DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b5r8bt/australia_smart) has announced the addition of the "Australia - Smart Grid - Smart Meters" report to their offering.
While developments in automatic meter reading and DSM have been taking place over many decades, the current smart meter debate in Australia originated in Victoria in 2004. This started with the utilities modernising the meter network which would, among other things, allow them to capture electricity usage in 30-minute intervals. This enables differential pricing by time-of-day and enables utilities to discourage certain types of non-time-critical' use during periods of high demand. Reducing peaks has a major impact on electricity generation costs, alleviating the need for new power plants and cutting down on damaging greenhouse emissions.
It also impacts on the capital investment in the grid itself, since infrastructure has to be scaled to cope with peak demand, even if that demand occurs only for a very small percentage of the time. There are other benefits like electronic meter reading, but these tend to be incidental to the issue of better managing supply and demand.
Based on the latest environmental challenges, the focus needs to be shifted to smart grids, and smart meters should only be considered in the broader context of the modernisation of electricity networks through the introduction of sensing, communications and information technology into the grid.
This report provides an overview of the developments that are more specific to the smart meters rather than to smart grids. Smart meters are going to play a key role in smart grids as the in-house energy management tools for the users.
Topics Covered:
1. Synopsis
2. The road from automated meter reading (AMR) and demand side management (DSM) to smart grids
2.1 Automated meter reading
2.2 Demand side management
2.3 In-home display devices
3. Smart Meters in Victoria - Case Study (separate report)
4. Smart meter policies - analyses
4.1 Smartphone lessons for smart meters
4.2 The once-in-a-lifetime smart grid opportunity for Australia
4.3 Key to smart grids: the right vision from the government
4.4 Open networks
5. From AMR to smart meters
5.1 LTE based smart grid
5.2 Energy Networks Association (ENA) takes smart metering policy initiative
5.3 The broader view of Smart Grid Australia
5.4 Overview of early smart meter developments
6. Smart Water
6.1 Water for the Future
6.2 Smart water metering
7. Smart grids projects and players (separate report)
8. Separate background reports
Exhibit 1 - Smart grid applications
Exhibit 2 - Smart air-conditioning control
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b5r8bt/australia_smart