This project report follows the process of identifying what is meant by the term smart grid and the discrete features of a smart grid that can be measured. A model was developed to measure the individual benefits to determine where the key value areas lie.

The same approach could be applied to any other city seeking to understand the smart grid potential from a consumers’ benefit perspective. There is no single blue-print for a smart grid and this report has drawn on international experiences to identify the meaning of smart grid and the application to the Christchurch circumstance.