The power industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Activity is 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.
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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 applications is a key innovation area in Internet of Things
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.
Key players in power distribution management applications – a disruptive innovation in the power industry
‘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’.
Patent volumes related to power distribution management applications
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| State Grid Corporation of China | 92 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Samsung Group | 61 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Southern Power Grid | 41 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shell | 36 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alphabet | 26 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Emerging Automotive | 25 | Unlock Company Profile |
| EnerSys | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NARI Technology | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Itron | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Causam Energy | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| International Business Machines | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Accenture | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NARI Group | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid NARI Nanjing Control System | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hitachi | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kymco Motors | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mercedes-Benz Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Honda Motor | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kyocera | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nouvenn | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid Information and Telecommunication | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Xuji Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| OK amba | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hubbell | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Doosan | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
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).
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
