Nest, the “apple offspring” smart thermostat company has added variable tariffs to its control algorithm for the HVAC control. A typical control cycle is indicated below. The original blog from the NEST site is also referred below. Wonders how some apply mystery fizzle can turn boring tech into cool gadgets. Or is it good marketing, or Continue reading →
TXU Energy is not at all shy about claiming to do more than any other power provider in Texas to educate consumers on energy use and help them get rid of wasteful habits. Maybe the company is right. Customers can choose from a broad variety of products, plans and services to help them save money Continue reading →
A second administration of President Barack Obama will be forced to revisit the issue of subsidies for renewable energy and, with it, those for electric vehicles. Despite the millions of dollars spent on government incentives, marketing and promotion, sales of fully electric cars are well below projected targets. Investment in vehicle charging infrastructure also has Continue reading →
Over the years, many articles regarding the ASHRAE-135 BACnet International standard have appeared, featuring everything from its advantages, success stories, and comparison with the LonTalk protocol, to the latest products that are compliant with the protocol standard tested by BACnet International. But beyond all the marketing hype for new products, where are we really with Continue reading →
Gary in Sales is today’s worst offender, again. He’s clocked up 2.3 kilowatt hours (kWh) this time, a personal worst. He never switches off his PC before he leaves work, and keeps a personal kettle. More surprising is that Sue in marketing is not far behind him at 2.1kWh. But then she been known to Continue reading →
Smart grid advocates have done a decent job of developing and deploying innovative new technologies in a short period of time. They also have done a relatively good job marketing those technologies. Where they have fallen short, however, is in selling the whole smart grid package to utilities, customers, regulators, and policymakers. Many are still Continue reading →
The world of infiltrating and attacking the world’s critical cyber-infrastructure has its hacks and its copycats — as well as its true artists. The former can be guarded against by defenses baked into the world’s critical IT environments, like Wall Street or the Department of Defense. The latter are a lot harder to catch. That’s Continue reading →
The Nikkei reports that Fuji Electric Co. is marketing a fuel cell power plant that can run on either city gas (predominantly methane) or propane. This is to allow the unit to operate as a reliable power supply for hospitals, even if the supply of gas from the grid is interrupted. Switching from one gas Continue reading →
Texas Instruments strengthened its commitment to the smart meter market this week with its first integrated e-metering product that it claims offers the lowest power. Designed for power monitoring and control of smart e-meters, TI’s latest line of analog front ends delivers 2 milliwatts per channel, which is “about a little over a third less Continue reading →
Utilities are accumulating an abundance of data from smart grids, but most are failing to process it. A sensible solution is to make data publicly available so that entrepreneurs can put it to good use. Oracle conducted a survey on how well U.S. utilities are leveraging smart grid data and published its results this week. Continue reading →
SHIPMENTS of Bluetooth-enabled equipment will double by 2015, driven by the Bluetooth 4.0 low-energy standard, claims IC Insights. According to IC Insights, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has expanded its marketing campaign to start a second major wave of growth in Bluetooth low-energy (BLE)-based wireless personal area networks (PANs) serving healthcare, smart energy, home Continue reading →
Installations of solar systems that generate electricity are coming down in price due to materials innovations and manufacturing efficiencies. But it’s been a challenge to wring costs from the part of the value chain that is focused on business origination – identifying and marketing to qualified opportunities, conducting site assessments and system design, and financing Continue reading →
FreeWave Technologies has announced that its I/O Expansion Module has received a SmartGrid 2011 Product of the Year Award from TMC and Crossfire Media. FreeWave Technologies chief marketing officer Ashish Sharma says, “We are honored to accept the 2011 Smart Grid Product of the Year Award from TMC and CrossFire Media. Our I/O Expansion Modules Continue reading →
As the interest in smart city technology increases, so will its worth in the coming years. According to a new report from Marketsandmarkets, a marketing research company, the global smart cities market is expected to top $1 trillion by 2016. Currently, the report estimates the value of the smart cities market at $526.3 billion, with a Continue reading →
FreeWave Technologies has announced that its wireless I/O radios are enabling real-time automated monitoring and control of circuit breaker technology in Smart Grid systems. FreeWave Technologies chief marketing officer Ashish Sharma, “We are finding new exciting uses for our wireless I/O radios across multiple industries. For example, utility operators and technicians at electric power plants Continue reading →
Once seemingly distant from consumers, utilities are now fighting for customers’ attention and developing business models to improve engagement. Increasingly aware that they need customers on their side to deploy smart meters and other infrastructural upgrades, utilities are expanding their marketing programs, signaling a fundamental shift in the way utilities have traditionally done business. Despite Continue reading →
RGS Energy, the commercial division of Real Goods Solar, a solar systems installer, and Smart Energy Capital, a developer of solar energy projects, announced they have formed a partnership called RGS Energy Capital that will provide development, financing and installation for commercial solar projects. With access to about $150 million in capital from multiple project Continue reading →
Trilliant, a global smart grid communications leader in delivering solutions that enhance energy efficiency, utility operations, and renewable resource integration, will participate at the 2012 MIT Energy Conference. Sonita Lontoh, head of corporate marketing, will lead a workshop discussion on technology commercialization and present Trilliant’s important view on global smart grid platform at the Friday Continue reading →
Software company Opower thinks it can get consumers to use less electricity by instigating some friendly neighborhood competition. It was late afternoon at Opower headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, but the energy start-up’s hive mind was thrumming steadily. “Let’s take a walk,” said Marc Laitin, senior director of consumer marketing. “I think best when I’m moving.” Continue reading →
