June 9, 2011

Measurement of Radio Frequency (RF) Emissions from BC Hydro Smart Meters and an Associated Collector
Objective: To measure the power density of radio frequency waves emitted by a typical Smart Meter and associated collector and to compare the readings to the maximum exposure limits of Health Canada Safety Code 6.

1. Smart Meter Systems Smart Meters are electronic devices used by utility companies to remotely collect information for billing and operating purposes. They are connected wirelessly to a set of access points also called collectors to form a Smart Meter System. The System uses a two-way communication technology to collect information, monitor the consumption of energy and control the grid. The System is also known as an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Smart Meters are placed just outside a house or inside a closet. Their location does not prevent access by members of the general public. The collector is used as a hub for a number of Smart Meters in each neighborhood. Collectors are meant to be fixed at high locations (about 8 meters) not accessible to the public. Smart Meters and collectors operate at a maximum nominal power of 1 Watt in the IndustrialScientific-Medical (ISM) frequency band (900 928 MHz) in order to permit communication from the collector to the meters. Communications from the Smart Meter to the customers In Home Display (IHD) at a frequency of 2.4 GHz is available as an option. Industry Canada requires that the combined maximum transmitter power plus antenna gain not be in excess of 36 dBm (equivalent to 04 Watts) as required by Radio Standards Specification (RSS) 210 [Ref.1]. 2. Survey Conducted on BC Hydro Premises: In BC, all use of Radio-Frequency (RF) radiation is subject to the safety requirements as set by Health Canada in Safety Code 6 [Ref.2] The Maximum Exposure levels of Safety Code 6 are in line with international safety practice, i.e. International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), United Kingdoms Health Protection Agency (HPA), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Environmental Health Services of BCCDC requested permission of BC Hydro to measure the RF fields emitted from Smart Meters and Smart Meter collectors.
Radiation Protection Services, Environmental Health Services Main Floor 655 12th Ave W, Vancouver BC V5Z 4R4 www.bccdc.ca Tel 604.707.2442 | Fax 604.707.2441

Page |2

Power density measurements were performed by BCCDC on March 11, 2011 using a recently calibrated hand-held Raham Model 40 Radiation Hazard Monitoring System which detects electromagnetic radiation in the range of 200 kHz to 40 GHz. The Minimum Detectable Level of the Meter is 0.02 mW/cm2. A series of measurements were made around these devices at different distances. The results are shown in Table 1 and compared to Safety Code 6 Limits. Results of the Measurements Performed at BC Hydro Several measurements were made in and around Smart Meters attached to a wall to simulate normal household use. Access to the Smart Meter system was provided by BC Hydro, on whose premises the meters were operating. A Smart Meter collector was located approximately 4 m away from the Smart Meters and all the equipment was tested in a continuous mode. Measurements were made in front of the Smart Meters to assess the direct power density and behind the wall where they were fixed to determine the power level of the transmitted waves. Table1. Results of the Survey
Device Position of the survey meter with respect to the Smart Meter location Front of meter, 20 cm from the surface Front of meter, 100 cm from the surface SMART METERS Top of meter, at contact Center, at contact West, at contact East, at contact South, at contact North, at contact Peak of the antenna COLLECTOR Middle of the antenna Bottom of the antenna
(a)

Power Density (mW/cm2) 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.05 0.02 0.02 0.02

Percentage(a) of Safety Code 6 Exposure Limits 3.33 % 3.33 % 3.33 % 5.00 % 3.33 % 3.33 % 5.0 % 8.30 % 3.33 % 3.33 % 3.33 %

CONCLUSION

The experimental results obtained during the testing of Smart Meters and the collector show that the power densities resulting from the use of Smart Meters are no higher than 8.3 % of the applicable general public limits. Power densities are as expected, highest next to the meter.

Safety Code 6 - Maximum Exposure Limit for the protection of the general public at 900 MHz is: 0.6 mW/cm2

Page |3

3. Study of Smart Meter EMF Emission by EPRI: The Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI, USA) conducted an extensive study on the RF emission of Smart Meters [Ref.3] and found that the exposure levels were significantly below the applicable Exposure Limits during continuous mode (duty cycle = 100%). Considering that Smart Meters emit only few minutes per day, the daily exposure of an individual standing within a short distance of the Smart Meter would be much lower. An example of EPRI survey results is shown in Table 2. Table 2. EPRI Survey Data (Percentage of Public exposure Limit)
Summary of planar area scans performed with the SRM-3006 in front of residential meter installation at residence A, Downey, CA, with transmitters operating continuously. 900 MHz RF LAN(b) Time of RF field (% public measurement MPE)(d) (PDT) 9.67 9:49 0.875 9:54 0.361 9.56 0.186 9:58 0.096 10:00 2.4 GHz Zigbee(c) Time of RF field (% public measurement MPE) (PDT) 7.93 11:19 0.615 11:22 0.258 11:22 0.142 11:23 0.071 11:25

Location relative to meter (feet) Surface 1 2 3 5

(b) (c)

LAN: Local Area Network Zigbee: A data protocol used by the Home Area Network (HAN) (d) MPE: Maximum Permissible Exposure

The measurement of RF Power Density is illustrated in the following picture (Figure 1).

Figure 1 - Technician Measuring the RF power density from a Smart Meter

Page |4

Ref.1 Ref.2 Ref.3 -

RSS 210: Low-power License-exempt Radiocommunication Devices (All Frequency Bands): Category I Equipment http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/rss210-issue7.pdf/$FILE/rss210-issue7.pdf Health Canada Safety Code 6, Limits of Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Energy in the Frequency Range from 3 kHz to 300 GHz - Safety Code 6 (2009). An Investigation of Radiofrequency Fields Associated with the Itron Smart Meter, EPRI, Palo Alto, CA: 2010. 1021126

ANNEX: CHARACTERISTICS OF BC HYDRO SMART METERS AND COLLECTORS Source: BC Hydro

Smart Meter and Smart Meter Collector specs Transmitter = 30dBm (i.e. 1 Watt) Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum technology Antenna gain: integrated into meter. Data Collector has external omni antenna. Combined transmitter power plus antenna gain cannot be more than 36dBm (Equivalent to 4 Watt) by Industry Canada RSS 210. This is the worst case and can be used as the maximum power output of the collector. The meter will be somewhat less, down to 1W All units comply with Industry Canada RSS-GEN, RSS-102 and RSS-210 Meters also comply with Measurement Canada requirements.