December 2010

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Campus and Institutional Markets Are the Sweet Spot for Microgrids

NanoMarkets/Smart Grid Analysis’ latest research suggests that a sweet spot for the emerging microgrid market is to be found in the institutional/campus market segment.  According to our analysis, no other segment comes close in terms of market size; institutional/campus grids will already generate over $400 million in revenue in 2011.  This segment will also grow faster than any other segments, except the specialized military market and the niche-like “off-grid” market.  By the time 2017 rolls around, we expect the worldwide market for institutional/campus microgrids to have reached well over $1.0 billion.

November 2010

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Repositioning the Supercapacitor for “Burst” Storage:  Some Market Opportunities

Supercapacitors are one of those technologies that have been around for a long time, have been the subject of numerous R&D programs, and yet have never demonstrated commercial lift off.   However, NanoMarkets’ latest market analysis of this field suggests that the supercapacitor market could present substantial opportunities if the supplier community can successfully reposition the technology away from being just another energy storage device that compares unfavorably with batteries to one that meets the needs of hybrid/electric (and eventually electric) vehicles, electricity grids and consumer electronics.   In a recent NanoMarkets report, we projected that the supercapacitor market will grow from around $400 million this year (2010) to approximately $3.0 billion in 2016.

June 2010

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Upgrading Transmission Infrastructure:  The First Big Opportunity for Smart Grids?

There are concerns that the Smart Grid juggernaut may be slowing down.  This could be because the business cases for Smart Grid deployment in the distribution and customer premises are not as strong as advocates have presented them.  Perhaps more compelling stories can be found in deploying the latest transmission technology.  High-voltage DC transmission systems will reach almost $14.0 billion in annual revenues by 2015, for example.

May 2010

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Supercapacitors in the Grid

According to NanoMarkets/Smart Grid Analysis, the Smart Grid supercapacitor market will reach $3.8 billion in 2015.  Today, however, the market for these systems is worth only about $0.4 billion with by far the biggest chunk of revenues coming from one specialized application, namely regenerative energy capture with load smoothing for light rail applications.  Our latest report on the topic, however, suggests that new applications , especially those related to power quality and grid instability applications , are likely to be driven significantly forward by the impressive gains that Smart Grid supercapacitors have been able to achieve.

Three Types of Smart Grid Sensors That Will Make Money in the Next Decade

NanoMarkets/Smart Grid Analysis believes that the deployment of Smart Grids throughout the world is going to generate major new opportunities for sensors in many roles and of many types.  One type of sensor opportunity in Smart Grid applications that show particular promise are dynamic line sensors which enable the grid to better adapt to changing weather and temperature conditions.  Another is the class of sensors used to facilitate online storage in the Smart Grid.  A third  is represented by Smart Voltage sensors that replace electromechanical voltage regulators by microelectronics technology and thereby manage voltage in the network significantly more effectively.   In our latest report on sensors in the Grid, we have analyzed these opportunities and how they are best capitalized on.  

Transmission Equipment Finds Smart Opportunities

The power grid transmission system is generally considered separately from both the generation systems and the distribution systems, which are closer to the customer.  “Transmission” is traditionally taken to consist of the step-up transformer located near the generator, the long-distance power lines themselves, and transmission substations that connect to other utilities.  Implicit in this definition is the idea that transmission systems are very much about high capacity.

January 2010

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New Report from NanoMarkets’ Smart Grid Analysis Sees Slower Market Development in Smart Grids Due to Government Policies and Regulations

The report notes that while government agencies are providing the funding for Smart Grids, it is also government agency involvement in standards setting and interoperability is likely to slow the markets' development leading to calls for deregulation and open competition within the next few years.  

New Report from NanoMarkets’ Smart Grid Analysis Sees Slower Market Development in Smart Grids Due to Government Policies and Regulations

The report notes that while government agencies are providing the funding for Smart Grids, it is also government agency involvement in standards setting and interoperability is likely to slow the markets' development leading to calls for deregulation and open competition within the next few years.