The power industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by rising energy demand, renewable integration, and the need for grid stability and resilience, and growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. In the last three years alone, there have been over 656,000 patents filed and granted in the power industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Cloud in power: power distribution network simulation. Buy the report here.
Smarter leaders trust GlobalData
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 70,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the power industry, there are 40+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Power distribution network simulation is a key innovation area in cloud
Power distribution network simulation is a technique used to help in the engineering of flow of electricity. It is primarily used to control and monitor power supply, detect faults, and calculate power flow. In addition to the management and planning of the power system, modelling of the generation, transmission, and distribution systems are also included. The simulation is performed to forecast how the power system will behave under various circumstances, which helps to improve and optimize the system’s functionality.
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 160+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established power companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of power distribution network simulation.
Key players in power distribution network simulation – a disruptive innovation in the power industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to power distribution network simulation
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| State Grid Corporation of China | 924 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Southern Power Grid Co Ltd | 288 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NARI Technology Co Ltd | 69 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid Information and Telecommunication Co Ltd | 63 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NARI Group Corp | 39 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company | 36 | Unlock Company Profile |
| General Electric Co | 35 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Siemens AG | 31 | Unlock Company Profile |
| LS Electric Co Ltd | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ABB Ltd | 29 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Schneider Electric SE | 27 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Uni-President Enterprises Corp | 26 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Clean Power Research LLC | 25 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China General Nuclear Power Corp | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| International Business Machines Corp | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hitachi Ltd | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Beijing Kedong Electric Control System Co., Ltd. | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid NARI Nanjing Control System Co Ltd | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Korea Electric Power Corp | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid Jibei Electric Power Co Ltd | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid Hebei Electric Power Supply Co Ltd | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hangzhou Power Supply Company State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co Ltd | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shoreline AS | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corp | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Vestas Wind Systems AS | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toshiba Corp | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Huaneng Group Technology Innovation Center Co Ltd | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nanjing Nanrui Group Company | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| WaveTech Global Inc. | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Huaneng Group Co Ltd | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nanjing Nari-Relays Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Qingdao Power Supply Company Of State Grid Shandong Electric Power Company | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nari Relays Electric Co Ltd | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Jiangsu Fangtian Power Technology Co Ltd | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Electric Group Corp | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Global Foundries Inc | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| EDSA Micro Corporation | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ConocoPhillips | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| SAP SE | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| IMEC, VZW | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nanjing Nari Information Communication Technology Co Ltd | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shenzhen Power Supply Bureau Co | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid Energy Saving Service Ltd | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Energy Engineering Group Co Ltd | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Rothermere Continuation Limited | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Foshan Power Supply Bureau Guangdong Power Grid Corporation | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhuhai Power Supply Bureau Guangdong Power Grid Co Ltd | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| X Development LLC | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Xuji Electric Co Ltd | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) is one of the leading patent filers in power distribution network simulation. The company’s core business includes the construction and operation of power grids. SGCC focuses on research and development of ultra-high-voltage (UHV) transmission and smart grid technologies. It owns proprietary intellectual property rights and promotes the export of technology and related equipment. It also operates large-scale commercial UHV projects. SGCC supplies power to municipalities, provinces, and autonomous regions, servicing most of the territory in China. Some other key patent filers in this space include China Southern Power Grid, NARI Technology, and State Grid Information and Telecommunication.
In terms of application diversity, Shoreline leads the pack, while ConocoPhillips and Zhao Yong Enterprise stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Shoreline held the top position, followed by Mitsubishi Electric and LS Electric.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the power industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cloud Computing in Power.
Premium Insights
From
The gold standard of business intelligence.
Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.
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.
