The top energy efficiency stories of 2014 reveal an industry that’s not only growing, but also redefining itself to capture its full worth. This was a year of mega deals, utility soul searching, rising new tech, rising old tech, financing innovation, and policy invigoration. Here are the top 10 most read stories on EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com for … [Read more...]
How Cell Phones Are Driving Remote Microgrid Growth: UGE’s story
September 18, 2014 By 3 Comments
A funny thing happened to Urban Green Energy (UGE) on the way to becoming a small wind turbine manufacturer. The New York company discovered that demand was limited for its product on a stand-alone basis. But combine small wind turbines with solar, storage and some intelligence – into a remote microgrid – and the market is vast. This … [Read more...]
Finding Common Ground on Pricing Clean Energy Resources in California
August 4, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Would pricing clean energy through a 'smart home rate' work? James Fine, EDF's senior economist, describes the intriguing possibility being explored in California. Industrial and environmental stakeholders are usually portrayed as adversaries. But one exciting example from California proves there can be another side to that story. San Diego Gas … [Read more...]
Google and Nest: Evolution not Revolution when You’ve Been at it for 30 Years
February 3, 2014 By 1 Comment
My grandfather used to bewilder me when he referred to our refrigerator as an ice box. I had no idea that he used the term because as a child he truly filled a box with ice to keep his food cold. Today’s remote energy management has its own equivalent to the ice box – the dial-up telephone modem. Remember those? Thirty or so years ago, we thought … [Read more...]
Google and Nest: What the $3.2 Billion Deal Says about Energy Efficiency Markets
January 16, 2014 By 7 Comments
A collective “wow” echoed throughout the energy efficiency industry this week when Google announced its purchase of thermostat maker Nest for a smashing $3.2 billion. It is the first marquee deal to emerge since tech ventures began grasping for the new prize in energy: the home efficiency market. The game has been to figure out how to get enough … [Read more...]
Home energy devices: Can we bewilder Edison?
August 11, 2011 By 2 Comments
By Elisa Wood Aug. 10, 2011 Why do so many energy insiders insist that home energy automation will fail? Many whom I respect say the typical householder will never take the time to fiddle with smart gadgets that reduce energy costs. Their skepticism, however, just elicits a verbal shrug from Peter Porteous, CEO of Blue Line Innovations, maker of … [Read more...]
Why Google and Microsoft Pulled out of EE Part 2
July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Lisa Cohn of RealEnergyWriters.com continues her interview with Gene Wang, CEO of People Power, which provides cloud-based energy management software and hardware to electronic device manufacturers and service providers. He offers opinions about why Google and Microsoft have pulled out of the energy management business and talks about his company's … [Read more...]
Why Google and Microsoft Pulled out of EE Part 1
July 20, 2011 By 2 Comments
Lisa Cohn of RealEnergyWriters.com interviews Gene Wang, CEO of People Power, which provides cloud-based energy management software and hardware to electronic device manufacturers and service providers. He offers opinions about why Google and Microsoft have pulled out of the energy management business and talks about his company's strategy in this … [Read more...]
Smart Grid needs a Facebook
December 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Elisa Wood We think we know how smart grid technology will change the utility industry. But do we really? Take a look at this documentary made in 1969. It’s a view of how the world perceived the coming Internet (It’s also a pretty amusing look at how sexist our society still was at that point.) … [Read more...]
