A new report from Navigant Research examines the leading low power wide area (LPWA) networking solutions and technologies, providing global market forecasts for power utility applications, segmented by region, technology, and utility use case, through 2026.
LPWA networking technologies are widely touted as the architecture that will support the Internet of Things (IoT), where billions of devices and people will be connected for monitoring and management purposes. The technology is gaining momentum as an alternative communications option for power utilities previously unable to economically monitor the millions of distribution grid devices dispersed throughout their networks.
“The energy delivery industry is rapidly transforming, from a one-way, single provider network to a dynamic, more competitive environment where two-way power flow and new load patterns will greatly complicate the traditional utility business model,” says Richelle Elberg, principal research analyst with Navigant Research. “In response to these new challenges, utilities will need greater visibility throughout the distribution grid and at the grid edge. Emerging LPWA networking technologies promise a more economical option to utilities which were, in the past, unable to financially justify such widespread connectivity.”
LPWA networks may support smart metering, distribution automation and line monitoring, and smart solar inverter connectivity as well as widespread asset monitoring, according to the report. The data provided will feed increasingly sophisticated analytics solutions expected to help utilities provide safer, more reliable, and more efficient energy, according to the report.
The report – Low Power Wide Area Networks for Power Utility Applications – provides a detailed review of the leading LPWA solutions and technologies suitable for power utility applications. The study offers a long-range outlook for seven existing and emerging solutions that utilities may leverage for smart metering, distribution line monitoring and fault location, isolation, and restoration (FLISR), grid asset monitoring, and solar inverter connectivity. Global market forecasts for LPWA utility applications, segmented by region, technology, and utility use case, extend through 2026. The report also provides profiles of leading vendors and organizations active in the LPWA marketplace. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website.
