Rural distribution meter failures in Colombia

This paper focuses on the study of the high failure rate of energy meters installed in low voltage networks in rural areas with high keraunic level in the departmento de Caldas. The methodology implemented in this study enables the analysis of failure root cause, the calculation of failure rates and also the identification of the critical zone of meter failure. In addition, conventional solutions and their proper implementation are evaluated to reduce high meter failure rates. The parameters involved in the analysis are described in detail and a case study for the eastern part of the departmento de Caldas is provided. This zone corresponds to the coverage area of La Central Hidroeléctrica de Caldas.