Five Key Smart Meter Markets to Watch

The adoption of smart electric meters by utilities is part of a long-term technology transformation to create a more intelligent grid. While the rate of adoption will vary by region, over time, smart meters will become the norm. In the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) landscape today, some countries already have nearly full penetration of smart meters (Finland, Italy, Sweden), some are in the middle of large-scale deployments (China, United States), and the remainder are just getting off the ground (Egypt, Malaysia, India). While this industry is in a constant state of change, taking a look at some of the more active markets can help paint a picture of what the future landscape may be. Guidehouse Insights identifies five of these key markets and discusses why market players should be paying close attention.

China, Undisputed Leader in Smart Meter Installations

The country has installed over 400 million smart meters through its state-run utilities, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and China Southern Power Grid (CSPG), since beginning the program in 2012. While SGCC will wind down its utilitywide deployment in 2018, CSPG just began commercial deployment in March 2016. Driven by a mix of new (CSPG) and upgraded projects (SGCC), the Chinese smart meter market is expected to continue generating billions in revenue. The interesting question now becomes whether project opportunities will be extended to non-domestic vendors as SGCC begins demanding more advanced replacement units.

US, Late Adopters Drive Post-Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) Activity

Significant market opportunities remain, as the US market reached just over 50% smart meter penetration at the end of 2016. The majority of these project opportunities will be at the cooperative or public utility level, opening the door for cloud computing and managed service providers. Additionally, proven use cases and lessons learned during the SGIG program should help mitigate some of the challenges realized during earlier deployments.

India, Largest Untapped Smart Meter Market in the World

While most public distribution companies are still in the pilot project stage, the country’s utilities and government have made clear their goals of installing 50 million smart meters over the next 4 years. Although Guidehouse Insights forecasts a more conservative deployment schedule than current government estimates, robust growth is still expected as the Ministry of Power forms relationships with meter manufacturers and the price of meters falls as a result of high volume purchase orders.

Malaysia, Use Case May Help Support Growth in Southeast Asia

When completed, TNB's nationwide smart meter deployment may be one of the largest of its kind in the world. This project and the utility are significant, with a consumer base of 9.2 million customers and an annual customer growth rate of nearly 4% (more than 300,000 new customers a year). A March 2017 Brand Finance report ranked TNB #24 of Global Top 50 Utility Brands (and the fastest growing).

Egypt, A Chance to Jump-Start the Nascent African Market

In August 2015, it was announced that the Ministry had actioned a plan to convert an existing 30 million electric meters to smart meters over a 10-year period; the primary drivers being incorrect meter readings and electricity theft prevention. This target has since been reduced to 20 million smart meters over the next 10 years. Africa needs these types of deployments to get off the ground before regional economies of scale and proven use cases can be realized.

More information can be found in the newly released Guidehouse Insights report, Global AMI Tracker 2Q17, which provides an analysis of global utility smart meter projects.