Europe will have smart meters installed in 111.4m households by 2015, according to research by Berg Insight.

Smart meter installations will grow at a compound rate of 17.9% a year until then, said the report, Smart Metering in Western Europe, adding that this increase will be largely policy-driven.

Berg Insight senior analyst Tobias Ryberg said: “In the past year, EDF, Endesa and Iberdrola – three of the absolutely largest electricity network operators in Europe – have launched large-scale pilots in France and Spain, respectively. Next year, these deployments will evolve into nationwide rollouts in these countries.”

The report points out that France, Spain and the UK will be the next European countries to introduce smart metering, following rollouts in Italy and the Nordic region. These will form the basis of future smart grids.

“On top of that, the UK’s largest electricity and gas retailer British Gas has launched the first major smart metering project for residential customers in the country,” said Mr Ryberg. “These developments in combination with rollouts in several other European countries will drive strong market growth over the next five years.”

http://www.berginsight.com/ShowReport.aspx?m_m=3&id=104