We’re at a juncture in the smart grid market where utilities are moving beyond the expected and taking next steps with advanced technologies – from the flywheel systems protecting Austin Energy’s new control center to SAIC’s “Smart Grid as a Service” that supports critical energy management systems in remote Alaskan villages. We’ve compiled these seven Continue reading →
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The California Energy Commission has awarded nearly $2 million to two state universities for separate research projects meant to create smart grid jobs and help build sustainable communities. The UCLA and Sacramento State are the recipients of the funding from the commission’s Public Interest Energy Research program UCLA is getting the lion’s share of these recently Continue reading →
China, the world’s biggest producer of solar panels, cut subsidies for demonstration sun-power projects approved in 2011 and this year after the cost of components declined. The government reduced the subsidy for projects approved last year by 11 percent to 8 yuan ($1.3) a watt, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement yesterday. It Continue reading →
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) accelerated approach for approving funding of smart grid projects led to inadequate review of cybersecurity plans, warned the DOE’s Inspector General (IG). In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, DOE received $3.5 billion to fund smart grid projects, which the department awarded to 99 recipients. via Infosecurity – Continue reading →
Duke Energy Renewables, Integrys Energy Services and Smart Energy Capital have completed two ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems for the Central Regional School District in New Jersey, US. The PV solar arrays at Central Regional Middle School and Central Regional High School can collectively produce about 1.5MW (DC) of zero-emission electricity. via Duke, Integrys, Smart Energy Continue reading →
Southwestern Electric Power Co. has signed long-term agreements to purchase power from wind projects as a way to meet a renewable energy commitment it made in a recent legal settlement over a coal-fired power plant in southwestern Arkansas. via Wind power bought as part of pact over Ark. plant | Washington Examiner.
Dire predictions abound for U.S. wind power development if a federal production tax credit dies as scheduled at the end of this year, but projects already in the works appear to retain solid investment appeal. Sempra Energy sure seems to think so. The sprawling California energy company said it is jumping in with BP on Continue reading →
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. recently signed an agreement to expand a state and federal partnership that has, over the last two years, paved the way for more than a dozen utility-scale solar energy projects and more than 130 renewable power projects in California. These projects, which underwent Continue reading →
If you get the feeling everyone but you is in San Antonio at DistribuTECH this week, look at it this way: You don’t have to deal with lines at the airport and living out of a suitcase, but you can still keep up on the latest announcements from smart grid companies by scrolling down and then Continue reading →
SheerWind is a Chaska, Minnesota-based start-up with a wind power generator concept that looks nothing like any wind turbine you have ever seen. The venture’s “Invelox” technology recently won the 2011 CleanTech Open’s Sustainability Award for the North Central Region. SheerWind’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Daryoush Allaei, has 25 years of research and development experience, including leading projects Continue reading →
Warren Buffett’s utility company MidAmerican Energy is continuing its big alternative energy push by buying an 81-megawatt wind energy project from Invenergy Wind. After buying into two big solar projects being built by First Solar(FSLR_) in December, Berkshire Hathaway’s(BRK.B_) MidAmerican Energy is increasing its wind energy portfolio — an area in which it is already Continue reading →
Millions of Americans are about to change their electricity consumption as power companies build the smart grid projects they’ve been talking about for the past few years. One place to look for inspiration is Oklahoma, and its leading power producer. via In Oklahoma, a Utility’s Smart Grid Leads the Way – Business – GOOD.
Smart grid projects are moving swiftly across Europe to meet the mandate that 80 percent of European households have meters by 2020. Just how many meters is that? GTM Research forecasts an additional 100 million smart meters between now and the end of 2016. via 100 Million Meters Coming to Europe by 2016 : Greentech Continue reading →
Massachusetts-based A123 Systems for the second time in a month announced plans to provide its advanced nanophosphate lithium ion batteries to help stabilize Maui’s power grid as fluctuating clean energy sources – and expensive renewable energy experiments and projects – become more common. via Battery system aims to offer stable clean energy – Mauinews.com | Continue reading →
Hawaii has a lot going for it; near-perfect weather, postcard views, not to mention the Aloha spirit. Hawaii also boasts of some of the most aggressive clean energy goals in the world, and with at least 66 renewable energy projects in various stages of development, this state is fast becoming a major player in the Continue reading →
Talk about the promise of a Smart Grid has exploded. While progress has been solid, it is also incremental, with projects spreading across clusters of markets and communities at different levels of sophistication. While President Obama’s Grid 21 and Better Buildings Initiative prove this issue is being taken seriously, the wildfire spread of the discussion Continue reading →
Pacific Gas & Electric has released a host of news in the last month that helps explain how a multi-tiered smart grid approach adds up to ever-increasing benefits in terms of one key function: finding and restoring power outages. Consider it one angle for examining how distribution grid automation and management is emerging as the Continue reading →
PG&E plans to start testing home energy gadgets and software starting in March 2012 with a small group of customers, according to plans the utility unveiled details of this week. PG&E plans to work with its smart grid network provider, Silver Spring Networks, for the software part of its home energy trial. For the initial Continue reading →
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides an easy-to-use smart grid project inventory in the form of an interactive map, intended to make it easier to track and share research project results. All it takes is a couple of clicks on the map, which shows more than 200 project locations coded by type of Continue reading →
Last week we reported on Silver Spring Networks’ Maui smart grid project, including its plans to add solar power to its list of smart grid link-ups. Looks like those plans are coming true — and you can add Oklahoma to the list. Utilities in both states are asking Silver Spring, inverter maker Fronius and solar Continue reading →
