SMART METERS DOWN IN U.S., UP GLOBALLY

Smart Meter Unit Shipments in North America Peaked in 2011 and will Decline 42% by 2013, while Global Market Continues to Grow

2Q 2012 (Pike Research)

“Smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) have transformed a placid, 140-year old electricity metering market into a high-tech, high-growth juggernaut. In 2008, less than 4% of the global installed base of 1.5 billion electricity meters could be considered ‘smart,’ but 4 years later this penetration has grown to over 18%, and is forecast to exceed 55% by 2020…

“…[G]lobal growth will continue…[but growth] peaked in North America in 2011, and annual smart meter shipments are expected to decline sharply. According to a new report from Pike Research, unit shipments of smart meters in North America were 12.4 million in 2011 and will decline to 7.2 million by 2013, a 42% drop over just 2 years. After 2014, they will begin a gradual rise through the end of the decade."

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“…The global smart meter market…[will grow] at a compound annual growth rate of just under 5% between 2010 and 2020…[with] very dynamic and even volatile regional market characteristics…These swings make the market both enticing and challenging…

“Pike Research’s analysis shows that, while the North American market faces dramatic near-term contraction, the European market is beginning a similarly dramatic growth period. The Asia Pacific region will continue to outpace all other regions, driven by major deployments in China, utilizing a different breed of smart meter technology…[O]ver the next 8 years…penetration rates reach 64% in Europe in 2020 and nearly 70% in Asia Pacific…”