Smart Grid Update - End Use

Weekly Intelligence Brief 15 - 22 February 2012

ksdicks — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:50:51 +0000

Précis:

Itron buys SmartSynch for $100m Companies mentioned: Siemens, TIBCO, Consolidated Edison, Fujitsu Laboratories of America, A123 Systems, Northern Powergrid, Corn Belt Power Cooperative, Exalt Communication, Itron, SmartSynch, Petra Solar, and Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation

Weekly Intelligence Brief 15 - 22 February 2012

Itron buys SmartSynch for $100m

Meter giant Itron has acquired privately held SmartSynch for $100 million, to bring greater choice to utilities across the spectrum of smart metering deployments. Mississippi-based SmartSynch provides point-to-point smart grid solutions that utilize a cellular network for communications and has more than 130 customers, including nine of the top ten utilities in North America.

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Weekly Intelligence Brief 8 – 15 February 2012

ksdicks — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:53:54 +0000

Précis:

Cinterion bags Linyang Electronics supply deal Companies mentioned: Cinterion, Gemalto, Linyang Electronics, State Grid Corporation of China, Accenture, UtiliData, Braemer Energy Ventures, Efacec, 350 Green, and University at Buffalo

Weekly Intelligence Brief 8 – 15 February 2012

Cinterion bags Linyang deal

Cellular M2M modules maker Cinterion and a Gemalto have won contract to supply Linyang Electronics. The Chinese company will be integrating Cinterion's BGS2 in their smart metering products and power utilization management terminals.

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Weekly Intelligence Brief 1 – 8 February 2012

ksdicks — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:04:28 +0000

Précis:

ABB to integrate EV chargers into smart grids Companies mentioned: ABB, RWE, DOE, Coulomb Technologies, Siemens, Con Edison, TIBCO Software , Beacon Power, Rockland Capital, Solectria Renewables, Bella Energy, PG&E, and California Public Utilities Commission

Weekly Intelligence Brief 1 – 8 February 2012

ABB to integrate EV chargers into smart grids

Automation technology specialist ABB and European utility, RWE are collaborating to investigate a combined technology offering for networked charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

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AlertMe CEO Mary Turner: "smart homes the new email"

Katherine Steiner-Dicks — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:17:04 +0000

Précis:

Following the recent partnership with Lowe’s, the second largest home improvement company in the world, Mary Turner, CEO of AlertMe, the UK-based smart home technology company, chats to Smart Grid Update about cracking the US market and being on the cusp of the next big technology revolution.

When a UK venture-backed business not only cracks the US retail market, but cracks it with a company with 1,725 stores in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and nearly $50bn in annual revenues and 15 million weekly shoppers, you know they’re onto something big.

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Weekly Intelligence Brief 26 Jan. – 1 February 2012

ksdicks — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:20:18 +0000

Précis:

NREL launches plug-n-play testing Companies mentioned: Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) at NREL, Johnson Controls, EnergyConnect, Elster, Wide Bay Water, A1, BIES, SAIC, and Intelligent Energy Systems

Weekly Intelligence Brief 26 Jan. – 1 February 2012

Plug-n-play pre-grid testing at NREL

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is building electrically interconnected laboratories as part of its Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) where research partners can literally plug in and test new energy technologies on real and simulated power systems before hooking them up to the grid.

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Weekly Intelligence Brief 18 – 25 January 2012

ksdicks — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:00:55 +0000

Précis:

Tendril, BMW to build smart energy home demo Companies mentioned: Tendril, BMW Group Technology, KiWi Power, Ofgem, Northern Power Grid, Itron, IBM, Vermont Electric Power Company, ClipperCreek, Silver Spring, Pacific Control Systems, and Infotility

Weekly Intelligence Brief 18 – 25 January 2012

Tendril and BMW to build smart energy demo home

Energy cloud platform developer, Tendril, and the BMW Group Technology Office USA are partnering to build out a demonstration smart energy home in Mountain View, California to prepare for the roll-out and integration of the new BMW ActiveE electric vehicle (EV).

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Weekly Intelligence Brief 12 – 18 January 2012

ksdicks — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:17:15 +0000

Précis:

RuggedCom bags Burlington Electric deal Companies mentioned: RuggedCom, Burlignton Electric Department, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Public Accounts Committee, Centrica, Eon, and NV Energy

Weekly Intelligence Brief 12 – 18 January 2012

RuggedCom bags Burlington Electric deal

RuggedCom, a designer and manufacturer of industrial strength networks for mission-critical applications in harsh environments, has announced that it has been selected as a supplier for the smart grid deployment at Burlington Electric Department, or BED, in Burlington, Vermont.

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Weekly Intelligence Brief 6 – 11 January 2012

ksdicks — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:25:38 +0000

Précis:

Infrax to acquire Southern Power & Controls Companies mentioned: Infrax Systems, Southern Power & Controls Corporation, Toyota, Toshiba, Landis & Gyr, and Pike Research

Weekly Intelligence Brief 6 – 11 January 2012

Infrax to acquire Southern Power & Controls

Infrax Systems, a provider of unified smart grid-related products and services for the Energy and Utility industries, have formed a definitive agreement to complete the purchase of Tampa, Florida-based Southern Power & Controls Corporation (SP&C).

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Weekly Intelligence Brief 20 Dec. – 5 January 2012

ksdicks — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:41:15 +0000

Précis:

Mitsubishi claims UK’s largest EV dealer network Companies mentioned: Mitsubishi, Honeywell, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, ECP, Smart Grid Initiative, SmartSynch, Itron, Landis+Gyr, ComEd, and KEMA

Weekly Intelligence Brief 20 Dec. – 5 January 2012

Mitsubishi claims UK’s largest EV dealer network

Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi has ambitious plans to tap the future electric vehicle market in the UK and is claiming it will provide the UK's largest dealer network for electric cars. The launch is in preparation for the car maker’s launch of its new plug-in hybrid expected to hit the market in the next 18 months.

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Smart Home Energy Management 2011 US

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:31:48 +0000

Event Date:

Tue, 2011-11-08 - Wed, 2011-11-09

Event URL:

http://www.smartgridupdate.com/home-energy-management-conference/index.shtml

Event Location:

Convention Plaza Hotel, San Jose, CA

Number of attendees:

Event Organiser:

Baruch Hecht

Event Organiser E-mail:

bhecht@smartgridupdate.com

Précis:

Discover Why HEM, Smart Appliances and Consumer Engagement are integral to smart grid success

Smart Communications for Energy Management 2012

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:16:35 +0000

Event Date:

Tue, 2012-03-27 - Wed, 2012-03-28

Event URL:

http://www.smartgridupdate.com/smart-communications-forum/

Event Location:

Marriott Marquis Hotel, Atlanta, GA

Number of attendees:

120

Programme URL:

http://www.smartgridupdate.com/smart-communications-forum/agenda.php

Event Organiser:

Baruch Hecht

Event Organiser E-mail:

bhecht@smartgridupdate.com

Précis:

Optimize energy management with a robust, cost efficient, integrated communications network

HEMs and social media: the ideal match?

ksdicks — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:38:30 +0000

Précis:

Currently it is not really feasible to build a private carbon or energy exchange using social media tools. But with smart grid companies wising up to consumer engagement, it should be soon.

By Jason Deign in Barcelona

When was the last time you had an animated conversation with your friends about the merits of energy management? It’s not something that comes up often in a social setting, right?

Even David Leeds, who heads up the smart grid practice at GTM Research admits that on a personal level: “I live in New York City and life is so stressful I do not think having my home working at optimal levels is on my top-10 list of things to worry about.”

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Smart energy appliances: is it about saving money or time?

ksdicks — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:57:17 +0000

Précis:

It is pretty easy to get excited about the potential of intelligent home applications based on smart appliances and household energy management systems, but they are still a way off unless a radical player enters the scene and makes that big consumer connnection.

By Jason Deign in Barcelona

The consumer's vision of smart appliances and home energy management usually goes something like this. You are at work and then something happens that ideally requires an intelligent response. A freak weather front hits, for example.

As temperatures plummet, your home energy system calculates how long it will take you to get back and switches on the heat at the precise moment to ensure your house is at 20 degrees centigrade when you arrive. Oh, and your tea kettle starts heating as you are walking up the drive.

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Barry Haaser, Lakeview Group: new rate structures key to tapping consumer market

ksdicks — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:45:47 +0000

Précis:

Smart Grid Update speaks to Barry Haaser of California-based association management company, Lakeview Group, which is working with companies within the energy sector to form alliances and standards across smart grid networks. Barry offers his opinion on why the HEMS markets is slow for take-off and the importance of harmonising protocols for those looking to create products in this burgeoning marketplace.

Interview by Katherine Steiner-Dicks

SmartGridUpdate: Which Home Energy Management technologies are gaining the most traction in terms of development, funding and deployment and which are slow to materialise?

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Weekly Intelligence Brief 28 – 5 October 2011

ksdicks — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:59:37 +0000

Précis:

Naperville non-wireless option to cost customers dearlyCompanies mentioned: Echelon, Naperville Smart Meter Initiative, Airspan, Salzburg Austria, Zehetner Elektronik, Siemens, Digi, Pecan Street, Best Buy, Check-It, Chevrolet, Freescale, Intel, Landis+Gyr, Sony, SunEdison and Whirlpool

Weekly Intelligence Brief 28 – 5 October 2011

Naperville non-wireless option to cost customers dearly

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Micropelt CEO Fritz Volkert: "The smart grid market, while a broad market, fits perfectly with our products"

ksdicks — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:09:56 +0000

Précis:

Smart Grid Update speaks to Infineon spin-off and start-up, Micropelt, a German energy harvesting and wireless sensing business ready to take the building automation and in the not so far future, the power distribution sector, by storm. CEO Fritz Volkert explains how its technology works and the company’s sales and manufacturing focus for the next 12 months.

Interview by Katherine Steiner-Dicks

Micropelt started as a project of Infineon Technologies in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques. Based in Freiburg, Germany, the start-up is funded by SHS, MBG, KfW Mittelstandsbank, L-Bank and IBG.

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HEMS providers: How do they gain utility acceptance?

ksdicks — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:05:53 +0000

Précis:

So far the market for Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) has not always been a fruitful one, and has even foxed big names such as Google and Microsoft, which have both pulled the plug on their attempts to punch through the HEMS market. How can providers gain acceptance with utilities as well as consumers?

By Peter Taberner

The challenge for HEMS providers is to gain acceptance from utilities and consumers in providing secure interoperable services to allow market to grow. Amid concerns over the rising cost of power, the prospect of HEMS should be an appealing one, handing each household the opportunity to have a stronger grip on their level of energy consumption.

Success stories

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Weekly Intelligence Brief 11 –17 August 2011

ksdicks — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:58:37 +0000

Précis:

Cisco scraps HEM plansCompanies mentioned include: Cisco, CEVA, Israeli Smart Grid Consortium, Current Group, Enel, DOE, Case Western Reserve University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, University of Maine, ZigBee, Powerline, SAP and ERCOT.

Weekly Intelligence Brief 11 –17 August 2011

Cisco scraps HEM plans

Just after launching its building energy management systems, Cisco plans to scrap its plans, according to a company blog. Cisco’s SVP and GM of Smart Grid Laura Ipsen wrote that Cisco is moving ways from creating and selling devices to manage and monitor energy in buildings and homes, and is sticking to using its core networking technologies for the smart grid industry.

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Smart grid ambassadors: the next big thing in the USA

ksdicks — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:38:14 +0000

Précis:

In an Illinois suburb residents are taking the smart grid movement very seriously. They are in fact becoming 'smart grid ambassadors' through an education exercise not seen anywhere else.

By John R. Johnson

It’s well known that customer education and outreach is a major component to all smart meter deployments. Without it, customers may reject the notion of smart meters without having a full understanding of how they can benefit from the devices.

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White House: focus on consumer behavior and protection

ksdicks — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:31:17 +0000

Précis:

With White House led smart grid policies set in motion, which member of the smart grid triangle will be the lead decision maker: cybersecurity developers, the consumer or smart meter technology providers?

By John R. Johnson; additional reporting by KSD

Smart grid technology at crucial junction

The smart grid sector is at a crucial junction in its development. Why? Because it can go down one of two paths: one path that has the industry led by consumer (demand, product testing and feedback) and the other dictated by technology, by which the consumers will follow, albeit with uncertain end results. It’s a question that will have more than one answer, but which needs to be addressed to create a more uniform smart grid platform across the United States.

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Smart grid development best deployed one community at a time

ksdicks — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:08:46 +0000

Précis:

Smart grid technologies and communities will grow organically, according to project managers, placing more importance on end user feedback before national platform implementation can start.

By Katherine Steiner-Dicks

Smart grid technology is not going to be a splash and dash technology that can be quickly implemented on a mass scale. Its popularity, quality control and proven effectiveness will grow ‘organically’ amongst individual consumers, before being caught on by large communities, cities and so on. Frits Bliek, the project manager of the Netherlands-based Power Matching City Project, seems to think so, too.

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Frits Bliek, KEMA: Each end consumer needs to participate and be able to buy and sell their own energy

ksdicks — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:19:05 +0000

Précis:

Frits Bliek of KEMA, one of the masterminds behind Netherlands’ PowerMatchingCity smart grid pilot project, chats with us on developing a standardized technology platform, preparing for smart grid implementation and how a smart washing machine and word of mouth could be the carrot the smart grid sector needs to get more communities online.

Interview by Katherine Steiner-Dicks

Frits Bliek is the initiator of the KEMA initiated PowerMatching City in Hoogkerk district of Groningen in the Netherlands as well as the project leader of the Smart Energy Collective, a broad industry initiative in the Netherlands, which at this stage, already has more than 30 companies to collaborate on the development of innovative intelligent energy concepts.

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Smart grids leading to smart cities in Asia

ksdicks — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:30:32 +0000

Précis:

Projects to establish smart grids are being promoted by countries and regions around the world. However, Asia is taking things to new extremes. We take a peak at some of the developments coming out of this region, which is hot on the trail of a new sector focus: 'smart communities'.

By Paul French, Asia Correspondent

While the smart grid sector mainly covers power system network management, the latest trend is a shift to a higher level concept, 'Smart Community'.

“This supports diverse infrastructure systems, including energy, water, transportation and ICT, delivers comprehensive solutions to consumers, and secures the integrated modernization of the overall infrastructure supporting entire towns and cities,” says Toshiba.

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'Must have’ products to overcome smart grid opposition

ksdicks — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:45:20 +0000

Précis:

To avoid a backlash from customers utilities have to re-think deployment strategies. Is it time to hire uber cool creatives to create ‘must have’ products?

By Jason Deign in Barcelona

It is not ideal when someone says smart grid legislation “is just not acceptable to the people of our state.” But when that someone is Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, and the state attorney general agrees with him, it is bad news indeed.

Worse still, Governor Quinn, who did not respond to a request for comment, appears to have a fair case. Far from being a reactionary, he has said he is not opposed to overhauling the grid and is keen to up investment in solar, wind and geothermal power.

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Getting consumer engagement right the first time

ksdicks — Wed, 11 May 2011 12:55:23 +0000

Précis:

Each utility and every state in the US will have its own take on customer engagement before, during and after smart meter deployment. But what is currently being done to get the consumer and utilities mutually engaged? We get different viewpoints on this crucial, but otherwise controversial topic.

Interview by Smart Grid Update Staff

Consumer engagement is essential to the success of smart grid. Recent published articles are suggesting that most consumers don’t understand what smart grid is, and what the benefits associated with smart grid are. Unless utilities start engaging the consumer actively, the smart grid initiative will fail. What’s being done to actively engage the consumer?

Utilities Perspective: Jeff Myers, Central Indiana Power

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Home automation: when will it be worth the investment?

ksdicks — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:41:52 +0000

Précis:

Our panel of experts in this week's round table offer their viewpoints on the topic of home automation. When and how will customers be ready for this smart grid technology?

Interview by Smart Grid Update Staff

Costumers are being asked to partake in the smart grid initiative without understanding the benefits associated with it. Furthermore, demand response programs are not catching on with the residential customers. Is home automation the answer?
Is home automation the next big trend in smart grid?

Utilities Perspective: Jeff Myers, Central Indiana Power

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Demand response: can consumers be incentivised to partake?

ksdicks — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:20:08 +0000

Précis:

When appealing to consumers, you have to show in an easy way how a business can improve their quality of life or pay less for something they need. Demand response is one area of the smart grid technology market that needs some tweaking to bring more consumers on board to its benefits.

Demand response programs have been offered to customers for some time and DR programs have had some success with commercial customers. The problem is demand response programs on the residential side have not really caught on. There are many reasons for that, but the main argument is residential customers don’t save enough money by participating in the demand response programs and as a result don’t have any real incentive partake in them.

Interview by Smart Grid Update Staff

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Smart Grid Consumers: when will smart grid save us money?

ksdicks — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:50:34 +0000

Précis:

For consumers, smart grid offers the hope of reduced carbon footprints and lower utility bills. But how long will it be before these benefits take hold, what has to happen in the interim and what lessons have already been learned?

By Jason Deign

Lessons learned
Ask the residents of Boulder, Colorado, what they associate smart grid with and one answer you are not likely to hear is “saving money.”

In December 2009, customers of Xcel Energy saw how the regional power utility went cap in hand to the Colorado Public Utility Commission for permission to extract an additional US$11m from its customers. And all in the name of smart grid.

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North American smart grid technology: is it getting closer to the optimum consumer endgame?

ksdicks — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:36:50 +0000

Précis:

North America is experiencing new market highs as projects that were funded by federal stimulus grants and venture capital funds kick into full gear. We get executive reactions on which issues are having the biggest impact on core objectives and consumers.

By John R. Johnson, Boston

Approximately 25 million smart meters have been installed in North America, and smart meter shipments for the region are expected to rise to 12.5 million this year. That represents a 25 percent increase over last year’s 10 million, and puts North America on a faster deployment pace than Europe for the first time.

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Smart Grid Consumer Engagement: where does the education campaign begin?

ksdicks — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:16:48 +0000

Précis:

As a group, utilities are not known as trailblazers when it comes to engaging customers. In fact, the general theory is that utilities have avoided customer interaction as much as possible in the past. But with the onset of smart grid technologies entering homes across North America and parts of Europe that stigma is about to be lifted with some tested communication tools.

By John R. Johnson, Boston

Consumer engagement: who starts the process?

As smart meters and in-home networks challenge homeowners to use electricity in a different ways, it’s crucial for utilities to engage customers about how new technology works and how it will benefit them in the long run, not only by saving them money but by improving service levels and bettering the environment.

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