2010 has been a stellar year for the Smart Grid industry; sales revenues have increased, investment has boomed and consolidation through acquisition and merger has produced a much stronger base of vibrant companies, capable of meeting the technological challenges that lie ahead. On the back of improving world economic trading conditions and a continued emphasis on a low carbon economy; smart grid is in a strong position to grow and thrive. The weakest link in smart grid’s development has been the lack of attention to automating and modernizing the transmission and distribution network. The vast majority of smart grid investment has gone into smart meters, not surprisingly because this ‘low hanging fruit’ is less capital intensive and can show a quicker return. However for the electricity grid to play its major role in a low carbon future it will need to connect up all the renewable sources of energy and micro-grids and this requires an […]