• Smart grid related to electricity transportation and distribution platform equipped with power electronics components and modules.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

This report details how the companies envision business opportunities in the Smart Grid world and covers a broad range of their potential applications. From startups to heavyweights, companies are betting that energy management will be the next big thing. Intel, Google, Cisco & GE, for instance, are all investing in tomorrow’s technologies to create the “smart grid momentum”.

Also, as the renewable share of the energy mix is increasing, better integration of renewable and distributed energies (PV, Wind and Biogas energy, etc.) coupled to an evolution of the energy management system will be necessary. Electricity demand and electricity production will have to be well balanced in order to increase the grid efficiency while decreasing the number of power outages, a huge challenge considering tomorrow’s electric needs (electric cars, demographic pressure, etc.).

We include an in-depth understanding of the smart meter industry, one of the key drivers of today’s smart grid architectures. Many initiatives have already started to promote smart-meter-based architecture in Europe, Asia and North-America where the Recovery and Reinvestment Act supplied a green stimulus of $3.9 billion. The top 15 North American Automated Measuring Infrastructure (AMI) deployments represent roughly 41.1 million smart meters scheduled to be deployed by 2015.

At the T&D level, smart grid means an electricity delivery system which transports, converts and distributes the power efficiently, avoiding losses as much as possible. 

As far as semiconductor-based power component makers are concerned, the recent introduction of grid architectures such as HVDC Light ® (for long DC lines) or STATCOM SVC light (for AC transmission) increases the market penetration of such power devices and enables more efficient, smaller, lower-cost installations. 

We estimate the total market for power components – IGBTs and thyristors for both DC and AC electricity transport configuration – to grow from $30 million in 2010 to $50 million by 2015; and the equivalent power modules to increase from almost $60 million this year to $100 million in 2015. 

We have identified the real added value all across the value chain to implement smart grid concept: from the industrial players to the end users.  In the frame of its power electronics department researches, Yole also proposes market size quantification, from energy consumption to power modules revenues.  We also describe the roadmap per country, explaining the different sequential steps for smart grid adoption, in relation to local factors. 

This report helps to understand the overall stakes of smart grid adoption, providing an accurate time to market and player challenges to overcome.  In the next 10 years, we also believe that power devices can enter the smart grid market at a more residential level with house power routers, whose goal is to intelligently manage and supply every home appliance by minimizing and redirecting the overall consumption.  Last but not least, smart grid development is country dependent! Effectively, each country has its own grid specifications (voltage, frequency, phases, stability) and local competition can motivate and reinforce technical developments… 

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