“Smart Grid Policy Handbook 2016” is the latest policy report from Publisher, which offers comprehensive information on major policies governing smart grid in different countries. The report covers sixteen key countries, providing the current scenario and future plans in implementing smart grid technology, giving a fair idea of overall growth potential of the smart grid industry in each of the countries, and globally. The report also discusses the net-metering policy, and smart meter roll out in the countries. Advanced metering infrastructure, microgrid, smart cities, net metering, time of use pricing, communication protocol and electric vehicles are among the other topics covered in the report.

Every country, when creating a smart grid roadmap or implementing a smart grid, creates its own Smart Grid Task Force (SGTF) or Smart Grid Association with the major stakeholders, which are usually utilities, key equipment manufacturers, electricity market participants, research associations or government bodies. There are many international and regional tie-ups between countries for exchanging knowledge, and these agencies help to establish the policies and standards required for promoting smart grid technology. The International Electromechanical Commission (IEC), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the EU have written smart grid standards intended to help countries to develop their own standards.

With increasing distributed generation, net metering has seen a significant growth in the last five years. A number of countries already have net energy metering protocols and equipment in place, and a number of countries are exploring the technology and mechanism and are ready to start accepting residential or commercial building level energy generation systems to be connected to the grid and supply their excess energy to the grid at a fair tariff. Solar PV is the most popular technology to use net metering for grid connection, and small wind is a distant second in terms of capacity connected to the grid. Simple installation procedure, government support and affordability of rooftop solar PV systems have driven the market for net metering. In countries with large solar potential and ambitious solar PV targets, rooftop solar is being looked at as a major means to achieve a significant portion of the target, and net metering is one protocol that promotes installations by making an installation not only reliable for back up but also profitable from the proceeds of electricity fed into the grid.

The report provides:

A comprehensive coverage of key smart grid initiatives and policies in the key smart grid market countries - US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK, Germany, Spain, France, Japan, Australia, China, India, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. The report also includes details on the following topics:

- AMI

- Microgrid

- Smart cities

- Net metering

- TOU pricing

- Communication protocol for smart grid

- Important agencies dealing with smart grid

- EV

- EMS