Mar 22 2013
What happens when demand outpaces supply? The smart grid industry is facing this exact challenge. The added conundrum is that suppliers need to build on existing systems to accommodate creative forms of energy, such as variable renewable energy (VRE), and also stay within environmental emissions standards.
How much VRE can be accommodated through the smart grid? Countries like the U.S. worry about exceeding the CO2 emissions created by conventional spinning reserves when using VRE. In Germany, a power model that does not require conventional spinning reserves is in the works and is expected to deliver enough renewable energy to supply 35% of the nation's electricity needs by 2020 and 80% in 2050.
Why is Germany more confident in accommodating VRE through the smart grid while the U.S. remains doubtful? It appears to be a combination of outdated transmission and distribution networks and antiquated smart grid models.
With global investments estimated at around $16.2 billion in 2010 and $36.5 billion in 2012, billions of dollars been invested in smart grid supplier companies. The structure of the industry is currently skewed heavily towards the major international suppliers where 26 companies accounted for $81.9 billion in sales in 2012. Moreover, this group of companies makes up 1% of total smart grid suppliers, but they banked $3.125 billion in average revenue.
But this structure is shifting, according to a new report by Memoori Business Intelligence, "The Smart Grid Business 2012 to 2017", where global giant domination is giving way to small and medium-sized firms including a significant number of new entrants from the IT and communication sectors. Bringing external players from the communications industry into the smart grid industry will be the necessary transformative force to improve premature communications technology within the smart grid environment.
Memoori's report the definitive resource for the smart grid market, combining clearly defined market sizing statistics with a review of the supply side and financial analysis of merger, acquisition, and investment opportunities. The report also reviews strategic business models on both the demand and supply side of delivering products and services that will simultaneously drive return on investment and meet the challenges of a low carbon economy.
Learn more and request free sample pages from the full report at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/mem234681-smart-grid-business-2011-2016.html
What do decision-makers operating in the rural utilities sector think about advanced metering infrastructure, distribution automation and grid storage? What do these executives consider to be the most important applications of a smart grid? In "The Rural Smart Grid 2013: A Survey of Utility Deployment, Expenditure and Strategy" Greentech Media presents its survey findings that address these pressing questions and more.
Learn more and request free sample pages at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/gm261293-rural-smart-grid-survey-utility-deployment.html
In a third report, TechNavio forecasts that the U.S. smart grid communications network market is expected to grow at 17.66 percent CAGR between 2012 and 2016. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing construction of large smart grids. The Smart Grid Communications Network market has also been witnessing the increasing communication network services leasing. However, the increased exposure to cyber-attacks could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.
"Smart Grid Communications Network Market in the US 2012-2016" profiles the key vendors dominating this market space, which include Silver Spring Networks Inc., Itron Inc., Sensus USA Inc., Landis+Gyr Inc., and Elster Group SE.
Learn more and request free sample pages at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/infi258470-smart-grid-communications-network-market-us.html
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