Smart Grid Blog

Google Ventures said it will invest $100 million per year into startups, angling to make a profit. The 10 startups in the Google Ventures portfolio include: Pixazza, which converts static images into interactive content; smart grid technology maker Silver Spring Networks; publishing tool VigLink; life sciences outfit Adimab; language learning platform English Central; analytics search engine Recorded Future; location-based mobile game specialist SCVNGR; ad network OpenCandy; car maker V-Vehicle; and mobile payment provider Cordura.

via Google Ventures to Invest $100M Per Year in Startups – Search Engines from eWeek.

The Texas A&M University College of Architecture today announced the formation of a new six-month research consortium beginning May 1, 2010 to help electric cooperatives, municipal and other public utilities evaluate the business case for smart grid investments.

Electric smart grids, which can provide integrated communication, automation and control of the entire electric system from generating plants to the operation of electric equipment inside homes, commercial buildings and industrial plants, can reduce utility customer costs by reducing expensive peak hour electricity use. However, smart grid investments are expensive, often requiring large up-front costs that can take a number of years to recover.

via Texas A&M Research Consortium to Develop Smart Grid Business Models for Electric Coops, Municipal… — COLLEGE STATION, Texas, April 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –.

A few years ago, the news was that China was adding two new coal plants a week to its energy grid. Last year the narrative shifted: China was erecting wind turbines at the rate of one turbine a week.

In 2010, yet another narrative is at work: China, Japan and South Korea are pouring lots of money into research and development of green technologies (not that China has abandoned coal, which provides about 80 percent of its electricity). Because of these strategic investments, China is positioned to emerge as a global green tech leader, gaining first-mover advantage and diminishing the United States’ chances of capitalizing on green manufacturing jobs and the fruits of technological innovation.

via Questions and Answers With Energy Guru Teryn Norris | Smart Journalism. Real Solutions. | Miller-McCune Online Magazine.

The U.S. is expected to put more stimulus money into the smart grid than any other nation, except for China, which is slated to spend about $7.3 billion in 2010.

via China Barely Tops U.S. in Smart Grid Stimulus Spending · Environmental Leader · Green Business, Sustainable Business, and Green Strategy News for Corporate Sustainability Executives.

Back in October during our smart grid webinar, we referenced a report on the smart grid from Pike Research that had some pretty massive global figures. Well, this morning Pike has officially launched that report which says the smart grid market will bring in $200 billion in worldwide investment between 2008 and 2015. Out of that total investment, annual smart grid global revenues will grow to $35 billion in 2013 from about $10 billion in 2009.

via Smart Grid Will Generate $200B of Global Investment | Clean Energy Sector.

Amid historic volatility in energy prices and heightened concern about energy security and climate change, energy management and energy efficiency are hot topics. Tens of millions of smart electric meters are slated for deployment in the next few years. And billions of dollars of funds from the U.S. government are flowing to support smart grid investments and energy efficiency initiatives.

via Market Drivers for Home Energy Management.

The amount of money invested in the Smart Grid is expected to grow fivefold over the next 20 years. That’s according to Rob Wilhite, senior vice president of global energy and utility consulting firm KEMA, Inc. Wilhite’s comments about Smart Grid investment were based on KEMA research and came in a keynote address at the 16th annual Innovations conference hosted by Apogee International.

In a second keynote, Jeff Conklin, of J.D. Power and Associates, reported that customer satisfaction for utilities jumped in the past year, according to his company’s 2009 survey. Conklin discussed reasons for the improvement, chief among which were utilities providing energy conservation and online bill payment to customers.

via Smart Grid: Smart Grid Investment to Quintuple in Next Two Decades.

Today in the first keynote address to the Apogee INNOVATIONS 2009 conference in Atlanta, KEMA senior vice president Rob Wilhite reported smart grid investments are expected to increase more than five times current levels over the next two decades, according to research conducted by the global energy and utility consulting firm KEMA, Inc. KEMA represents some of the largest global AMI clients and smart grid efforts in the world.

Apogee Interactive hosts INNOVATIONS each year for utility professionals to deliver the latest industry news, online energy efficiency applications and Web-based utility customer communications initiatives. Wilhite set the stage with his analysis of the industry opportunities and barriers for full scale deployment of the smart grid, and the need for smarter messaging to consumers.

J.D. Power and Associates’ Jeff Conklin followed Wilhite in the second keynote with a look at the drivers behind the utility industry’s jump in customer satisfaction this year, according to J.D. Power’s 2009 customer satisfaction study. One of the key findings of the study was that utilities providing energy conservation information and online bill payment to consumers through their websites earned higher satisfaction scores.

via Experts Present Smart Grid Vision and Keys to Utility Customer Satisfaction at Apogee Conference.