Enabling Technologies for the Smart Grid

Abstract

Highlights

• Assesses the US market for smart grid technologies including hardware, software and services
• Contains market forecasts for smart grid technologies through 2014
• Highlights major classes of smart grid enabling technologies including communications technologies, sensing and measurement technologies, advanced component technologies and control technologies
• Considers benefits to producers including lower capital costs, reduced operating costs and higher revenues, and benefits to users including improves quality and reliability, lower costs and greater consumer choice
• Discusses economic and societal benefits such as reduced energy consumption, enhanced national security, conservation of natural resources, less air pollution and lower carbon emissions
• Looks at the legal and regulatory environments including legislation at the federal and state levels.

SCOPE AND FORMAT

The study covers the major enabling technologies for the “smart grid”, including:

• Communications technologies
• Sensing and measurement technologies
• Advanced components
• Control technologies
• Interface and decision support technologies

• Executive summary
• Definitions
• Benefits of smart grids
• Smart grid “roadmap”
• Policy, regulatory and economic environment for the transition to a smart grid
• Enabling technologies for the smart grid
• Developers and suppliers of smart grid enabling technologies
• Current (2007 to 2008) and projected market for smart grid technologies through 2014
• Patent analysis

METHODOLOGY

The report is based on the results of targeted interviews with producers and users of smart grid technologies, complemented by a thorough literature review and BCC' s internal databases. The base year for analysis and projection is 2008 or 2007, where data for all of 2008 were not available at the time the report was written.

With 2007 or 2008 as a baseline, market projections were developed through 2014. These projections are based on a combination of a consensus among the primary contacts combined with BCC' s understanding of the key market drivers and their impact from an historical and analytical perspective.

The methodologies and assumptions used to develop the market estimates and projections are described in detail in the chapters on smart grid markets. That way, readers can see how the market estimates were developed and, if they so desire, test the impact on the final numbers of changing assumptions such as price.