Honeywell, one of the world’s largest thermostat makers, tells me that twenty years ago it tested out thermostats that can learn the home owner’s behavior and adapt the heating and cooling accordingly, but ultimately decided that consumers didn’t take to them, and would rather control their thermostat themselves. I asked Honeywell’s President of its Environmental Continue reading →
consumers
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, data is being captured from people and inanimate objects, from individual points and across complex systems. The availability of this data presents opportunities and challenges for organizations that collect and manage it. Data captured by sensing and computing technologies can reveal everything from large and systemic patterns to very Continue reading →
Have you heard the term smart grid? If you answered yes, you are among the 49 percent of American consumers who are at least a little bit familiar with the term. Now comes a bit harder question: Can you explain what the term means? If you said no, you are hardly alone. According to findings Continue reading →
A new survey indicates that Gen Y consumers—a.k.a., Millenials, those born roughly between 1982 and 1993—are more interested in hybrids and electric cars than they are in traditional, gas-powered automobiles. The problem, from the automaker’s point of view, is that thus far consumers in this age demographic haven’t shown nearly as much interest in cars Continue reading →
The Consumer Electronics Show is partly a playground for inventors and partly a glimpse into what technologies consumers will actually adopt in the next few years. Into the first category fall gyro-stabilized electric unicycles, a human-powered hydrofoil and 3-D pet portraits. It seems that home energy management, on the other hand, has finally landed in Continue reading →
Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck today is set to announce that the company’s cloud platform now provides native support for “Green Button” data—consumers’ energy usage data provided in a simple, common, electronic format. Utilities and energy service providers can use the Tendril Connect™ platform to generate Green Button data easily and securely for their consumers. Application Continue reading →
This week I was with U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra when he announced huge progress on the White House Green Button initiative. All three major California utilities (Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison) have gone live with green button on their websites. Here’s how it works: After Continue reading →
Two new approaches to help consumers save energy surfaced this week. GE Appliances and Georgia-based Flint Energies have embarked on a pilot program to get a handle on the potential for smart appliances to save consumers money and reduce peak loads when coupled with peak time rebates. And Colorado’s Simple Energy is taking its online Continue reading →
Allure Energy, Inc. introduced their exciting new product, EverSense, at CES Unveiled in Las Vegas on January 8, 2012. EverSense™, a home environment and energy management product, features not only Allure’s patented Proximity Control technology with privacy protection, but also streaming music, energy-saving video tips, photo viewing and weather updates. Available for sale directly to Continue reading →
The home laundry room goes hi-tech…Samsung has introduced its new WiFi-enabled WF457 washer and dryer at this week’s CES in Las Vegas. The washer’s Smart Control system allows consumers to stay connected to the washer cycle without having to remain in close proximity to the machine. Consumers can monitor and control the machine’s operation via Continue reading →
The HomePlug(R) Powerline Alliance ( www.homeplug.org ), the world’s leading industry group for powerline networking, today announced the availability of the HomePlug AV2 specification. This new HomePlug technology enables significant performance and coverage for broadband networking over powerline wires while remaining fully interoperable with existing HomePlug AV / IEEE 1901 compliant products used in millions Continue reading →
POWRtec International, an energy monitoring company based in California, has released a statement on the current developments in smart energy meter-compatible home appliances. Smart energy meters are intelligent devices that are advantageous to both consumers as well as energy companies. They also benefit the environment. The devices facilitate residential consumers to control their usage of Continue reading →
The concept of the smart grid continues to mystify both utilities and consumers alike. Is it cost-effective? What is the best method for deployment? Is the public ready for it? Do we actually need it? via Can We Achieve a “Smart Home” Future? | Renewable Energy World North America Magazine Article.
“In-Home Displays for Energy Management – Market Analysis and Forecasts to 2020” provides an insight into the global market for In-Home Displays (IHD). The report provides information related to the past deployment trends and the outlook for IHDs in key countries such as including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Continue reading →
This is the second article in a series examining the debates around the Smart Grid raging inside what are often highly technical circles. The Smart Grid is going to influence almost every aspect of daily life. So it’s important to get a grip on the potentially controversial decisions that will be made over the next Continue reading →
Amsterdam has a leading example of the smart city ideal: transportation, distribution, utilities, consumers, water sources and renewables working together to create a cleaner, greener urban utopia. They’ve been working on this concept for years, bringing in researchers, utility experts, consultants and even the common man to contribute to the cause. via Smart city evolves Continue reading →
The smart grid is coming. But not from the direction everybody expected. Over the years, utilities have promised consumers savings of energy and cash from smart meters. These gadgets, which would be installed in every home and business, would let people monitor and control energy use much more closely. via Tech companies offer consumers new Continue reading →
he EU wants electricity distribution systems that can use more solar and wind energy. The tools to hand are a smart power grid and a range of financial “carrots”. via EU smart grid will help electricity consumers alter demand to match renewable energy production at Sustainable Guernsey.
Two years ago, the Smart Grid industry was debating the pros and cons of different displays to deliver electricity prices, rates of consumption, and current bill amounts. Unfortunately, no one really asked consumers what they preferred, but some visionary entrepreneurs began to eye their own smart phones and ask themselves if people really wanted to Continue reading →
A ZigBee-certified wireless water meter developed by Elster and Freestyle Technology is using ZigBee technology from Ember to help utilities and consumers better manage their water cost and usage. via Ember Enables ZigBee-certified Water Meter | ECN: Electronic Component News.
