Most popular quick polls of 2011 - and how you voted

During the course of the year as we've written about important smart grid topics, trends and companies, we've asked readers to weigh in via our Quick Polls. They are not scientific, but they do provide an interesting glimpse into the thinking of smart grid stakeholders who read SGN. We’ve compiled a few of the year's most popular Quick Polls and their results below.

The best opt out solution?

Back in March we first told you about PG&E's game-changing smart meter opt out plan and polled readers on what they think is the best solution for customers who don't want smart meters.

·         To insist they take one anyway – 16%

·         To allow them to opt out if they pay the extra cost – 52%

·         To allow them to opt out for free, with other ratepayers picking up the cost – 32%

The smart metering leader?

We ran a piece in April on an IDC Energy Insights report that put Landis + Gyr as the leader in smart metering and asked readers to tell us who they'd pick as the world's leading smart metering company.

·         Yep, it's Landis + Gyr – 47%

·         Aclara – 3%

·         Elster – 5%

·         Itron – 8%

·         Sensus – 4%

·         Silver Spring Networks – 5%

·         Trilliant – 29%

Smart grid dream team?

Back in June we ran a Smart Grid Dream Team Challenge and asked readers to nominate and then vote on smart grid companies they'd like to see joined at the hip.

·         GE and Silver Spring Networks – 13%

·         Ambient and Cisco – 24%

·         GE and Infrax Systems – 31%

·         Silver Spring Networks and iDirect – 8%

·         None of the above – 25%

Electricity demand – up or down?

We wrote in September about leading economists predicting electric demand will fall and asked readers for their perspective on electricity demand in the U.S. by 2020.

·         Higher than it is today – 51%

·         Lower than it is today– 27%

·         About the same – 22%

Next page: That dismal smart grid forecast and more >>