The term Internet of Things (IoT) was first coined over 15 years ago to describe the trend of connecting physical objects to the digital world. Today the concept is more relevant than ever as consumers’ use of connected devices from smartphones to fitness trackers and thermostats shape the way we live and work. And our… Keep reading →
Microgrids are not so micro anymore. When a traditional infrastructure asset investor like Stonepeak Partners is ready to bankroll microgrids with a $250 million finance facility, it’s a sign of the mainstreaming of grid modernization. Energizing Co. will be the sole project developer for the $250 million Stonepeak fund focused on microgrids and grid modernization.… Keep reading →
Mexico’s long-awaited energy reforms have drawn a lot of attention due to legal changes allowing foreign oil companies to enter the market for the first time in decades, but power market reform is also opening the door to renewable energy providers. Greenwood Energy and ILIOSS are partnering with Schneider Electric to sell power from 250… Keep reading →
Why are costs so much lower for Chinese centralized inverters? Module producers aren’t the only ones feeling intense pressure in the solar market. Inverter companies are also facing a looming shakeout as they deal with continued shifts in global demand and strong downward pricing trends. According to a forecast from GTM Research, inverter prices will fall 10… Keep reading →
When Austin Energy put out a request for proposal for a new advanced distribution management system (ADMS) in early 2012, the Texas utility compiled more than 4,200 requirements that the vendor would have meet to win the contract.
The project will involve a combined outage management and distribution management system and also a SCADA system specifically for the distribution system, something that Austin did not already have. Keep reading →
Tuesday night, Obama championed his commitment to more oil and gas exploration, as well as reinforced the doubling of U.S. clean energy production under his leadership. And Romney, advocating our energy independence, solidified his strong commitment to drilling and promoting a surplus of oil and gas.
What I’d like to know, however, is their plans on the other side of the energy equation: the demand side. No matter how much new generation we bring to the table, energy independence just isn’t possible without curbing our exponentially rising need for electricity. And so far, neither candidate has pontificated on how to make this possible. Keep reading →
Startup Battlefield Finalists pose onstage at Day 3 of TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2011 held at the San Francisco Design Center Concourse on September 14, 2011 in San Francisco, California.
Low natural gas prices in the US have slowed momentum in the development of grid-level energy storage solutions, an expert panel gathered from venture capital, power generation and utility companies said last week. Keep reading →
The White House gathered the heads of 60 business, labor, municipal, and academic organizations on Friday to announce plans to invest $4 billion in building energy efficiency over the next 24 months, and none of that will be taxpayer money.
The investments will come in what’s called performance contracting, by which companies specializing in building efficiency retrofit buildings and are paid from the energy savings that result. Up-front investment is financed by banks based on contractor-guaranteed annual savings. Once the loan is repaid, the building owner gets the savings. Keep reading →
What is the single dumbest electrical component? It’s the load panel (the circuit breakers) in your home or office, which typically has a digital quotient of exactly zero. Even door locks are going digital more quickly.
An Israeli company wants to change that, and they’ve come a long way already. Computerized Electricity Systems (CES) stuffs the following functionality into its CES Smart Distribution Panel: Keep reading →
Ever wonder what the future holds?
This Siemens video, narrated by a robotic android-like voice, illustrates one vision for the future: a smart grid that feeds electric vehicles and enables electricity from renewable generation to be stored. The video focuses particularly on the potential that electric vehicles (EV’s) could unlock and the positive implications they could have for the grid. Keep reading →
