IoT innovation: leaders in power distribution management applications for the power industry 

The power industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Activity driven by automation, digitalisation of power infrastructure, optimising the performance of the power distribution network and improving the quality of the distributed power, and growing importance of technologies such as Smart Power Distribution Systems, Smart Grids, and Smart Metering. In the last three years alone, there have been over 439,000 patents filed and granted in the power industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Internet of Things in Power: Power distribution management applications. Buy the report here.

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 83,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the power industry, there are 90+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Power distribution management is the process and collaboration of multiple departments to complete the operation and management of power distribution networks.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies.  According to GlobalData, there are 20+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established power companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of power distribution management applications.

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Itron is a technology and services company and is one of the key patent filers for power distribution management applications. Itron's solutions include Distributed Energy Management, Distributed Intelligence and Distribution Automation.

Hitachi is another key patent filer for power distribution management applications. Hitachi’s Power Distribution Systems offers solutions from basic to advanced distribution automation networks. This end-to-end offering includes Secondary distribution automation, Primary distribution automation, Network Manager, Asset and Work Management, and Communication Networks, and has applications such as Monitoring, control, measurement and protection, Fault and Outage Management, and Volt-var Management.

Mitsubishi Electric, Samsung Group, Alphabet, NARI Technology, and State Grid Corporation of China are among other key patent filers in power distribution management.

To further understand how Internet of Things is disrupting the power industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Internet of Things in Power (2021).