Electricity grid patents surge with AI solutions review finds
Image: Enel Grids
Grid related patenting has grown seven fold over the last 20 years with the largest growth in the period 2009-2013, a new study from the European Patents Office and IEA has found.
That growth period, averaging 30% annually, is attributed to a period of intense industrial interest in a new suite of smart grid technologies, driven by the creation of policy driven markets and standards for smart meters and electric vehicles, as well as the prospect of the swifter deployment of renewable energies.
However, while the growth has continued more recently but at a slower rate it is now being driven by grid-related AI patenting, which has grown by over 500% in the five years to 2022 and is now the most active area of patenting among enabling digital technologies.
Conversely, patenting for other enabling technologies, such as data management platforms, cloud, security and data transport, has remained steady or declined.
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The transformative role of AI in electricity grids
In terms of geographies, the growth has occurred mostly in Europe, Japan and the US. However, steady progress in China has led to it gradually emerging as the new global engine of electricity grid patent growth. Its shares rose from 7% of the global total in 2013 to 25% in 2022, overtaking the EU in that year, becoming the world’s top patenting region in this technology area for the first time.
Commenting on the findings, IEA executive director Fatih Birol said that inadequate electricity grids are a barrier to economic activity and energy access while also making deployment of clean energy technologies more costly and complex.
“This study shows that innovators are responding to the need for more competitive and flexible grid technologies, an issue that is too often overlooked. The data show encouraging growth in innovations to expand and maintain critical network infrastructure. This growth is now led by China, raising the competitive stakes for other regions.”
Patent applicants and technologies
The study ‘Patents for enhanced electricity grids‘, found that Siemens, ABB and General Electric lead the ranking of electricity grid patent applicants – testament to their strengths in physical grid technologies in particular, it notes.
However, they face strong Asian competitors when it comes to innovation in smart grids, among them Panasonic, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric.
Notably also one-third of startups in electricity grid technologies hold a patent application, which is higher than in other technology areas. These startups are mostly located in Europe and the US.
The study also found that while a great deal of attention is given to innovations helping customers control electricity demand, in particular around EV charging, the largest smart grid patenting areas relate to control of larger grid-scale assets, with the most patents for fault detection, inverter control and energy generation control.
Similarly for AI-related smart grid technologies, the largest patent areas are forecast and detection, microgrids and outage and fault management.
EPO president António Campinos said the study offers a unique view of patenting trends, serving as a map for the transition to a new energy system.
“As emphasised in Mario Draghi’s recent report, to secure its economic competitiveness, Europe must take the lead in new clean technologies and accelerate the energy transition away from fossil fuels. Significant progress has already been made, highlighting the urgency of investing in smarter, more flexible electricity networks to balance growing power demand with variable energy sources.”
Overall the report indicates innovation in electricity infrastructure as one of the fastest growing technology fields in the world today. For example, in the 2009-2013 growth period, the innovation in electricity grids grew seven times faster than the average for all other technology fields.
Now while momentum is gradually stabilising, new applications nevertheless remain at a consistently high level in most major regions, the report states.
