Smart metering trends, implications and necessities: A policy review

Renewable generation, energy storage, electric vehicles and energy management systems are examples of increasingly widespread products and services that the electricity grids must accommodate safely and efficiently. The fulfillment of this objective involves innovation and, more specifically, the modernization of the existing electricity infrastructure into so-called smart grids, which are based on the interaction between suppliers and consumers through control systems and smart metering. However, the development of these systems requires regulations that take into account the technological capabilities and the needs of users both in the present and in the immediate future. This paper starts with a review of the energy policies aimed at the implementation of smart metering infrastructures (SMI) in Spain, Europe, and around the world. It then addresses the trends in the energy sector that will shape the future and the contribution that SMI are likely to make given its current status, its potential, its limitations, and the implications they would have. Lastly, the paper set outs the conclusions reached and makes recommendations for the adaptation of policies.