Itron finalizes SmartSynch acquisition

Energy and water resource management company Itron, Inc. has completed its $100 million acquisition of smart metering services provider SmartSynch. Former SmartSynch chief executive Stephen Johnston will continue working in a leadership role and will set cellular technology strategy for integrated smart grid solutions at Itron. SmartSynch has more than 130 customers, including nine of the top ten utilities in North America.

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U.S. smart meter market worth $4.4 billion in 2016 – research

Smart meter product and service demand in the United States may go up more than 11 percent annually to $4.4 billion in 2016, according to a report from business research firm Freedonia. The rising share of smart meters in use over the decade supports demand for related parts and services as well as for replacement of older models, the Cleveland, Ohio-based research company says in its latest report.

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Harvest Power completes $110 million financing round

Waste-to-energy company Harvest Power has completed its Series C round with $110 million to be used for expanding their operations in North America. New investor True North Venture Partners led the investment with American Refining and Biochemical, Inc. Existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Dag Ventures and Generation Investment Management also participated.

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Long Island to install 2,000 smart meters

The Long Island Power Authority has begun installing approximately 2,000 “smart meters” in homes and businesses along Route 110 in Farmingdale, New York as part of the Department of Energy-funded Smart Energy Corridor project.

The meters are designed to provide more timely and accurate information to both customers and the electric provider, allowing more accurate billing information and resolving outages faster.

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Smart meter deployment slowed down in Q4 2011 – research

Despite global full-year shipments of smart meters reaching nearly 73 million last year, deployments were slower in the fourth quarter when overall smart meter shipments slipped nearly 8 percent from the preceding quarter, according to Pike Research. This was due in part to some projects winding down and fewer new large projects coming to market, according to the clean technology market intelligence firm’s latest report. “There’s a combination of good news and caution in these latest numbers,” says senior analyst Neil Strother.

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China to install over 300 million smart meters by the end of 2015

The State Grid Corporation of China, the world’s largest electric power transmission and distribution company serving an area with over 1 billion inhabitants, is expected to invest $473.1 billion in power grid construction over five years, about $100 billion of which will be directed toward smart grid technology. This investment will make China the world’s largest smart grid market, according to a company profile published by Zpryme Research and Consulting.

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Consumer interest in home energy management is healthy – research

Consumers still show interest in the overall concept of home energy management and in using smart appliances despite challenges in the smart meter industry, according to a new consumer survey published by Pike Research. The consumer survey for smart grid found that 47 percent of consumers would be “extremely” or “very” interested in home energy management products and services that would allow them to monitor and control energy use at home.

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Iberdrola hands out $400 million worth of smart meter deals

Spanish utility Iberdrola awarded contracts worth a total of 300 million euros ($395 million) to seven companies for 1 million units of smart meters for their customers. The company is in the middle of an ambitious initiative to transform and modernize their power distribution grid. It has set aside about 2 billion euros for replacing 10.3 million traditional meters with new, “smart” devices by 2018.

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Green power storage size could triple to 2030: study

FRANKFURT, February 18 (Reuters) - The global market for electricity storage facilities could more than triple in size, requiring 280 billion euros ($380.1 billion) of investment over the next 20 years, said a German study released on Friday. The share of renewable energy such as wind or solar power is expanding rapidly as the world looks to rein in carbon dioxide emissions, but its output depends on weather patterns, said the study from Boston Consulting Group's Munich office.

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EXCLUSIVE: Power distributors’ smart grid plan taps stakeholders

Strategy unveiled will help Australia carry out smart grid vision through team effort

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