Much of the literature on smart grid makes the point that the smart grid will use lots of "advanced sensors." Sensors are intrinsic to advanced metering applications, for example. As a result NanoMarkets believes that the emerging Smart Grid will create important new markets for sensors over the coming decade. Giant firms such as AT&T are already creating units to tap into this opportunity and this report indentifies where all the new business revenues in Smart Grid sensors will be coming from. It will be essential reading for product managers, marketers and business development executives at sensor firms, networking companies, advanced materials and software companies and all businesses involved with the emerging smart grid.

The report identifies and quantifies all sensor-related opportunities related to the Smart Grid. This includes not only energy monitoring and load balancing sensors. Security monitoring and equipment inspection are also part of the story. In addition, coverage of the energy monitoring aspect of the market includes conventional electrical sources as well as sensors for load balancing for alternative energy. We also examine the markets for Smart-Grid-related sensors and sensor systems that are used both by power companies and in buildings including specialist sensors that are being developed for grid applications, such as those that are capable of rapid analysis of anomalies in electricity quality over very large geographic areas.

As with all NanoMarkets reports, this report contains a granular eight-year forecast and it also includes an assessment of the strategies of the leading players in this space as well the activities of the major standards organizations and their role in creating a smart sensor friendly grid ecosystem. The report also discusses the differences in the Smart Grid sensor market among the major industrialized countries of the world.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

E.1 Opportunities for Sensors in the Smart Grid
E.1.1 Energy Monitoring and Equipment Monitoring Applications for Sensors
E.1.2 Sensors for Load Balancing for Alternative Energy Sources
E.1.3 Sensors for Energy Storage Requirements in Smart Grids
E.2 Near- and Long-Term Opportunities for Sensors in the Smart Grid
E.3 Key Firms to Watch in the Smart-Grid Energy Sensor Space
E.4 Implications of Emerging Interoperability Standards and Security Issues
E.5 Summary of Forecasts

Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 Background to This Report
1.1.1 Why the Smart Grid is an Important Opportunity for Sensor Firms
1.1.2 Types of Sensors for the Smart Grid
1.2 Objective and Scope of this Report
1.3 Methodology of this Report
1.4 Plan of this Report

Chapter Two: Smart Grid Sensors and Communications Technology

2.1 The Current Electric Grid Vs. the Smart Grid
2.1.1 Smart-Grid Sensor Needs and Trends
2.1.2 Basic Smart-Grid Sensor Types for Today and Tomorrow
2.1.3 Future Sensor Evolution
2.1.4 Smart-Grid Electrical Storage Specific Sensor Issues
2.2 Smart-Grid Sensor Opportunities in the Electrical Distribution Network (Substation to Customer Smart Meter)
2.2.1 Role of Sensors: Current Opportunities and Future Evolution in the Distribution Network
2.2.2 Smart Sensor Networks and Opportunities to Improve Efficiency and Reliability
2.2.3 Key Trends in Remote Equipment Inspection and Communication
2.2.4 Integration of Distributed Generation, "Smart-Grid Islands" and Grid Storage in the Distribution Network
2.3 Smart Grid Sensor Opportunities in the Home Area Network (HAN)
2.3.1 Role of Sensors, Current Opportunities and Future Evolution in HANs
2.3.2 Smart-Sensor Networks and Opportunities to Improve Efficiency in HANs
2.3.3 Time-of-Use (TOU) Pricing and Its Effect on Smart HAN Markets
2.3.4 Integration of Micro-Generation, "Micro-Island" Grids, Plug-In Hybrids (PEHV) and Grid Storage in HANs
2.4 Smart-Grid Sensor Opportunities in Electrical Transmission (Generation Site to Substations)
2.4.1 Role of Sensors: Current Opportunities and Future Evolution in the Transmission Network
2.4.2 Smart Sensor Networks and Opportunities to Improve Efficiency and Reliability
2.4.3 Key Trends in Remote Equipment Inspection and Communication
2.4.4 Integration of Distributed Generation, Renewable Assets, and Grid Storage in the Transmission Networks
2.5 Software and Security Issues Associated with Smart Grid Sensors
2.6 Role of Standards Organizations in Creating a Smart-Sensor Friendly Grid

Chapter Three: Company Profiles

3.1 Alvarion
3.2 Ambient
3.3 AT&T
3.4 Austin Energy
3.5 BPL Global
3.6 Cisco Systems
3.7 Comverge
3.8 Control4
3.9 Cooper Power Systems
3.10 CURRENT
3.11 Ecologic Analytics
3.12 Eka Systems
3.13 Elster Group
3.14 Ember
3.15 EnerNOC
3.16 Echelon
3.17 General Electric
3.18 Google
3.19 Greenbox Technology
3.20 Grid Net
3.21 GridPoint
3.22 IBM
3.23 iControl Networks
3.24 Itron
3.25 Landis+Gyr
3.26 Microsoft
3.27 Sensus Metering Systems
3.28 Silver Spring Networks
3.29 SmartSynch
3.30 Tendril
3.31 Trilliant
3.32 USCL Corp.
3.33 Wurldtech Security Technologies
3.34 Xcel Energy

Chapter Four: Eight-Year Forecasts of Smart-Grid Sensors

4.1 Forecasting Methodology
4.1.1 Data Sources
4.1.2 Clean Power Mandates that Drive Smart-Grid Sensor Demand
4.1.3 Notes on the Effect of Stimulus Spending on Smart-Grid Enabled Sensors
4.2 Smart Grid Sensors Roadmap and Eight-Year Forecasts
4.2.1 Eight-Year Smart-Grid Sensor Forecast for HAN Applications
4.2.2 Eight-Year Smart-Grid Sensor Forecast for Distribution Network Applications
4.2.3 Eight-Year Smart Grid Sensor Forecast for Transmission Network Applications
4.2.4 Forecast by Type of Sensor
4.2.5 Forecast by Geographic Region: North America
4.2.6 Forecast by Geographic Region: Europe
4.2.7 Forecast by Geographic Region: Asia (Excluding Japan)
4.2.8 Forecast by Geographic Region: Japan
4.3 Summary of Eight-Year Forecasts of Smart-Grid Sensors
Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in this Report
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