweating rate.
This can be accomplished by athletes weighing themselves before and after exercise.
Lisa Kluchurosky, sports medicine program manager at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Westerville, says there are basic guidelines for youth to follow when planning to be very active in the heat.
She says safety tips aren’t just limited to young athletes.
All kids participating in vigorous activity in the heat need to mindful of fluid replacement and other safety issues in order to avoid a dangerous situation.
“When it’s really, really hot outside and humid, it’s better to wear lighter-colored clothing rather than darker clothing.
And, we always tell kids: don’t wait to drink until you’re thirsty.
Your body is already starting to dehydrate at that point,” said Kluchurosky.
Kluchuroksy says water should be an adequate source of hydration, but for strenuous kinds of activity that are going to last longer than an hour and a half, kids may want to supplement with a sports drink.
Just as too little hydration is a risk, so is over-hydrating, which can lead to a condition known as hyponatremia.
More information on preventing heat illness is available on
www.nationwidechildrens.org/sportsmedicine
.
Outdoor play is another area where extra caution will lower risks.
Park equipment can get hot, and stay hot.
Parents should test the surface temperatures of park equipment before allowing children to jump, climb or slide.
If it is too hot to the touch, children should avoid playing in that area until it cools down.
Fortunately, most of the equipment in Westerville parks has been planned and placed in shady areas, says Doug Vineyard, Westerville Parks & Recreation Maintenance and Facilities Manager.
“In general, you need to watch out for metal surfaces.
Plastic surfaces may get hot, but not as hot as metals.
Metal slide beds are somewhat a thing of the past, but if you have these items at a home playground, you’ll need to be a bit more careful when they’re in direct sunlight,” he said.
Vineyard says younger children, like babies and toddlers, can have delayed responses to hot surfaces that can exacerbate burns.
“What we know is that they don’t have cognitive ability to remove their hands or bodies from heat as quickly.”
In terms of staying hydrated in Westerville parks, Vineyard says careful planning went into the placement of water fountains so that they could be accessed when needed.
Always call 9-1-1 if there is an injury or illness that needs medical attention in Westerville.
Tips:
-
People who have larger body mass (BMI) have a reduced body heat storage capacity and may also be at increased risk of heat illnesses on excessively hot days.
-
Watch out for over-the-counter drugs and supplements if you are active outdoors in the summer months.
Some supplements have been known to contain ingredients that speed up the body's metabolic rate and counteract the body's ability to shed heat.
-
Acclimatization to heat is important, especially for very active people or athletes expecting to train and compete in the heat.
Getting fit first in a cooler environment, opting to be outdoors during the cool part of the day and scheduling daily exposure (at least a half-hour for two to three weeks to adapt to the environment) are strategies to acclimatize.
SUMMER VACATION ON THE ROAD? GET CHILD CAR SEAT CHECKED
Families planning to hit the road this summer for vacation or a trip to Grandma’s house usually have a checklist of items, including car maintenance and preparation.
For families with vehicles that have child car seats, add to the list an installation inspection through a weekly City service at the Westerville Fire Station 111 (400 W. Main St.).
This program has been offered at no cost to the community since 2002, aiming to educate parents, grandparents and caregivers on the correct installation and use of the child passenger seat.
Car seat inspections are available every Wednesday, excluding holidays, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.
Appointments should be made in advance by calling 614-901-6600.
Drivers should install the car seat before arriving and bring both the car seat manual and vehicle manual.
The
state of Ohio requires children less than 4’9” or 8 years old to be in a booster seat while riding in cars.
Please visit
www.westerville.org
for tips and additional links to resources on child car seat safety.