Smart Meters Difference between Smart Meters & Conventional Meters The basic difference between conventional meters and smart meters is that conventional meters provide one-way of communication, whereas smart meters provide two-way communication. For instance, in order to carry out a meter reading using a conventional meter, the meter reader needs to physically visit the customer […]

Smart Grid Companies A smart grid is an electrical grid, that is digitally enabled to procure & distribute information in order to improve the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of electrical devices. It involves the application of digital processing and communications to the power grid. A smart grid replaces analog mechanical meters with digital meters that record […]

The Smart Meter Industry like the rest of the Smart Grid Industry is seeing an astounding pace of consolidation as big industrial conglomerates like Siemens,ABB,Schneider Electric and others gobble up smaller companies at a rapid pace.Smart Meter Manufacturers which were already not many are growing even smaller as the smaller independent companies are acquired by the larger more established giant MNCs.The Energy Efficiency and the Smart Grid industries will see a rapid growth as the demand grows for reducing global greenhouse emissions,increasing amounts of renewable energy integration into the grid and rising prices of fossil fuels.Unlike solar and wind industry,independent companies in the Smart Grid are not as large as they require relationships with utilities,a bigger portfolio of products and longer history to survive.Bigger companies like Cisco,Honeywell,GE have mentioned the importance of Energy Efficiency and are going all out to achieve dominance.Smart Meter Manufacturers which traditionally had a presence in the water and gas metering area have found a huge growth area in the Electricity Smart Metering industry.With the power grid almost a 100 years old,newer smarter meters are needed as essential pieces of infrastructure to implement a smart grid.Here is a list of the major smart meter manufacturers.

.Most of the State Electricity Distributors are in poor financial shape and have been known to frequently default on their financial obligations.With almost 70-75% of the estimated $2.2 Billion in the first phase of the PV projects to be financed by debt,this represents a big hurdle for the success of Solar Energy.The government needs to come out with some sort of arrangement of guarantees for the smooth functioning of the Solar Mission and instill confidence amongst investors and Banks.