The Internet of Things and M2M: Energy and utilities

This article was produced by Olswang LLP, which joined with CMS on 1 May 2017.

When it comes to the field of energy, M2M solutions are getting increasingly popular on both sides of the market: For energy providers as well as for energy consumers.

On the provider's side so called smart grids constantly analyse the fluctuations on the network and can therefore immediately react to unexpected spikes or drops in the availability of energy. This is especially important in the context of renewable energy sources which usually do not deliver a constant level of energy supply.

On the consumer's side smart metering can help businesses as well as private consumers to effectively reduce their energy spending. These systems record usage and help analyse and optimise their own electricity consumption by identifying devices with high energy consumption and periods of low use when energy is cheaper. For private consumers smart homes have already started to emerge in a number of households. An automated and dynamic electricity management that switches on the washing machine when energy prices are lowest helps to use energy more efficiently and save costs.

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