As illustrated in the new INFOgraphic from PennEnergy Research and Zpryme, 2013 State of the Smart Grid: How Far Have We Come?, a survey of 104 global utility professionals reveals that six out of 10 executives rated “increased meter reading accuracy” as the top justification for selecting an advanced metering (AMI) system, while one out of four indicated that they have “already invested heavily in making the grid’s infrastructure more intelligent.”
The findings shown in the INFOgraphic, 2013 State of the Smart Grid: How Far Have We Come?, identifies that though smart grid categories such as outage management and cybersecurity are making major headlines, utilities still are very much concerned about the fundamentals of the future grid. There is a significant body of research that demonstrates smart meters are exceedingly accurate, however there are still ratepayers who say their bills are going up – it’s up to the smart meter vendors and integrators to instill confidence with utilities that are making significant investments in grid infrastructure.
“What the results of this survey appear to reveal are that utilities are strongly invested in an intelligent grid, so much so, they are almost hyper-focused on the performance of its fundamental technologies,” explains Dorothy Davis, Content Director at PennEnergy.com. “As consumer awareness continues to grow concerning the Smart Grid, utilities must be able to demonstrate the value of their investments and this means understanding and being secure in it themselves.”
“Based on the utility survey by PennEnergy Research and Zpryme, the top two reasons (‘increased meter reading accuracy’ and ‘billing accuracy improvements’) for selecting an AMI system are still very much akin to the status of the smart grid across the globe – simply getting down to the basics, the building blocks of the future grid,” said Jason S. Rodriguez, CEO & Director of Research, Zpryme. “With overall utility sentiment from the survey pointing to the fundamentals of the grid and one out of four investing heavily, the energy industry should not ignore what makes smart meters tick in the first place – this is not Smart Grid 101, just a simple exercise in assurance and education.”
About PennEnergy.com
A division of PennWell, the leader in coverage and service to the worldwide petroleum and power industries for more than a century, PennEnergy Research offers new and unique research options for energy professionals. Combining research from such well-known brands as Oil & Gas Journal, Oil & Gas Financial Journal, Offshore, Power Engineering, PowerGrid, Renewable Energy World, and from industry experts, PennEnergy Research is the premiere industry source for actionable data and information, in addition to custom research and consulting.
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