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 →
consumption
A $3.1 million solar array is up and running at Naval Air Station Kingsville. The array is expected to offset the base’s consumption of conventional energy by 2.5 percent and is part of the Navy’s push to provide 50 percent of its energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2020, spokesman Jon Gagné said. At current Continue reading →
Smart meters and other advanced technologies are helping one of Britain’s top 10 energy-users to make a significant dent in its power consumption and bills. Communications service giant BT says it’s set to shave £13 million a year off its energy bills, as well as cut its carbon footprint by 5 percent, thanks to a combination Continue reading →
Trilliant, a smart grid communications provider, announced the availability of the Trilliant Consumer-Engagement Solutions. “Engaging customers in their energy consumption is one of the most critical benefits of a smart grid,” said Rob Conant, chief marketing officer for Trilliant, in a release. via Trilliant Debuts Consumer-Engagement Solutions – Utility Products Magazine.
SmartCo, a consortium of electricity lines companies, has confirmed plans to install 500,000 “smart” electricity meters “from North Cape to Bluff” over the next three years at an expected cost of $200 million to $250m. The meters will remotely monitor electricity consumption. via Plans to install 500,000 smart electricity meters | Stuff.co.nz.
Humans have used biomass for fuel ever since harnessing the ability to light fires. In the early 1800s, before the advent of modern energy systems (oil, gas, coal, hydro and nuclear), a majority of all primary energy consumption was derived from biomass. Although traditional biomass products like ?rewood, charcoal, manure and crop residues still provide Continue reading →
The spooky season is upon us, and there may be something scary lurking in your home, siphoning away household energy and haunting your bank account. According to StandbyPower.gov, a phenomenon known as “vampire power” accounts for nearly 10% of the electricity consumption in American homes. Luckily, there are connected devices that can stop vampire power Continue reading →
OnStream’s innovative and wirelessly connected smart meters enable consumers to have more control over their energy consumption and supports the benefits of smart grids. OnStream, a National Grid company, provides gas and electricity metering solutions across the UK. The company’s new mobile communications-based meters enable low levels of power consumption and include the ability to communicate Continue reading →
Smart meters to boost energy efficiency in homes do not automatically achieve a significant reduction in energy demand, a research showed, according to Reuters. Smart meters record energy or water consumption and send the readings back to the utility for monitoring and billing. via Smart meters alone may not save much energy.
Any smart grid is a telecommunications network for the utility and the communities it serves. 4G technologies provide any power utility with the most cost effective technology in monitoring the grid from power production to power consumption. Not only will a 4G smart grid read meters, they will also provide a range of cost saving Continue reading →
The EU member states have passed a resolution requiring one-fifth of their electricity needs to be derived from renewable energy sources by 2020, with wind farms covering a large part of this requirement. Researchers have succeeded in interconnecting large wind farms in clusters. The future belongs to renewable energies. Wind energy is one of the Continue reading →
Calgary power provider Enmax Corp. will work with tech giant Cisco to create a “Smart Grid” system that has the potential to significantly reduce electricity consumption in the city, officials said this morning. Enmax and Cisco will develop the system, which will be designed to automatically manage the power usage of industrial and commercial customers, Continue reading →
British Gas, the major electrical and gas utility in the United Kingdom, has decided to go with Landis+Gyr to build the 1 million smart meters it plans to deploy throughout its coverage area. This is a big victory for the Swiss meter maker, which is racing against American contenders like Itron and Echelon. Landis+Gyr builds Continue reading →
“Smart Grid” fulfills a comprehensive vision to improve the reliability, efficiency, and security of the electric network. The current grid (or network) becomes “smart” when the conventional electric system is augmented with communications infrastructure, data management, automation, and control technologies that provide for improved management of power production, distribution, and consumption by power producers, distributors, Continue reading →
At age 83, Charles Beamon would appear to be an unlikely pioneer in solving America’s energy problems. But the Vance Road homeowner is among the first in Chattanooga with a so-called smart electric meter that gives him and his power provider — Chattanooga’s EPB — continuous feedback on his home’s energy consumption. Mr. Beamon says Continue reading →
Country Energy has foreshadowed a significant body of work ahead between the electricity sector and the Government to work through overlaps between smart grids and the national broadband network. The utility’s general manager for strategy, Ben Hamilton, told an Australian Information Industry Association lunch today that connectivity alternatives for Country Energy’s intelligent network project had Continue reading →
A fight over control of the home (and office) seems to be taking shape. As time goes on, the world will likely see competition between companies like Tendril and Adura Technologies that make hardware and software for controlling power in buildings, and demand response service providers like Comverge (COMV) and EnerNoc (ENOC), which have independent Continue reading →
As electricity consumption reaches record highs, utility companies and governments are searching for eco-friendly alternatives to the energy crisis. Smart meters can provide real-time readings of energy use, providing more detailed information than conventional meters. Many energy companies throughout North America and Europe are in the process of replacing manual meter readings with these instant, Continue reading →
Google’s PowerMeter What it does: PowerMeter will take data from smart meters and process it into the PowerMeter interface, enabling consumers to see their energy consumption over time. Since smart meters are being rolled out by utilities, the tool will largely rely on utility deals. But Google has also said it is looking at ways Continue reading →
