Fonte: http://www.smartgridnews.com
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Quick Take: It
has finally happened. New generation fault current indicators (FCIs)
are finally cheap enough that the market has hit a turning point. As
you'll read in the release below, sales of FCIs and similar sensors will
double in just two years.
Even
after it doubles the market will still only be a paltry $200 million.
But the development is symbolic of similar important changes in related
market segments. Here's the dialectic. On one hand, the new sensors
typically come from small young companies without a track record and
without deep expertise in utility issues. That makes them risky. On the
other hand, next-generation sensors are not just way cheaper, they are
usually more capable as well. They usually pack more functionality into a
smaller package that is (quite often) easier to install. That makes
them hard to resist.
Hence
the turning point. Prices have dropped and capabilities have risen to
the point that utilities simply can't ignore the new gear and the
benefits it can bring.
If
you already have data coming in from smart meters and IEDs in
substations, then you probably already have more than enough data to
start doing some amazing things. But if there are still any blind spots,
if you still have not instrumented your vulnerable feeder lines, for
instance, then now's the time to buy the sensors you need to get a full
picture. There's simply no reason you need to fly blind any more. - By Jesse Berst
Smart Grid Sensor Market Set to Double in Size by 2014
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The
report, entitled “The North American Market for Smart Grid Sensors –
2013,” shows a major change is occurring in the feeder line sensing
market in North America, with emerging technologies being offered 2012
levels, with annual revenue topping $100 million for the first time in
2015.
“The
market for feeder line sensors is undergoing radical change now,” said
Michael Markides, associate director of the Smart Utility Infrastructure
Group at IHS. “Older devices are being replaced by next-generation
technologies that are offered by new market entrants. There are numerous
takeaways from this, including the continued growth in
distribution-level electronic devices, the continued push toward
decentralizing grid intelligence and automation, as well as showing the
evolving habits and behaviors of utilities in North America as they
adopt new technology from a set of new vendors.”
Currently,
market growth for smart grid sensors is coming from the replacement of
older-style fault circuit indicators (FCIs). These older devices have
been sold for decades to utility companies, which have been installing
them on vulnerable overhead lines. But new technology, which is rapidly
meeting the existing price point of the older technology, is swiftly
gaining market share.
“This
year is a transitional time for the feeder line sensor market,”
Markides observed. “New suppliers are taking share away from traditional
sensor suppliers, through product offerings which are future-proofed,
easily upgradeable, and more dependable and accurate at detecting faults
on overhead lines than legacy FCIs.”
While
the short-term forecast shows dramatic growth for the new generation of
smart grid sensors, long-term market growth is expected to be buoyed by
the implementation of Volt/VAR Optimization (VVO) schemes across North
America. Utilities are currently implementing varying levels of VVO in
North America, even though significant market growth of VVO equipment
(including sensors) is not expected until 2015.
“The
emergence of better fault-detection technology, the unbundling of
‘siloed’ utility organizations and budgets, and the expected surge in
VVO installations are all converging together to create a significantly
strong market forecast over the next five years for smart grid sensors,”
Markides commented. “By 2018, IHS expects smart grid sensors to have
grown to well over $200 million in revenue annually.”
“The
North American Market for Smart Grid Sensors – 2013” is a continuing
part of IMS Research’s comprehensive smart grid portfolio. The portfolio
includes dedicated studies on utility metering, grid sensors, and
distribution automation, which the firm has been studying for more than
15 years. The report includes tables on product types, communications,
applications and market share, along with in-depth analysis and
explanation.
Jesse Berst is the founder and Chief Analyst of SGN and Chairman of the Smart Cities Council, an industry coalition.
