With so much and hype and promise around our industry, it is easy to understand how some people can get a little carried away. This is especially true at industry events such as this week’s DistribuTECH. Over the next few days there will be plenty of promises made as different partnerships, products and services are unveiled that will all “fundamentally change” the way we use energy and in doing so, solve global warming and deliver world peace. Well, maybe not quite that far, but you get my point.
So as we go into one of the industry’s most important events, we thought it would be helpful to share the results of a small and relatively informal survey we conducted this month. The survey asked 106 utility executives – the people that arguably know more about the energy supply and demand challenges our nation faces than anyone else – a range of questions on the smart grid, energy efficiency and related topics and issues.
We issued a press release today with some of the highlights, but to help put this week’s news into context, we also wanted to share a full breakdown of the results. Nothing earth shattering, but worth keeping in mind as the week progresses…
How do you expect your organizations investment in energy efficiency resources to change in 2011?
| Options | % of Respondents |
| Decrease | 8% |
| 10% increase | 50% |
| 11-20% increase | 21% |
| 21-40% increase | 12% |
| 41-60% increase | 1% |
| 81 – 100% increase | 8% |
Which energy management/energy efficiency products do you currently offer your customers?
| Most Popular | Least Popular |
| Smart meters | Customer portal technologies |
| Load shed devices | In-home displays |
| Smart thermostats | Smart Outlets |
What is the most critical feature of a next generation energy management solution?
| Options | % of Respondents |
| Support for open standards | 35% |
| Ability to measure and verify results | 20% |
| Control and automation | 19% |
| Accessibility and portability | 8% |
| Insights and analysis | 4% |
| Single user interface | 3% |
| Other | 11% |
Of the following smart grid adoption challenges listed below, which one has the greatest potential of hindering your utility’s smart grid advancement plans?
| Options | % of Respondents |
| Other | 30% |
| Aging infrastructure | 29% |
| Variable and dynamic pricing programs | 15% |
| Growing demand | 8% |
| Increased use of renewables | 8% |
| The coming age of plug-in vehicles | 7% |
| Aging generation fleet | 3% |
In your opinion, how long will it be until we see the full benefits of the smart grid?
| Options | % of Respondents |
| 1-3 years | 1% |
| 4-6 years | 27% |
| 7-9 years | 23% |
| 10 + years | 27% |
| Moving target | 22% |
What is the largest smart grid adoption barrier for consumers today?
| Options | % of Respondents |
| Consumer education and awareness | 32% |
| Consumer buy-in | 23% |
| Perceived price increases | 17% |
| Security concerns | 13% |
| Other | 10% |
| Universal wireless access | 3% |
| Fear of change | 2% |
Does your existing infrastructure allow your customers to take an active role in managing their energy consumption?
| Options | % of Respondents |
| Yes | 52% |
| No | 36% |
| Uncertain | 12% |
