Utilities worldwide spent a total of $13.9 billion on smart-grid technologies in 2012, representing a 7% increase on spending in 2011, according to new research from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The market-research outfit expects spending to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4% over the next five years to reach $25.2 billion in 2018. The forecast represents a downward adjustment ...

The new $13 million visual intercom system in Manhattan’s Stuyvesant Town, the largest in the world, connects 8,760 apartments through 178 entrances in 89 towers to each other, with a central command system, security and fire-alarm lines, and was delivered from Israel by way of Japan. The company behind the system, Elbex, was founded in Japan by an Israeli, David Elberbaum, in 1974 and has since grown into ...

A New State Grid Corporation of China Smart-Grid Project, using passive optical networking (PON) technology, which could not only help it deliver electricity more efficiently across the country, but also turn it into China’s next broadband service provider. The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) has connected around 86,000 premises to its smart grid so far, with a target of 100% smart-meter penetration ...

China has begun testing smart-grid technology that could eventually be deployed nationwide to make the delivery of electricity more reliable and efficient. It might also serve as a way to deliver high-speed Internet, TV, and telephony to the farthest reaches of the country. The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) is running the smart-grid project using passive optical networking (PON) technology—a high-b ...

US-based EnVerv has unveiled its regional office in the Taiwanese city of Taipei to support smart grid markets. The new office is expected to serve a growing customer base in Taiwan developing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems for the domestic and international smart grid markets. EnVerv Asia Pacific VP and general manager Edwin Chen, who will be the boss of the new office, said it will augment ...

Landis Gyr, the world's leading provider of smart grid and smart metering solutions, has announced that they have been selected by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) to provide more than 1.5 million digital electricity meters for their modernization and rural electrification program. This most recent award from WBSEDCL is believed to be the largest electricity metering orde ...

Chattanooga has had some nasty weather lately but officials from municipal utility EPB say their smart grid more than proved itself, and it's saving the city a lot of money. David Wade, EPB CEO and executive VP, said a heavy windstorm last week downed power lines that left 3,500 customers without power briefly, but added that the utility's smart grid prevented another 8,000 from losing electricity, accordin ...

Global smart grid investment grew 7% in 2012 to US$13.9 billion according to figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. In terms of geographic spread, the sector mirrors photovoltaics with the U.S. clinging to top spot but due to be replaced by China in 2013, in large part thanks to a willingness to invest in smart grid technology by the Chinese government. Some $4.3bn was invested in smart grid technology ...

Electrical component maker LSIS said Wednesday it has acquired advanced technology for an electric power transmission system at the expense of rival Hyosung, in development of smart grid in South Korea. Both firms tendered bids to a joint venture between the state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and French energy company Alstom called KEPCO-Alstom Power Electronics Systems (KAPES) for the techn ...

Investments in Asian ‘smart cities’ are set to grow from about $55.6 billion in 2013 to around $260 billion in 2020, according to research from Zpryme. The dramatic growth represents a huge opportunity for utilities and technology vendors and is prompting some of Asia’s electronics giants to put smart cities at the forefront of their strategies. Japan’s Toshiba, for instance, has created a new business sect ...