In cooperation with the IEA Secretariat and building on metrics and data identified in the Global Smart Grid Inventory and Smart Grid Case Studies Annexes, this work will analyze the benefits and costs of smart grid technologies, practices, and systems, from both top-down and bottom-up perspectives. From these analyses, toolkits will be developed to inform smart grid policy at global, regional, national, and/or sub-national levels and deployment priorities at project- and utility-scales.
Results could be used to develop specific business cases, taking into account specific regulatory and market structures, as well as current system status, available generation assets and resources and demand profiles. Regulators, utilities and other electricity system stakeholders could use these toolkits to define and decide on system needs and priorities for smart grid system investment and regulatory changes. This work will include the assessment and modification of existing benefit-cost analytical tools as well as the development of new tools. The approach will likely be based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and will consider also methodologies and rules to transpose the experience gained in a particular smart grids development context to other boundary conditions.
