Berg Insight has calculated that the number of smart (network connected) electricity meters installed across the USA and Canada will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22.5% between 2010 and 2016, reaching 87.4 million in five years. This means that smart meter penetration among residential electricity customers in North America will have increased from around 20% now to more than 50% by the end of 2016. By 2020, approaching 100% smart meter penetration is expected.
A similar figure has previously been predicted for houses in Europe.
Tobias Ryberg, senior analyst at Berg Insight and author of the report, said “North America has been at the forefront of metering innovation for many decades and is now embracing the latest smart technologies that improve grid performance. The US federal government and many states have successfully stimulated the demand for smart metering solutions through a combination of financial incentives and regulatory requirements. Full-scale rollouts are now underway at nearly half of the largest investor-owned utilities, as well as among hundreds of municipals and electric cooperatives.”
The report says that ‘wireless mesh’ network technology is the favourite choice for smart meters in North America, although alternatives such as cellular networks and power-line carrier are however starting to gain traction.
[Report brochure (pdf)]
| We spoke to smart metering consultant Ross Catley for a special feature last year. To learn more about the background to smart meters, listen online, download the MP3 file or read an edited transcript of our conversation. |