Analyst Insight: Key Technology Trends Shaping the Smart Meter Market

The proliferation of smart meters in the early 2000s was largely a function of rudimentary motivations. At the regulatory level, US and European markets were galvanized through the US Smart Grid Investment Grant and EU Directives. At the operational level, most utilities saw these deployments as easy cost-limitation exercises and limited project objectives to relatively simple applications. These drivers, although still relevant, have been surpassed by more advanced use cases and technologies that define the smart meter market moving forward. Analysis in this Guidehouse Insights report identifies key technology trends that help to shape this evolving and complex market.

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) can be broken down across hardware, software, and communications. Hardware innovation can be seen as multi-channel. More frequent data collection supports software and analytics investments, onboard communication modules now support hybrid communications, and enhanced security features support the entire value chain.

This Guidehouse Insights report provides a comprehensive resource for announced AMI (smart meter) projects and associated vendors. This report offers information regarding smart electric meter deployments announced through 4Q 2020, including estimates for installed smart meters. Information is based on published announcements from vendors, utilities, news agencies, and public filings, among other sources.