【国际能源署】全球智能电网技术专利数据综述2024_40页_4mb

Global Review of Patent Data for Smart Grid Technologies Summary

Core Content

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of smart grid technology innovation using patent data from the European Patent Office (EPO) PATSTAT database. It outlines the trends, geographical distribution, and patent quality of smart grid innovations, highlighting the role of these technologies in supporting the clean energy transition and modernising power systems.

Main Trends in Smart Grid Innovation

• Global Innovation Growth: Between 2000 and 2023, there were approximately 16,000 International Patent Families (IPFs) in smart grid technologies, accounting for 0.2% of all IPFs globally.
• Sector Share: Smart grid IPFs represented about 5% of the H02 CPC category (power sector), which is referred to as the "power sector" for the rest of this report.
• Peak Years:
  • Smart grid innovation peaked in 2011 at 11% of the power sector's IPFs.
  • In 2022, the share increased to 13%, aligning with the IEA Net Zero by 2050 Scenario.
• Technology Grouping:
  • The Y04S CPC category, developed by EPO and USPTO in 2013, is used to classify smart grid technologies.
  • The three main groupings are:
    • Systems supporting electrical power generation, transmission or distribution
    • End-user applications
    • Complementary innovations supporting the digitalisation of the power sector
• Subsector Trends:
  • From 2008 to 2014, end-user applications generated the most IPFs.
  • From 2020 to 2021, systems supporting electrical power generation, transmission or distribution represented 40% of smart grid IPFs.
• Capital Investment Correlation:
  • The increase in the share of certain technologies is linked to higher capital investment in power equipment.
  • Demand response systems, smart metering, and home appliances peaked in 2011 at 0.10%, 0.05%, and 0.05% of all IPFs respectively, and have since declined.

Geographical Distribution of Smart Grid Innovation

• Regional Dominance:
  • East Asia (mainly Japan and China) has dominated smart grid innovation since 2007, accounting for over 50% of global IPFs in the period 2017-2021.
  • North America and Western Europe share the remaining IPFs.
• City-Level Innovation Hubs:
  • More than 40% of smart grid innovation is concentrated in ten global cities.
  • The top six cities for smart grid innovation between 2000 and 2022 are:
    • Tokyo
    • Seoul
    • Beijing
    • Nagoya
    • Nuremberg
    • San Francisco Bay Area
  • These cities are home to major companies and research centers, such as:
    • Tokyo: Toshiba, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Honda, Mitsubishi, NEC, Sony
    • Nuremberg: Siemens, Huawei Nuremberg Research Center
    • San Francisco Bay Area: Tesla, PG&E, Schneider Electric, ChargePoint
  • Munich and Raleigh also played significant roles in smart grid innovation in the 2011-2021 and 2011-2015 periods, respectively.

Revealed Technology Advantage (RTA) for Smart Grid Innovation

• RTA Definition: The RTA index measures a country's specialisation in smart grid innovation relative to its overall innovation capacity.
• Global RTA Trends:
  • Switzerland and Canada have shown higher RTA values, indicating a stronger specialisation in smart grid innovation.
  • Germany, Korea, and France also demonstrated notable specialisation in smart grid technologies in the period 2016-2021.
• Comparison with Other Regions:
  • Europe as a region shows a clear specialisation in smart grid technologies, despite not being the largest producer of IPFs in the sector.
  • Japan, United States, and China have lower RTA values, suggesting they are not as specialised in smart grid innovation as Europe and other regions.
• Technology-Specific RTA:
  • Korea was the most specialised in "Systems supporting electrical power generation, transmission or distribution" in the period 2016-2021.
  • Switzerland was the most specialised in "Complementary innovations supporting the digitalisation of the power sector" in the same period.

Assessing Patent Quality

• Patent Claims:
  • Patent claims have increased since 2009, indicating a rise in the market value of smart grid inventions.
• Originality:
  • Originality metrics suggest that recent smart grid inventions are more novel and valuable.
• Backward Citations:
  • Backward citations are used to assess the impact and innovation value of patents, showing that recent smart grid inventions are more impactful.
• Family Size:
  • Family size has decreased in recent years, suggesting that inventors are protecting their innovations in fewer jurisdictions, possibly due to the rise of open-source solutions.

Key Findings

• Smart grid technologies are crucial for managing the increased complexity of modern power systems and enabling the clean energy transition.
• East Asia has become the dominant region in smart grid innovation, surpassing Europe and North America.
• Concentrated Innovation: A significant portion of smart grid innovation is geographically concentrated in a few major cities.
• Patent Quality: Despite a decline in the number of patents, the quality of smart grid inventions has improved, as evidenced by higher patent claims, originality, and backward citations.
• Future Outlook: Smart grid investment needs to more than double by 2030 to align with the Net Zero by 2050 Scenario, reaching from USD 300 billion/year to USD 600 billion/year.

Conclusion

This report underscores the importance of smart grid technologies in the global energy transition and highlights the need for continued investment and innovation. It also identifies key regions and cities driving smart grid development and provides insights into the specialisation and quality of smart grid inventions across the world.