The smart meter market is experiencing a worldwide boom: according to the IDC Energy Insights institute, in the third quarter of 2012 more than 15 million electronic meters were supplied worldwide, a 126.9 percent growth compared with the same period in 2011.
The value of the innovative device, which was launched more than 10 years ago by Enel, a global pioneer in this field, has thus been confirmed. The Group has since long completed the installation of electronic meters for 32 million Italian customers, while another 13 million meters are being installed in Spain, and various projects have been launched in Eastern Europe and Latin America.
The latest frontier is Asia, the region where the sector is growing at the fastest pace: in the third quarter of 2012 the number of installed meters grew by 516.8 percent. Enel is targeting the Asian market, where it is promoting the innovative nature of its products. In Japan, for instance, it is working with a number of local energy companies with a view to signing commercial agreements, while in the Philippines it has various ongoing smart meter pilot projects, of which one will be soon launched, potentially benefitting a million customers.
But for Enel the electronic meter is only the first step towards the aim of providing increasingly competitive services. Cutting-edge metering services are already available for home customers, such as the Smart info device that enables remote access to information provided by the meter, and the Energy@home project, which monitors the consumption of household appliances.
Enel is active and forward-looking in its research, with pilot projects regarding smart grids, the next-generation networks that will be the foundation of smart cities. Thanks to Enel’s technological innovation in the future we will reside in more efficient and livable cities.
