Worried about a possible ‘utility death spiral’, energy insiders are searching for new financial models to keep U.S. utilities healthy as customers flee to distributed energy. But how about just figuring out ways to help the utility keep the customer in the first place? That’s what Opower hopes to do with a newly announced customer care … [Read more...]
Opower Hopes to Cut Energy Use For Millions in China
November 22, 2014 By
At roughly the same time the US and China announced plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Opower announced that it's now offering its online energy efficiency program to CLP Power Hong Kong Limited’s (CLP Power) 2.1 million residential customers. Energy efficiency is expected to be the key to meeting US/China greenhouse gas emission goals, says … [Read more...]
Behavioral Demand Response: How to Really Get Homeowners to Save Energy on the Coldest (and Hottest) Days
November 19, 2014 By
How can utilities really get homeowners to save energy during periods of peak demand? A new study on behavioral demand response offers some surprising findings. The program cost less than traditional demand response, and yet yielded more savings – up to five percent peak reduction. Opower's Kevin Hamilton explains why in this podcast with energy … [Read more...]
Residential Demand Response Yields 5 to 23% Savings: Opower
June 2, 2014 By
Opower's new residential demand response program has yielded 23% savings in homes with load control devices and peak rebate rates. Homeowners that have taken voluntary action – such as changing thermostat settings –have seen 5% savings. As a result, the company is expanding its program to include one million customers, said Tom Mercer, group … [Read more...]
Energy Efficiency: Peacemaker in War on Coal?
April 30, 2014 By
Infusing more energy efficiency into the US economy could ease pressure on coal states that feel under attack by pending federal greenhouse gas rules, says a new study. The study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy outlines Called Change is in the Air: How States Can Harness Energy Efficiency to Strengthen the Economy and … [Read more...]
Opower's IPO and Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
April 4, 2014 By
Opower’s founders Dan Yates and Alex Laskey announced the start of the company’s IPO today in a blog that took a walk down memory lane. The founders showed how far the company has come by resurrecting a back-of-an-envelope doodle from its infancy in 2006. Yates and Laskey had sketched what look like coal trains, bar charts and dollar signs while … [Read more...]
The Opower IPO is a Testament to Behavioral Energy Efficiency, but it’s Time to Take it to the Next Level
April 4, 2014 By
Congratulations to Opower on its initial public offering today. Dan, Alex and the team there have done great work, especially helping utilities achieve energy efficiency compliance mandates. But as I sit back and think about the state of our industry, I can’t help but wonder…is this it? And if it isn’t, where do we go from here? By no means am I … [Read more...]
Opower Files Confidential IPO, Says the Wall Street Journal
February 12, 2014 By
Opower has submitted a confidential filing for an initial public offering, according to a Feb. 12 article by the Wall Street Journal that cites unnamed sources. Speculation has been circulating for months that the behavioral energy efficiency firm has plans to go public. Opower has retained Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group to lead the IPO … [Read more...]
How Opower Sells Energy Efficiency to Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
January 30, 2014 By
It's hard to keep up with Ben Foster as he describes what it takes to sell energy efficiency to small and medium-sized businesses — customers of the utilities that Opower serves. Foster, vice present of product management for Opower—which just began serving National Grid and two other utilities—says it's all about finding the right person at the … [Read more...]
