IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v43y2015icp1249-1262.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Smart meter communication standards in Europe – a comparison

Author

Listed:
  • Erlinghagen, Sabine
  • Lichtensteiger, Bill
  • Markard, Jochen

Abstract

Smart grids and smart meters are central for the integration of distributed, renewable electricity generation. For smart grids to operate smoothly, technology standards are essential. In Europe, a multitude of different standards have been developed, making standard selection a complex task for electric utilities. With this paper we make three contributions: firstly, we identify 17 wired and wireless communication standards for smart metering in Europe. Secondly, we develop and describe a comprehensive set of technical and non-technical criteria for standard selection. Finally, we compare the existing standards against these criteria. We find that none of the standards is superior in all aspects, resulting in major trade-offs for decision makers. Moreover, we reveal the competing nature and missing interoperability of standards, which makes a seamless integration of smart grids across different regions difficult and poses major challenges for the development of complementary smart grid technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Erlinghagen, Sabine & Lichtensteiger, Bill & Markard, Jochen, 2015. "Smart meter communication standards in Europe – a comparison," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 1249-1262.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:43:y:2015:i:c:p:1249-1262
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2014.11.065
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032114010041
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2014.11.065?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Usman, Ahmad & Shami, Sajjad Haider, 2013. "Evolution of Communication Technologies for Smart Grid applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 191-199.
    2. Jain, Sanjay, 2012. "Pragmatic agency in technology standards setting: The case of Ethernet," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 1643-1654.
    3. Depuru, Soma Shekara Sreenadh Reddy & Wang, Lingfeng & Devabhaktuni, Vijay, 2011. "Electricity theft: Overview, issues, prevention and a smart meter based approach to control theft," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 1007-1015, February.
    4. Lyytinen, Kalle & Fomin, Vladislav V., 0. "Achieving high momentum in the evolution of wireless infrastructures: the battle over the 1G solutions," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(3-4), pages 149-170, April.
    5. Faruqui, Ahmad & Harris, Dan & Hledik, Ryan, 2010. "Unlocking the [euro]53 billion savings from smart meters in the EU: How increasing the adoption of dynamic tariffs could make or break the EU's smart grid investment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 6222-6231, October.
    6. Funk, Jeffrey L. & Methe, David T., 2001. "Market- and committee-based mechanisms in the creation and diffusion of global industry standards: the case of mobile communication," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 589-610, April.
    7. Strunz, Sebastian, 2014. "The German energy transition as a regime shift," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 150-158.
    8. Hargreaves, Tom & Nye, Michael & Burgess, Jacquelin, 2010. "Making energy visible: A qualitative field study of how householders interact with feedback from smart energy monitors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 6111-6119, October.
    9. Markard, Jochen & Raven, Rob & Truffer, Bernhard, 2012. "Sustainability transitions: An emerging field of research and its prospects," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 955-967.
    10. Farla, Jacco & Markard, Jochen & Raven, Rob & Coenen, Lars, 2012. "Sustainability transitions in the making: A closer look at actors, strategies and resources," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 79(6), pages 991-998.
    11. Erlinghagen, Sabine & Markard, Jochen, 2012. "Smart grids and the transformation of the electricity sector: ICT firms as potential catalysts for sectoral change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 895-906.
    12. Solomon, Barry D. & Krishna, Karthik, 2011. "The coming sustainable energy transition: History, strategies, and outlook," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(11), pages 7422-7431.
    13. Cusumano, Michael A. & Mylonadis, Yiorgos & Rosenbloom, Richard S., 1992. "Strategic Maneuvering and Mass-Market Dynamics: The Triumph of VHS over Beta," Business History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 66(1), pages 51-94, April.
    14. Blind, Knut & Thumm, Nikolaus, 2004. "Interrelation between patenting and standardisation strategies: empirical evidence and policy implications," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1583-1598, December.
    15. Suarez, Fernando F., 2004. "Battles for technological dominance: an integrative framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 271-286, March.
    16. Depuru, Soma Shekara Sreenadh Reddy & Wang, Lingfeng & Devabhaktuni, Vijay, 2011. "Smart meters for power grid: Challenges, issues, advantages and status," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 2736-2742, August.
    17. Aija Elina Leiponen, 2008. "Competing Through Cooperation: The Organization of Standard Setting in Wireless Telecommunications," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(11), pages 1904-1919, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Masood, Bilal & Baig, Sobia, 2016. "Standardization and deployment scenario of next generation NB-PLC technologies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1033-1047.
    2. Sharma, Konark & Mohan Saini, Lalit, 2015. "Performance analysis of smart metering for smart grid: An overview," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 720-735.
    3. Tu, Chunming & He, Xi & Shuai, Zhikang & Jiang, Fei, 2017. "Big data issues in smart grid – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1099-1107.
    4. Ray, Manojit & Chakraborty, Basab, 2019. "Impact of evolving technology on collaborative energy access scaling," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 13-27.
    5. Chmielewski, Adrian & Gumiński, Robert & Mączak, Jędrzej & Radkowski, Stanisław & Szulim, Przemysław, 2016. "Aspects of balanced development of RES and distributed micro-cogeneration use in Poland: Case study of a µCHP with Stirling engine," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 930-952.
    6. Markard, Jochen & Erlinghagen, Sabine, 2017. "Technology users and standardization: Game changing strategies in the field of smart meter technology," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 226-235.
    7. Alessandro Pitì & Giacomo Verticale & Cristina Rottondi & Antonio Capone & Luca Lo Schiavo, 2017. "The Role of Smart Meters in Enabling Real-Time Energy Services for Households: The Italian Case," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-25, February.
    8. van de Kaa, G. & Fens, T. & Rezaei, J. & Kaynak, D. & Hatun, Z. & Tsilimeni-Archangelidi, A., 2019. "Realizing smart meter connectivity: Analyzing the competing technologies Power line communication, mobile telephony, and radio frequency using the best worst method," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 320-327.
    9. Dehdarian, Amin & Tucci, Christopher L, 2021. "A complex network approach for analyzing early evolution of smart grid innovations in Europe," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    10. Zahurul, S. & Mariun, N. & Grozescu, I.V. & Tsuyoshi, Hanamoto & Mitani, Yasunori & Othman, M.L. & Hizam, H. & Abidin, I.Z., 2016. "Future strategic plan analysis for integrating distributed renewable generation to smart grid through wireless sensor network: Malaysia prospect," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 978-992.
    11. Serra, Daniele & Mardero, Daniele & Di Stefano, Luca & Grillo, Samuele, 2021. "Post-metering value-added services for low voltage electricity users: Lessons learned from the Italian experience of CHAIN 2," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    12. Di Foggia, Giacomo, 2018. "Smart metering projects: an interpretive framework for successful implementation," OSF Preprints zcf34, Center for Open Science.
    13. Markard, Jochen & Hoffmann, Volker H., 2016. "Analysis of complementarities: Framework and examples from the energy transition," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 63-75.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Markard, Jochen & Hoffmann, Volker H., 2016. "Analysis of complementarities: Framework and examples from the energy transition," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 63-75.
    2. Markard, Jochen & Erlinghagen, Sabine, 2017. "Technology users and standardization: Game changing strategies in the field of smart meter technology," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 226-235.
    3. Wiegmann, Paul Moritz & de Vries, Henk J. & Blind, Knut, 2017. "Multi-mode standardisation: A critical review and a research agenda," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(8), pages 1370-1386.
    4. Kim, Dong-hyu & Lee, Heejin & Kwak, Jooyoung, 2017. "Standards as a driving force that influences emerging technological trajectories in the converging world of the Internet and things: An investigation of the M2M/IoT patent network," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(7), pages 1234-1254.
    5. Allan Dahl Andersen & Jochen Markard, 2017. "Innovating incumbents and technological complementarities: How recent dynamics in the HVDC industry can inform transition theories," Working Papers on Innovation Studies 20170612, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo.
    6. van de Kaa, Geerten & de Vries, Henk J., 2015. "Factors for winning format battles: A comparative case study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 222-235.
    7. Hussinger, Katrin & Schwiebacher, Franz, 2013. "The value of disclosing IPR to open standard setting organizations," ZEW Discussion Papers 13-060, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    8. Jochen Markard & Marco Suter & Karin Ingold, 2015. "Socio-technical transitions and policy change - Advocacy coalitions in Swiss energy policy," SPRU Working Paper Series 2015-13, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    9. Narayanan, V.K. & Chen, Tianxu, 2012. "Research on technology standards: Accomplishment and challenges," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(8), pages 1375-1406.
    10. van de Kaa, Geerten & Papachristos, George & de Bruijn, Hans, 2019. "The governance of platform development processes: A metaphor and a simulation model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 190-203.
    11. van de Kaa, G. & Fens, T. & Rezaei, J. & Kaynak, D. & Hatun, Z. & Tsilimeni-Archangelidi, A., 2019. "Realizing smart meter connectivity: Analyzing the competing technologies Power line communication, mobile telephony, and radio frequency using the best worst method," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 320-327.
    12. G. Marletto, 2013. "Car and the city: Socio-technical pathways to 2030," Working Paper CRENoS 201306, Centre for North South Economic Research, University of Cagliari and Sassari, Sardinia.
    13. Papachristos, George, 2017. "Diversity in technology competition: The link between platforms and sociotechnical transitions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 291-306.
    14. Lee, Chuan-Kai & Yu, Limeng, 2022. "A multi-level perspective on 5G transition: The China case," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    15. van de Kaa, Geerten & de Bruijn, Hans, 2015. "Platforms and incentives for consensus building on complex ICT systems: The development of WiFi," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 580-589.
    16. Colak, Ilhami & Sagiroglu, Seref & Fulli, Gianluca & Yesilbudak, Mehmet & Covrig, Catalin-Felix, 2016. "A survey on the critical issues in smart grid technologies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 396-405.
    17. Steen, Markus & Weaver, Tyson, 2017. "Incumbents’ diversification and cross-sectorial energy industry dynamics," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(6), pages 1071-1086.
    18. Christ, Julian P. & Slowak, André P., 2009. "Why blu-ray vs. HD-DVD ist not VHS vs. Betamax: The co-evolution of standard-setting consortia," FZID Discussion Papers 05-2009, University of Hohenheim, Center for Research on Innovation and Services (FZID).
    19. Marletto, Gerardo, 2014. "Car and the city: Socio-technical transition pathways to 2030," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 164-178.
    20. Cavalheiro, Gabriel Marcuzzo do Canto & Joia, Luiz Antonio & Van Veenstra, Anne Fleur, 2016. "Examining the trajectory of a standard for patent classification: An institutional account of a technical cooperation between EPO and USPTO," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 10-17.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:43:y:2015:i:c:p:1249-1262. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.