Smart Grid Blog

Echelon Corporation (ELON 7.86, +0.35, +4.66%) today announced that it will host an energy efficiency and smart grid conference in Mumbai, India, August 25-26, 2010. The conference will address energy management technologies and strategies, economic and market drivers, regulatory developments and industry trends in energy efficiency and will provide best-practice case studies for implementing smart grids and energy management systems.

via Echelon to Host India Energy Efficiency Conference – MarketWatch.

Ben Franklin’s saying, “Out of adversity comes opportunity” seems to characterize the energy sector in US Northeast. Electricity rates are among the nation’s highest. Population density leaves scant room for new power plants and transmission lines.  And the region has little indigenous generation fuel.

So what’s the good news?

via Northeast US a smart energy testing ground | ElisaWood.

Green fervor, for both types of green — cash and environment — has spawned a crowd of smart grid and energy efficiency startups: some viable and successful, many undifferentiated, most doomed.

With more than $30 million in revenue, OPower easily falls into the viable category.  The startup, funded by New Enterprise Associates and MHS Capital, has created a new type of energy business with growing momentum.

via OPower Making Millions in Home Energy Efficiency : Greentech Media.

Based on strong customer demand, TXU Energy said it is targeting installation of 100,000 smart energy efficiency devices in homes and businesses throughout Texas by 2012.

In a release, the company said it established the new target as it announced a new multi-year purchase, installation and service agreement with Comverge, Inc.

via TXU Energy Sets Target to Install 100K Smart Energy Efficiency Devices in Texas | TradingMarkets.com.

Westerville City Council will delay final approval of a plan to purchase and install digital electronic meters – also called smart meters – until Sept. 7.

Citing public concerns about the proposal, Westerville City Council on July 20 postponed a third reading and vote on funding for the meters in order to give residents more time to learn about them.

City officials have touted the meters, which allow remote monitoring of electricity and water use, as energy-efficiency tools, but some residents have raised concerns about cost, privacy issues and how fast the plan has been moving toward approval.

via Final vote delayed on ‘smart meters’ | ThisWeek Community Newspapers.

Helping Texans better understand and manage their energy use is the drive behind energywisesm, a new section on Reliant Energy’s website. The site features information for all consumers on energy efficiency, smart energy products, smart grid technology and the company’s efforts to support a clean energy future.

“Whether they are a Reliant customer or not, our energywisesm site provides the tools and information to help Texans manage their energy use,” said Bill Clayton, Reliant’s vice president of customer care. “We offer a range of plans and services as well as innovative energy solutions. It’s just one more reason why you can rely on Reliant.”

via Reliant Energy Launches energywisesm Website – Yahoo! Finance.

“The basic structure of the present grid has changed little over its hundred-year history. The U.S. grid, which is operated by over 3100 electric utilities using equipment and systems from hundreds of suppliers, has historically not had much emphasis on standardization and thus incorporates many proprietary interfaces and technologies that result in the equivalents of stand-alone silos.

Transforming this infrastructure into an interoperable system capable of supporting the nation’s vision of extensive distributed and renewable resources, energy efficiency, improved reliability and electric transportation may well be described by future generations as the first great engineering achievement of the 21st century.”

via News on IEC 61850 and related Standards: NIST Smart Grid Architecture and Interoperability Standards – What has been accomplished?.

Georgia Power has petitioned the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to increase its base rates by a little more than eight percent of the company’s retail rates, to generate approximately $615 million, to recover the investment costs for cleaner generation sources, power lines, smart grid technologies, environmental controls, and energy efficiency programs to meet current and future customer demand. The proposed change in rates would be effective Jan. 1, 2011.

via Georgia Power Seeks Rate Hikes to Cover Smart Grid Costs.

John Doerr, the brilliant and hard-charging venture capitalist, has told me several times that clean tech is still awaiting its “Netscape moment.”

What he means, I think, is that  investors will get excited about start-up companies across a range of so-called clean technologies — solar, wind, biofuels, energy efficiency, green chemistry, lighting — when one of them has an attention-grabbing initial public offering like Netscape’s in 1995 which, by some accounts, set off the Internet investing craze.

via Awaiting clean tech’s “Netscape moment” | The Energy Collective.

As utilities seek out future energy sources on the grid, tapping thousands of home water heaters is becoming an increasingly attractive choice over building new power plants.

Efficiency, long considered the cheapest way to meet energy demand, is becoming one of the most important “fuels” for grid operators, according to utility executives. Whether driven by regulators or rising energy costs, shaving electricity use of appliances or plug-in electric vehicles through smart-grid technologies is a key piece of the industry's long-term game plan, they said at the Kema Utility of the Future conference here last week.

via Utilities look inside the home to fuel the grid | Green Tech – CNET News.

Smart homes and smart grids are coming, with big players scrambling to meet increasing consumer demand for easy-to-use energy efficiency tools at home. Everyone, it seems, wants to be the first to sell your local utility company on their new energy management system, and the latest is GreenWave Reality.

GreenWave’s energy management platform is built around open-standard Internet Protocol-based communications for long-term compatibility with other sensors and systems and was designed for easy consumer set-up, making use of a patent-pending technology that assists in identifying appliances.

via GreenWave Reality Introduces Smart Grid Tech for Utilities | EarthTechling.

Reporter’s Notebook, Helsinki — The Midnight Sun. That’s not just an expression, I’ve learned.

This week, I’m in Finland talking to entrepreneurs, engineers and government officials about the country’s attempt to build its green industry. Although a relatively small country in terms of population, the emphasis the nation has placed on energy efficiency over the last several decades has made it something of a living lab on the subject.

via Finland’s Bid for Green Glory : Greentech Media.

More than 60 million U.S. homeowners, by simply typing in their address, can now see how their energy efficiency compares with others in their neighborhood or state.

Microsoft Hohm, a free online service that gives tips on how to boost home efficiency, announced Wednesday a new feature that scores homes nationwide. Its estimates are based on public information about a home’s size, age and location and other data on an area’s typical weather and utility bills.

via Are You an Energy Hog or Miser? Microsoft Hohm Will Tell You | Impact Lab.

IBM has announced it is working with energy consultant Hildebrand, who’s monitoring system enables real-time analysis of electricity usage.

Hildebrand received EU funding for a 30-month research project to enable stakeholders from local authorities, private businesses and universities to study energy monitoring and its effect on human behaviour.  The idea is that through real-time analysis of electricity usage, even down to individual appliances, people will be able to make better decisions about energy efficiency in the home and minimize their environmental impact.

via IBM teams with Hildebrand to prove household power monitoring reduces energy use | Answer My Query.

The growth of energy efficiency has been hamstrung by its relative transparency, its invisible nature. Is it real? Does it work? A recent GreenerBuildings post authored by Evan Smith, Kickstarting the Green Economy with Building Energy Efficiency, lends credence — $50 billion worth — to the immediate and perpetual efficacy of energy efficiency.

via SmartEnergyWorks: $50 billion reasons energy efficiency works.

Energy efficiency obtained through the implementation of active energy monitoring and the pervasive use of a Smart Grid will save on costs and help the environment.

The retail sector, as well as other business enterprises and entities, are implementing smart grid projects in an effort to save on energy costs, move towards energy independence and become a positive influence on the environment by reducing harmful greenhouse gases that lead to global warming.

via Smart Grid Projects for Smart Energy Management.

Just like a few other nations on the fast track of development, China has also been under the scanner of world’s environment watchdog. GE is helping in this Chinese city’s evolution into a world destination for energy efficiency, reliability and sustainability. GE has been a key player in the implementation of the project of Yangzhou’s state-of-the-art Smart Grid Demonstration Center. With the entire world recognizing smart grid technologies as a way to reduce carbon footprint, the center at Yangzhou is designed to serve as a model of smart grid success for utilities across China.

via Yangzhou, China Opens Smart Grid Center.

EU energy efficiency legislation for buildings and the new layout of the EU energy efficiency label were approved by the Industry Committee on Wednesday. These measures – which come in addition to the EU’s 2008 climate change package – were agreed with the Council last year and are to be put to a final vote by the full Parliament in May.

The energy efficiency legislation aims to help consumers to cut their energy bills and the EU as a whole to hit its climate change target of using 20% less energy by 2020. Member States’ building codes will require all new buildings to have near-zero energy consumption and boilers and air conditioning systems will have to be inspected regularly. Mandatory labels for household appliances and energy-saving products will help consumers to assess running costs.

via Energy efficiency: Industry Committee votes to curb consumption .

Less carrot and more stick is the driving factor that may compel many U.S. manufacturing firms to mind their carbon footprint and more, according to a new report from AMR Research and software giant SAP.

The survey of 189 companies in both energy-intensive and non-energy-intensive industries paints a slightly different picture than a recent Johnson Controls study of more than 1,400 companies as to what is pushing companies towards energy and carbon efficiency.

via Sustainability Gets Sophisticated : Greentech Media.

GE is working with the city of Yangzhou, China, to become a worldwide destination for energy efficiency, reliability and sustainability by supporting the grand opening of Yangzhou’s state-of-the-art Smart Grid Demonstration Center. With worldwide adoption of smart grid technologies growing as a way to ensure adequate clean, affordable energy, solutions showcased at the center will serve as a model of smart grid success for utilities across China.

via GE opens Yangzhou Smart Grid Demonstration Center in China – Utility Automation/Electric Light & Power.