Will the "Smart Grid" promise ever happen?

We think it will, and in the next 5 years. However, there are some significant questions yet to be answered that will determine what the smart grid will look like in the future.

• How will standards emerge at each level to achieve critical mass within such a fragmented industry segments? 
• Which companies will use their position in the network of industry players as a source of influence?
• When will the technology development pass the threshold of consumer acceptance and who will reach that point first?
• Who will drive smart grid adoption - energy producers or energy consumers? 
• Who is willing to pay for the substantial equipment costs?
• How will the smart grid be monetized?

In order to answer these questions we have build a preliminary smart-grid industry stack selecting companies ranging from the utility to the consumer. Right now there isn't any overlap. It will be interesting to see what the chart looks like once competitors and partnerships are filled in.

Our Team:

Cassie Kern - PG&E

Kevin Harder - Sigma Design

Maggie Lukaszwicz - Siemens
Manuel Zapata - IBM