The pace of Smart Grid integration and related technology advancement is increasing in the US due to looming generation burdens from renewable build-out and emerging networked grid applications like electric vehicles, states the report.

By analyzing key trends in four core technology sectors, GTM Research’s US Smart Grid Market Forecast: 2010–15 examines the industry’s growth. These four sectors include Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Distribution Automation, Home Area Networks and Smart Utility Enterprise. The emerging industry faces a number of long-term obstacles while smart grid development is scaling in the near term, the report states.

“Over the next 10 to 15 years, GTM Research expects the distinction between ‘smart grid’ and traditional distribution grids to dissolve,” said David J. Leeds, the report’s author and lead smart grid analyst at GTM Research. “The day is quickly approaching when the bulk of new hardware, software and systems added to grids will be intelligent. The promises and pitfalls of smart meters continue to monopolize the headlines.”

With a deployment timeline of 20 years, large-scale integration has an estimated price tag of $165 billion, states the report. Both these will require stable government incentives, clear policy at the state and national levels, and more effective utility demonstrations pertaining to how the new technology benefits customers, states the report. The report provides an in-depth analysis of key smart grid sectors, along with comprehensive industry forecasts.

Recently, the company released a new smart grid survey, which found that that three primary deployment concerns are systems integration, data management solutions and electric vehicle integration. And of those three, each marked more than 50 percent when respondents answered where they thought the biggest technology gaps exists. The 2010 North American Utility Smart Grid Deployment Survey includes nearly 30 detailed smart grid deployment questions.

By: DocMemory
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