By Liz Enbysk

SGN Managing Editor

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New research reports provide some interesting insights for smart grid stakeholders. Scroll down for summaries and click to page 2 for the full press releases.

Can 10,000 consumers be wrong?

The latest installment of Accenture's multi-year New Energy Consumer research

·         More than 50% of consumers worldwide say they prefer to use the Internet for the majority of interactions with energy providers

·         Consumers aged 18 to 34 interact with their providers 11 minutes a year, compared to an average of nine minutes for consumers aged 35+

·         One-fifth of consumers in emerging economies currently use social media to discuss energy-related issues with other consumers or groups

·         53% of consumers are willing to pay a premium for electricity from renewable energy sources

The research also identifies actions energy executives can take to strengthen their businesses.

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“Successful providers will be those that create targeted offering and value propositions aligned with energy consumer needs,” said Greg Guthridge, managing director, Accenture Retail and Business Services for Utilities. “From commoditized energy with limited service, to premium product and service bundles, there is broad interest in various product and service offerings that will require new capabilities and innovative business models.” (Read more on page 2 >>)

The killer app for smart grid development?

According to a new report from SBI Energy, microgrids could be the killer app for

smart grid development. How so? SBI says the boom in cheap and plentiful natural gas could lead to increased use of micro-turbines and the development of more microgrids. Its just-released research report,  World Smart Grid, 2nd Edition, finds that microgrid growth areas are in universities and hospitals, industrial locations with combined heat and power (CHP) generating units, U.S. military bases, and small communities in Europe. SBI notes that the U.S. military leads the world in deploying and testing new microgrid technologies. (Read more on page 2 >>)

6 ways to improve SCADA security

When it comes to securing SCADA networks, we are years or even decades behind when compared to securing typical IT networks. That assessment comes from Amol Sarwate, security research manager at Qualys, who examined SCADA security and came up with six of its most daunting challenges, along with recommendations on how to address each challenge. (You can read his post here >>)

 

60% of utilities use some form of satellite communications

The Utilities Telecom Council (UTC) and iDirect released a new report on the use of satellite communications in the utility industry. Among the key findings were that 60% of utilities surveyed are already using some form of satellite communications technology. Of those not currently using satellite, 22% are planning to integrate the technology in the next two years. Other findings included:

 

·         The top benefit of satellite technology was cited as ubiquitous coverage

·         Satellite is most frequently used for back-up voice communications with SCADA and substation automation a close second

 

"The findings also reveal that satellite providers need to take the lead in educating utilities about the benefits of modern satellite technology and how they support back-up communications, SCADA, substation automation and other critical applications," said Toni Lee Rusnicki of iDirect, which is an IP-based satellite communications provider and sponsor of the survey.  (Read more on page 2 >>)

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The sun's still shining on PV installations

Despite incentive cuts in most of the world's largest markets, a new report from IMS Research projects global solar PV installations will grow by at least 3.5 percent and up to 21 percent in 2012. IMS, which was recently acquired by HIS Inc., anticipates Europe’s share of installations will fall from 69% last year to 50% this year. “Despite many in the industry still expecting further doom and gloom, we in fact see a pick-up in demand driven by falling system prices, a rush to  beat incentive cuts, and the growing number of mid-sized emerging PV markets,” noted Ash Sharma, Senior Research Director for Photovoltaics. Although Germany will remain the largest and most important PV market this year, IMS Research predicts that China will become the second largest, followed closely by Italy. (Read more on page 2 >>)

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