Thursday, November 4, 2010

Smart Meters Might Not Deliver As Much Value as Many Believe

Smart metering is a not a cure-all for the utilities industry’s woes and there is a strong risk it will not deliver on some of its promises, Ovum finds. Smart meters should dramatically affect labor cost and operating costs, to the extent such devices automate data collection chores.

But there are other problems smart meters cannot directly address, such as carbon dixoide emissions, infrastructure requirements and higher raw materials costs.

Nor will smart meters directly address an aging workforce or demand issues caused by the sluggish economic recovery. Using such meters in a control capacity, to manage consumption, might hold more promise, if customers agree to such management.

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AI's "iPhone Moment" Will Come. We Just Don't Know When

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