Countries around the world are moving forward with projects to build smart grids, for some as part of efforts to realize low-carbon societies, for others in tandem with infrastructure development vis-à-vis rapid economic growth. In addition, the focus of projects has shifted recently from a narrow definition of smart grids centering on power supply to a broader concept of smart communities or smart cities that offer total solutions for whole regions by creating intelligent infrastructure and urban environments. Some analysts are predicting that smart city market scale, currently estimated at ¥50 trillion (about US$ 624 billion), will grow to ¥180 trillion (US$ 2,245 billion) by 2020.