Record level of worldwide smart meter shipments
September 16, 2011
Global smart meter shipments have grown 41% over the first quarter of 2011. Globally, smart meter manufacturers shipped 5.6 million smart meters bringing the total installed base to almost 90 million.
New research by IDC Energy Insights notes recent forecast projections show that 2011 growth will be significantly down compared to 2008, 2009, and 2010. The IDC Energy Insights Worldwide Quarterly Smart Meter Tracker results show that the smart metering industry is entering a period of global expansion and forecasts that the global installed smart meter base will reach nearly 490 million meters by 2015.
Forecasts show that smart meter shipments will grow significantly in EMEA, North America, and the Asia/Pacific regions in 2012, marking the first time since 2007 in which all three regions experienced simultaneous growth. Recent announcements, like the Holley Metering and Echelon deal show that China’s growth in smart meters will increase at the pace everyone has been expecting.
Growth in the next few years will be the result of expanding markets like China and Brazil It is expected that there will be continued momentum from Europe and North America as both regions have pending projects of scale. However, what will drive the industry back to years of 50% year-on-year growth will be China.
The smart metering market still faces daily challenges. Best practices are still being established, and utilities and vendors are still learning about security, protocol standardization, interoperability, and customer education. Growth in the next few years will introduce a group of new meter manufacturers that don't have the experience that industry leaders like Landis+Gyr, Itron, Sensus, Elster, and GE all have.
