Help is on the way to reduce harmful pollution in Indiana, which has the seventh highest level of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined a settlement filed this week for Duke Energy’s grid modernization plan. The settlement calls for Duke – the largest utility in the country, which serves over 800,000… Keep reading →
While renewable energy systems are capable of powering houses and small businesses without any connection to the electricity grid, many people prefer the advantages that grid-connection offers. A grid-connected system allows you to power your home or small business with renewable energy during those periods (daily as well as seasonally) when the sun is… Keep reading →
Smart meters, which provide detailed electricity use data throughout the day, are a critical piece of a smarter, more resilient 21st century energy system. But they are not a cure-all for modernizing our antiquated power grid. In Matthew Wald’s recent New York Times article, entitled “Power Savings of Smart Meters Prove Slow to Materialize,” he… Keep reading →
Quick Take: It’s a war out there — literally. Hackers from hostile countries target the U.S. power grid every day. That’s why I wanted to run this adaptation of a recent blog post from Trend Micro, an IT security company. I previously shared their view of the ways to attack a smart meter. This article explains how… Keep reading →
Just when you think it’s safe to go back in the water, the smart meter debate has been elevated to the national level by several publications, including Forbes. Smart meter installations in the United States are expected to progress steadily over the next 10 years. That is because they offer a range of benefits to… Keep reading →
IBM is looking to capture a share of Europe’s growing “smart” electricity market. IBM has inked a deal with the metering division of EOn, Germany’s largest utility, to deliver a data and analytics platform, the Intelligent Energy Service Enablement Platform, for Smart Grid customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with plans to expand offerings to… Keep reading →
Quick Take: America’s 5 most loveable utilities? According to one study of consumer engagement, they are: Arizona Public Service (APS) Clark Public Utilities Salt River Project Seattle City Light SMUD What made them so popular? They offered customers a choice of programs and services. Repeat after me. Customers love choice. Customers love choice. I will… Keep reading →
Smart Meters are amassing reams of data that, when effectively analyzed and applied, can help energy consumers at all levels – residential, commercial and industrial – cut down on both their consumption and their bills. And social media, backed by strong analytics, may prove to be an effective tool for delivering efficiency improvements. Using the… Keep reading →
Power companies are training their customers to see electricity supply in a new way, with two-way flows of information and energy that can increase reliability and prevent the need for costly transmission building.
“Demand response is creating business intelligence” in which companies can understand their exposure to time of use as well as overall volume of use when it comes to electricity, Constellation Energy Senior Vice President for Demand Response Gary Fromer told Breaking Energy recently. Keep reading →
For the average residential customer, there’s a lot of confusing information out there about smart meters. Much of the discussion around the smart grid focuses on how advances in technology will benefit utilities.
While it’s true that a self-healing grid will bring shorter, less frequent outages and that smart meters can help make the electrical grid more efficient, most customers view reliability of electrical service as a given, not a benefit. In order to increase customer acceptance and adoption of advanced metering technology, the personal benefits need to be framed in ways that resonate with residential customers. Keep reading →
