Technology Roadmap: Smart Grids

The development of smart grids – which the IEA defines as an electricity network that uses digital and other advanced technologies to monitor and manage the transport of electricity from all generation sources to meet the varying electricity demands of end users – is essential if the global community is to achieve shared goals for energy security, economic development and climate change mitigation.

Unfortunately, existing misunderstandings of exactly what smart grids are and the physical and institutional complexity of electricity systems make it difficult to implement smart grids on the scale that is needed.
This roadmap sets out specific steps needed over the coming years to achieve milestones that will allow smart grids to deliver a clean energy future.

Table of contents
Foreword
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Key Findings
Introduction
What are smart grids?
Rationale for smart grid technology
Purpose, process and structure of the roadmap
Electricity System Needs for Today and the Future
Future demand and supply
Electricity system considerations
Electricity reliability
Smart Grid Deployment
Smart grid technologies
Smart grid demonstration and deployment efforts
Tailoring smart grids to developing countries and emerging economies
Status of electricity system markets and regulation
Vision for Smart Grid Deployment to 2050
Regional analysis and impacts for deployment
Quantification of peak demand and the impact of smart grids
Regional scenarios for deployment to 2050
Smart grid CO2 emissions reduction estimates to 2050
Estimating smart grid investment costs and operating savings
Technology Development: Actions and Milestones
Development and demonstration
Standards
Policy and Regulatory Framework: Actions and Milestones
Generation, transmission and distribution
Smart grid, smart consumer policies
Building consensus on smart grid deployment
International Collaboration
Expand existing international collaboration efforts
Create new collaborations with other electricity system technology areas
Smart grid collaboration and developing countries
Conclusion: Near-term Roadmap Actions for Stakeholders
Summary of actions led by stakeholders
Glossary
References
List of Relevant Websites