Smart electric meters, which utilize two-way communications networks to enable frequent readings of electricity consumption, are at the forefront of the utility world's transition to a smarter electrical grid. Smart meters have been hailed by industry leaders as the first step in empowering greater efficiency and control over energy usage, opening the door for a suite of new energy management tools and pricing plans. According to a new tracking report from Pike Research, utilities' plans for smart meters are well underway, and the market intelligence firm estimates that a total of 57.9 million smart meters are already planned to be installed by more than 90 utilities in the United States.
"Smart meter installations have grown by leaps and bounds in 2010," says research analyst Jevan Fox, adding "but while we estimate that about 21 million smart meters will be installed in the U.S. by the end of this year, utilities have already planned for many more as deployment programs continue to gain momentum over the next few years."
According to Pike Research's market share analysis, Switzerland-based meter manufacturer Landis+Gyr is the market leader in terms of utility vendor selections, accounting for 26% of total endpoints as of the end of the third quarter. During the past year, Landis+Gyr surpassed Itron as the number one smart meter supplier to utilities in the U.S., and Itron now holds a 24% share of the market. Other key players include Sensus with a 21% market share, GE Energy with 20%, Elster with 5%, and Echelon with 3%.
In terms of the communications modules required to support advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), Silver Spring Networks is the market share leader with 29% of utility vendor selections. Itron is in second place with 22%, followed by Sensus with 17% and Landis+Gyr with 16%. Other competitors in this market sector include Elster, Echelon, Aclara, and Trilliant.
Pike Research's "Smart Grid Deployment Tracker", updated quarterly, provides detailed analysis of worldwide utility smart grid and smart meter programs including tracking of customer endpoints, metering vendors, communications vendors, and systems integrators. The tracker includes a tactical examination of technologies, deployment timeframes, and vendor selections for each utility deployment, along with vendor market share analysis.
source: Pike Research
