As the grid continues to evolve, the absence of defined communication standards is one of the biggest technological challenges to transition to smart grids. Budgets and entrenched approaches to change management also mean that utilities continue to roll out their smart grid projects in silos, with no shared platforms, which result in cumbersome and disjointed operations. The array of communications technologies abounds - but which are future-proof and which will become obsolete as the grid evolves?
Smart metering is seen as a catalyst for some of the biggest changes in the utility sector, with the potential to rewrite the roles and dynamics between the consumer, supplier and distributor and spearhead the development of smart grid. It is promised to transform an energy supplier to energy services provider, empower the consumer to adopt smart tariffs and energy efficiency behaviour, and help distributor balance the load and optimise the use of its assets.
