Smart Energy Insights

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2011-03-25T14:37:00.001-07:00

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Silver Spring expands Partnership with OG&E on Customer Engagement and Demand Response

2011-03-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

Silver Spring Networks is leading provider of smart grid platforms. Recently, they announced that their company is expanding its partnership with Oklahoma’s largest electric company, OG&E. The electric company is expanding its work with Silver Spring as they begin their second year of its demand response study, which currently serves 6,000 OG&E customers. OG&E will leverage Silver Spring for installation, demand management software, in-home energy management technologies, online enrollment services, and program management for the study.

By providing the Silver Spring’s CustomerIQ web portal to its entire smart meter customer base, OG&E has dramatically increased its smart grid leadership in consumer engagement, delivering customer participation, outreach, research and the economic benefits of deploying smart grid technology. Efficiencies created by the Positive Energy Together® program, OG&E estimates it could avoid building two new peaking generation plants between now and 2016.

OG&E is the first utility to offer the recently enhanced and expanded version of the CustomerIQ web portal to all 775,000 of its customers. CustomerIQ enables utilities to directly engage customers to reduce support costs and deliver energy efficiency improvements in meeting overall demand reduction goals.

Silver Spring is leading OG&E’s implementation of a fully integrated demand response solution this summer, to an additional 3,000 residential and business customers. OG&E uses the Silver Spring UtilityIQTM Demand Response Manager back-office software, because the software leverages the Silver Spring IP-based network, which supports multiple smart grid applications on common infrastructure.

For the summer of 2011, participants who volunteer for the second phase of the study will have the opportunity to manage their electricity use and costs with Control4® EC-100 in-home energy displays and the Energate Pioneer PCT. OG&E will use study results from 2010 and 2011 to determine how customers respond to price signals and information delivered via smart technology to reduce energy consumption during peak demand and price periods.

Tendril Partners with UISOL to Provide Smart Grid Technology

2011-03-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

Tendril, an Energy Platform company, is partnering with Utility Integration Solutions, Inc. (UISOL), the leading provider of demand response management and automation systems, on a Price Response Demand demonstration project for PJM Interconnection. This project will show how Locational Marginal Price, paired with distributed intelligence, can drive automated residential Demand Response in the home.

The project will also allow PJM to test the end-to-end integration of a near real-time Price Response Demand program, in order to better manage electricity demand. There are two fairly obvious benefits to utilities and other Demand Response providers. The first, by adjusting temperatures on thermostats by one or two degrees throughout the day, utilities can lower overall demand in their service area, which will ultimately result in cost savings for consumers. The second main benefit is that lower level consumption, could also lead to better integration of renewable energy into the grid, which will minimize utilities' need to purchase high-priced energy on the wholesale markets, which in turn, ends up putting savings back in consumers' pockets.

Additionally, a price-responsive demand program can provide significant environmental benefits, as well. By trying to conserve our energy, a price responsive demand program can help reduce consumer reliance on peaking combustion turbines and diesel energy generators, thus allowing for a cleaner environment.

GE, Fuji Electric Joint Venture to Provide Smart Grid Technology in Japan

2011-03-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

GE and Fuji Electric Holdings Co., Ltd. has announced a joint venture to design, build, market and service a new generation of electric meters. The joint venture was finalized February 1, 2011. The company has been named GE Fuji Meter Co., Ltd.

These electric meters will be supporting Japan’s advancement towards a smart grid infrastructure. The newly formed joint venture will build upon GE’s proven smart meter technology, as well as, Fuji Electric’s Japan-based manufacturing and sales network, to provide quality, cost-effective meters.

Smart grid advances include easier integration of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, as well as, efficiency and reliability gains. With these advances, Japan will be better equipped to use more zero-emission energy and shrink its carbon footprint.

To read complete article, please click here.

Entergy Selects Sensus Technologies for Home Area Network Pilot

2011-03-07T14:55:00.000-08:00

Entergy New Orleans, Inc. has selected Sensus to provide its FlexNet™ Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, electric AMI meters, in-home displays and programmable thermostats to support a Home Area Networking pilot program. The pilot program is partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, and is designed to encourage energy conservation by providing information to consumers about their electricity usage and their associated costs.

Starting in June, for a period of 24 months, Entergy New Orleans will track and analyze the consumption behaviors of four specific customer control groups within the city of New Orleans. Customers in the first group will receive a smart meter; the second group will receive a smart meter and an in-home display; the third group will receive a smart meter and programmable thermostat, and they will also be offered a rebate if they participate in a program to minimize their air conditioning usage during summer peak periods; and the fourth group will have access to an Internet portal that will show close to real-time information about electricity usage and associated costs.

If you would like to read the full article, click here.

Tendril Teams with Whirlpool Corporation to Usher in New Era of Smart Appliances

2011-02-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Tendril, a leading energy platform company, and Whirlpool Corporation, the world's leading appliance maker, unveiled a relationship that sets the stage for the rollout of smart home appliances in the U.S. The Tendril platform has the capability to support millions of smart appliances in homes across America.

Tendril will provide the back-end technology infrastructure to support the commercial deployment of smart appliances, including a range of connectivity-enabled services and applications. Whirlpool Corporation will integrate its smart appliances with the Smart Grid infrastructure by extending Tendril’s open standards-based, scalable and secure technology platform. This integrated platform will enable a dialogue between appliances, consumers and energy providers — making the connected home and home energy management a reality. For example, for a refrigerator to actively manage its energy consumption, it must be able to quickly, reliably and seamlessly communicate with the electric utility company.

In this case, the refrigerator will automatically move its defrost cycle to a non-peak time without impacting the performance of the appliance.

Smart appliances can have an even more profound impact on reducing expensive peak demand as well as supporting renewables (e.g., solar and wind) on the Grid. Consumers will also be excited by the new convenience features enabled by a smart appliance.

HAI, Entergy New Orleans join forces on energy management

2011-02-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

HAI Smart Grid Solutions has been selected for a partnership with Entergy New Orleans to facilitate the SmartView Energy Management program. HAI will provide nearly 5,000 Home Area Network (HAN) devices for demand response, energy display and comfort control.

Co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and Entergy New Orleans, homeowners receive tools and training from Entergy that assists with tracking electricity usage, assists with reducing costs, and in some cases, provides credits on electrical bills. HAI devices are being provided at no cost to users thanks to a Smart Grid Investment Grant program. Enrollment begins now and the official rollout is April 1, 2011.

All 7,000 participants receive a smart meter installed at no charge. A total of 4,400 homes will receive HAI's In-Home Energy Display and 400 homes will receive HAI's Omnistat2 programmable communicating thermostats. On both devices, homeowners can view exact bill to date, projected monthly bill, and see the instantaneous demand plus energy trend of the past hour.

For the complete article, please click here.

HomeGrid Forum and ZigBee Alliance Team to Establish Wired and Wireless Smart Home Applications

2011-02-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

The HomeGrid Forum recently announced a new liaison agreement with the ZigBee Alliance to extend their collaboration on the ZigBee Smart Energy standard development. This work will pave the way for consumers and utilities to use ZigBee Smart Energy version 2.0 wireless or wired networks to further advance Smart Grid programs and deliver new energy, financial and environmental savings.

Both organizations will collaborate on ensuring ZigBee Smart Energy version 2 and HomeGrid Forum’s ITU-T G.hn and G.hnem standards can be utilized in a wide variety of smart grid usage models. When finalized, applications such as AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure), Demand Response (DR), Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEV) and any other Smart Grid application/service that needs a reliable Home Area Network (HAN) or distribution/access network will benefit.

Pecan Street Project Goes Live with First Phase of Smart Grid Deployment

2011-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Pecan Street Project Inc. announced that it has completed systems installation and has gone live with the first phase of its smart grid demonstration project in Austin’s Mueller community.

Deployed by Austin-based Incenergy LLC, the home smart grid systems capture minute-to-minute energy usage for the whole home and six major appliances or systems. The project achieved an installed cost per home of $341 ($241 for equipment plus $100 for installation).

The systems are deployed in 100 homes at Mueller, all of which are green built and 11 of which have rooftop solar PV systems. This spring, Pecan Street Project will deploy Incenergy systems in a second group of 100 homes outside Mueller that are at least 10 years old. All participants in both groups are volunteers.

During the 12-month first phase, project researchers will learn about how homeowners use electricity, gas and specific appliances during the course of the day. This will mark only the second publicly-reported research on the daily energy profiles of Sunbelt homes (the other is a 1999 University of Central Florida study) and the first to incorporate data on output from rooftop solar panels and on the homes’ energy efficiency attributes.

For the complete article, please click here.

Control4, NV Energy to begin EMS rollout in June

2011-02-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

The first real-world smart grid rollout of home energy management systems will take place this year in Nevada, according to home control company Control4.

Control4 will provide Nevada’s NV Energy with 20,000 of its EMS 100 energy management systems, which consist of a 5-inch EC-100 touchscreen display and a WT-100 wireless thermostat. The rollouts will begin in June 2011, likely in southern Nevada, and continue through 2012.

NV Energy customers voluntarily participating in NV Energy’s programs will be able to access and use the data collected by smart meters to wisely manage energy in their homes. The EC-100 energy controller’s color touchscreen interface will provide up-to-the-minute feedback on their electricity consumption and costs. The system will analyze their electricity usage and accommodate additional energy management applications and load controllers on their home area network.

According to Control4, the EMS 100 can also directly control some lights, such as turning off outdoor lighting. The system contains radios to connect to the two-way smart meter, a ZigBee-based radio to communicate with smart appliances, and a Wi-Fi radio for the home network. Plug-in modules and other devices will allow control of a variety of home systems.

For the complete article, please click here.

FREE Webcast: Enabling the Home Area Network

2011-02-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

Join Parks Associates and the Z-Wave Alliance on Thursday, February 17th at 2 pm CENTRAL for the webcast, Enabling the Home Area Network: Solutions that work for Consumers and Utilities, and learn about the market outlook for residential energy management (REM) products and services.

Parks Associates research finds:
-- By 2015, less than 5% of U.S. households will have a utility-based home area network (HAN).
-- By 2022, that number will grow to almost 40%.

Registration:
http://www.parksassociates.com/events/webcasts/2011/webcasts_sigma.htm

Presenters include:
-- Bill Ablondi, Director, Home Systems Research, Parks Associates
-- Dan Goodman, CTO, Radio Thermostat Company of America
-- Letha McLaren, Vice President of Product Management, iControl Networks
-- Steve Samolinski, Director of Solution Management, Connected Home Solutions, Ingersoll Rand

The interactive panel discussion includes industry executives from leading-edge companies and utilities as they examine the latest innovative solutions and share their perspectives on the key trends and opportunities in 2011. Attendees will learn what to watch in 2011 and what to expect from both consumers and business as this growing market continues to expand into the home.

CEA Study Finds Dramatic Increase in TV Energy Efficiency

2011-02-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

A new study commissioned by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) shows manufacturers have made huge strides in creating more energy efficient televisions.

This new study, “Power Consumption Trends in Digital TVs Produced Since 2003,” reviewed power consumption data on best-selling digital TV models from 2003 to 2010 – in both active and standby modes – on high-definition liquid crystal (LCD) and plasma display models with screen sizes ranging from 13- to 65-inches. Some highlights:

LCD active power use fell 63 percent from 2003 to 2010.
LCD standby power use dropped 87 percent from 2004 to 2010.
Plasma TV active power use dropped 41 percent from 2008 to 2010.
Plasma TV standby use fell 85 percent from 2008 to 2010.

To put the gains in context, the power consumption of the average TV sold in 2010 consumes less energy than a 100 watt incandescent light bulb and less power than what is needed to light a typical living room.

As the study explains, standard fluorescent backlighting for LCD TVs is rapidly being replaced with light emitting diodes, or LEDs, which will make TVs even more efficient along with enhancing the brightness and contrast of the display.

Along with these technology improvements, the study also attributed energy efficiency gains to manufacturers seeking to meet the latest Energy Star specifications.

For the full article, click here.

Intel joins with Cap Gemini on tablet for energy efficiency

2011-02-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

Cap Gemini SA and Intel Corp. will offer a home energy-management system to consumers and utilities as the French and U.S. partners seek to beat rivals onto the market for power-saving upgrades to electric grids.

Cap Gemini, Europe’s largest computer-services company, and Intel, the world’s biggest chipmaker, will cooperate on a tablet-style computer that will let customers adjust appliances’ power use, Steven Harris, Cap Gemini’s head of smart home services, said in a phone interview. Later versions may include a smartphone application or may allow the device to be used as a data source for utilities looking to allocate electricity.

Cap Gemini will soon face a stronger local rival in Atos, which is scheduled this year to complete a merger with Siemens AG’s computer-services unit to leapfrog the Paris-based company as the No. 1 computer-services provider in Europe. Cap Gemini and Intel also face competition in the home-energy market from Google Inc., which is partnering with utilities including India’s Reliance Energy to expand its PowerMeter service.

For the complete article, please click here.

Companies have new focus on managing consumers’ electricity usage

2011-02-02T07:22:00.000-08:00

Today there are 1.9 million homes with energy management networks. We are entering a period of pervasive growth. … We estimate there will be 16.2 million by 2015.

Parks Associates hosted the Smart Energy Summit in Austin last week. It focused on ways to find customers for such services. The three-day affair showed enthusiasm is high among corporations and entrepreneurs, who sense an emerging market. Parks Associates' Director of Research, Bill Ablondi said there were about 75 companies in the market last year, but now there are as many as 250, including such big names as GE, Intel, Verizon and AT&T.

Consumers, however, remain largely in the dark about the possibilities. Smart grid technologies promise to provide big gains in efficiency for electricity generators, transmitters and consumers. That means cost savings, less pollution and fewer power plants.

Integrating information technology into the electric power grid should also make it far easier to connect renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

The technologies should also make it possible to manage a fleet of electric cars so that they can be fueled without putting crushing demands on the system and double as available storage devices for power when parked.

But with electricity prices flat or falling (they were down 11.5 percent last year in Dallas), consumers are not motivated to jump in.

Oncor and other Texas electricity transmission companies have installed more than 3 million smart meters across the state under a mandate from the state government. The meters are providing an ocean of data to the utilities about electricity consumption, but consumers have seen little advantage.

Reliant and TXU Energy can also use the smart meter data to send e-mail alerts to consumers when their electricity usage starts to balloon, along with recommendations on ways to conserve.

A thermostat equipped with wireless radio communications, however, can be configured remotely. TXU Energy offers thermostats that can be programmed from a smart phone.

Parks Associates said energy management systems independent of smart meters would outsell the utility plans for several more years. He estimated that wireless thermostats would grow into a $1.1 billion market by 2015, and that remote-control lighting systems would equal that market.

Speaker after speaker at the conference said the key to this market, however, is raising consumer awareness of the cost savings such systems can bring — without sacrificing comfort or demanding a lot of skill.

To view the full Dallas Morning News Article, click here.

Calico Energy Solution to Enable Chicago Suburb to Realize a City- wide, Energy-efficient Smart Grid

2011-01-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

Calico Energy Services today announced it has executed contractual agreements with the City of Naperville, IL and its Department of Public Utility-Electric to deploy an advanced energy management platform.

As part of the City of Naperville’s smart grid deployment, Calico is providing their award-winning Energy Intelligence Suite™ (EIS) energy management platform and hardware from Schneider Electric. In addition, Calico’s platform connects to the city’s new Elster AMI meters.

Calico’s EIS™ platform gives Naperville’s Public Utility complete command-and-control over its smart grid data system, allowing the utility to manage demand, improve reliability, reduce costs, and quantify the impact of energy management programs through integrated analytics. The platform also gives utility customers the ability to view and control their energy use through energy management portals, on-premise displays, energy management devices, and electric vehicle charging (EV) systems.

Naperville’s smart grid program represents one of the broadest deployments of an integrated energy management platform at a municipality to date, and includes Calico’s EIS OpCenter™ for load control management, HomeSMART™ for home automation, BusinessSMART™ for small commercial automation, and EIS Mobile™ energy management module.

The combined solution helps automate the City’s electric, water, and natural gas systems, boost energy efficiency, and manage energy demand. In addition, residents will be able to purchase a variety of home automation devices through local retailers to manage their energy use, including: in-home displays, programmable/controllable thermostats, electricity load control devices, and on-premise electricity storage units. The complete smart grid solution is scheduled to be rolled out in Q3 2011.

The City’s smart grid project will empower customers with expanded choices about how they consume energy, education about how to conserve energy and automate savings, and the ability to view water, natural gas, and electricity usage and costs. The program will also ensure greater reliability of energy through demand response, and provide a variety of electricity rate structures that enable customer cost- savings. The combined technologies provided by Calico, Schneider Electric, and Elster will expand the City’s communications network by installing an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and smart meters, automating its distribution grid, and implementing Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) to increase power quality.

HomeGrid Forum speaking at 2011 Smart Energy Summit, Austin TX

2011-01-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

The HomeGrid Forum, speaking at today’s Smart Energy Summit in Austin, Texas, unveiled an exciting and ambitious roadmap towards the widespread adoption of G.hn as the de facto standard in wired home networking.

Speaking at the Summit, the Forum’s co-Chair of Marketing, Chano Gomez, said that first deployments of G.hn products will occur during 2011 and the organization’s Compliance & Interoperability (C&I) Roadmap outlines a range of practical steps for service providers and equipment manufacturers. This roadmap includes the appointment of accredited test houses, the first interoperability plugfests, and the first shipments of certified products.

There have been also key developments in G.hnem – the ITU-T standard for energy management – during 2011, enabling cost-effective SmartGrid applications such as smart meters, smart appliances and advanced re-charging systems for electric vehicles. While participating in a panel on home gateways, Gomez said that consent of G.hnem is expected during the first quarter of 2011 by the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T).

At the Summit, Gomez also said: “This past year showed a remarkable growth in interest in G.hn and G.hnem, and looking back, 2010 will be remembered as the year that home networking took off. HomeGrid Forum membership more than doubled during the year: a clear indicator of the growth of home networking and the value the industry is placing on G.hn and G.hnem as the technologies of choice for the next generation of home networking and Smart Grid applications.”

Gomez is Director of Business Development at Lantiq North America and has more than 10 years of experience in home networking and SmartGrid applications semiconductor industry, with a special focus on powerline communications for voice, video and data transmission. Since 2008, Chano has been actively involved in the development of ITU-T standards G.9960 and G.9961 (G.hn). He currently serves as co-chair of HomeGrid Forum Marketing Working Group, and previously as chair of the HomeGrid Forum G.hn Contributions Working Group.

PassivSystems: consumer needs must be at the heart of any smart energy solutions

2011-01-25T05:43:00.000-08:00

PassivSystems, the UK smart home technology firm, has called on businesses attending the Smart Energy Summit in Austin, Texas to ensure that consumer energy efficiency needs are at the top of the agenda during the summit, January 24-26.

Smart meter roll-outs have been hit by controversy in California, Australia and Holland over the past 12 months. The UK plans to install smart meters in every home by 2020 at the latest, yet the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has stated smart meters will be able to reduce energy usage by just two to three per cent.

Speaking ahead of the summit, PassivSystems CEO Colin Calder said that the recent backlash against smart meters was primarily due to those smart meters being rolled out without due consideration of consumer needs.

“We’ve seen several examples of late where consumers have rejected smart meters and that’s not something that surprises me. Smart meters only facilitate more accurate billing and are a solution for utilities, not consumers. Even used in conjunction with an in-home energy monitor they offer only short-term value for consumers and short-term energy reduction.”

PassivSystems launched its home energy management solution PassivEnergy in 2010, a product that intuitively learns a household’s energy requirements to automate energy use in the home. It focuses on heating and hot water and can also integrate the management and monitoring of renewable energy on the same platform as legacy systems.

It was designed with consumer needs at its heart, so is very straight forward to use. The user simply tells the system their occupancy status - whether they are in, out, asleep or on holiday - and PassivEnergy looks after the rest, providing exactly the required amount of hot water and heat for that status. Early results have seen a 25 per cent reduction in household energy use.

“Saving up to a quarter on your energy bill is a significant saving and we’ve seen a huge consumer demand for PassivEnergy,” concluded Colin Calder. “It works because it fits so seamlessly with people’s lives and effectively manages their energy for them, valued qualities as people’s lives are so busy.”

“As the debate moves from smart metering to the smart grid, the energy industry needs to make sure consumers become more of a focus or the enormous global investment in smart energy technology could be wasted, as would appear to be the case with some of the smart metering roll-outs.”

For more information about PassivSystems, please click here

-- Content submitted by PassivSystems

Power cord lights up as electricity flows

2011-01-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

Here's one of electricity's dirty little secrets: You can't see it moving, so it's hard to know when you're wasting a bunch of it. Think about the "vampire electronics" in your kitchen -- all of those blenders, coffee pots, toasters and toaster ovens that are sucking down power simply because they're plugged into an outlet.These electronics gobble an estimated 5% to 10% of all the electricity used in U.S. homes, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. But what if you could see your money going down the drain? Would visualizing power use help you save energy?

That's one possible effect of a new smartphone charger from Dexim. When electricity is flowing down the charger's cord, blue lights travel down the cord, too, letting users see the energy that's needed to charge their smartphones. The lights zip down the cord more quickly when the phone is almost out of juice, since more electricity is needed.

The charger, which only works with Apple devices such as the iPhone and iPod, is expected to be available for $40 in February. It will be sold on Amazon.com and on Dexim's website.

For the complete article, please click here.

Panamax/Furman Becomes the Newest Smart Energy Summit Sponsor

2011-01-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates wecomes Panamax/Furman as the newest sponsor of the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin, TX.

Panamax/Furman’s BlueBOLT® technology provides an integrated hardware/cloud-based software solution for power and energy management of home electronics. With BlueBOLT, users can monitor energy usage, define budgets and alerts, control power to electronics in real time, and schedule conservation to eliminate energy waste when electronics are not in use.

For more information, visit www.mybluebolt.com.

Control4 Selected to Deploy Home Energy Management Solution

2011-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Control4, a leader in affordable IP-based home control systems, announced that they have been chosen by AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power, to pilot customer experiences with home energy management.

The selection of Control4 is part of AEP Ohio's gridSMART® Demonstration Project, funded in part by a Smart Grid Demonstration Grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The $150 million project is being deployed in northeast central Ohio. The project is designed to demonstrate the full benefits of installing a comprehensive distribution smart grid for consumers and the utility and includes approximately 110,000 advanced electricity meters, new distribution grid technology, distributed energy sources, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, smart appliances, and consumer systems and products to help customers manage electricity use and costs.

Control4’s in-home devices will increase awareness of the cost and impact of energy consumption for AEP Ohio customers. AEP Ohio plans to implement the Control4® Energy Management System (EMS 100) solution, equipping a select group of 1,000 customers with Control4® EC-100 energy controllers; 200 of those customers will also be able to use the EC-100 for automated load control via Control4® WT-100 thermostats. Beyond basic feedback of daily electricity use or cost, AEP Ohio consumers with Control4 devices will be given more ways to engage in home energy management with features like HAN management, automated device control, and the delivery of utility signals over broadband to trigger energy use decisions and actions in the home.

For the complete article, please click here.

Sponsors for three-day Energy Summit represent market diversity as cloud-based services expand energy management field

2011-01-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

Consumer interest in energy-saving solutions will help push the number of households with remote monitoring and control to over 14 million by 2015, with security system and broadband service providers joining utilities in this market.

Parks Associates, a leader in the consumer energy market research space, will host the 2nd Annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, in Austin, January 24-26, which will feature a diverse list of utilities, solution developers, and technology companies as sponsors.

AlertMe provides simple and affordable home energy management and connected home services directly to consumers and through channel partners.

Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications.

Direct Energy is one of North America’s largest energy and energy-related services providers with over 6 million residential and commercial customer relationships.

DMN3 is a marketing firm founded in 1992 and delivers value to clients by focusing on three industries -- energy, financial and healthcare.

ecobee delivers intelligent conservation solutions for real people. The company is building its product platform around The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

The GreenWave Reality platform creates smart energy- efficient homes through the monitoring and controlling of devices. This system benefits both utilities and consumers.

HomeGrid Forum is a global, non-profit trade group promoting the International Telecommunication Union’s G.hn standardization efforts for next-generation wired home networking and Smart Grid applications.

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance is the leading industry association for powerline networking with more than 70 member companies and more than 200 HomePlug-certified devices.

Ingersoll Rand Residential Solutions, a business comprised of well-known brands like Schlage and Trane, delivers safety, comfort and efficiency to homeowners throughout North America.

Motorola Mobility now offers the 4Home software platform, an exciting new way to expand your service offerings for Home Control, Home and Health Monitoring and Energy Management.

NextEnergy is a solar PV contractor with over 30 years experience demonstrating innovation in home energy management.

Panamax/Furman’s BlueBOLT® technology provides an integrated hardware/cloud-based software solution for power and energy management of home electronics.

Reliant Energy provides electricity and energy services to more than 1.5 million retail customers—including homes, small and large businesses, manufacturing facilities, government entities and institutions across Texas.

The Z-Wave Alliance is an open consortium of over 160 industry-leading manufacturers who create products and services to provide advanced yet practical solutions for energy savings, comfort and convenience, safety and security in the residential market based on Z-Wave, the standard in wireless home control.

Visit www.smartenergysummit2011.com for information.

Motorola Mobility's 4Home Solution Becomes the Newest Smart Energy Summit Sponsor

2011-01-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates would like to introduce the newest sponsor for the Smart Energy Summit 2011, Motorola Mobility's 4Home Solution.

Motorola Mobility now offers the 4Home software platform, an exciting new way to expand your service offerings for Home Control, Home and Health Monitoring and Energy Management. With 4Home, your customers can now simplify their lives efficiently and affordably by:
• Analyzing and optimizing energy consumption
• Monitoring and securing their residence
• Managing personal health
• Controlling climate systems, lighting and appliances

To learn more about the 4Home Solution, please click here.

Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative Grows to 50 Members

2011-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Five new members of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) put the nonprofit over its goal of fifty members in its first year. The group, which last week announced its first permanent executive director in Patty Durand, continues to gain momentum with these new members:

•San Diego Gas & Electric is one of the nation’s largest public electric utilities.

•The Alliance to Save Energy, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Green DMV, and the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance are environmental and consumer advocacy groups.

•Vertex Business Services is a business process outsourcing and IT services company which promotes improved customer experience.

The SGCC is a consumer focused non-profit organization aiming to promote the understanding and benefits of modernized electrical systems among all stakeholders in the United States. Membership is open to all consumer and environmental advocates, technology vendors, research scientists, and electric utilities for sharing in research, best practices, and collaborative efforts of the group.

For the complete article, please click here.

New consumer research at Smart Energy Summit Workshop, including panel discussion with Austin Energy, TXU, Motorola Mobility, and Ingersoll Rand

2011-01-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates, a leader in the consumer energy market research space, will host the 2nd Annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, in Austin, January 24-26, 2011, to analyze the growing energy management market.

Utilities will be slow to ramp up their home area network efforts, reaching a mere 5% of U.S. homes by 2015, but they will deploy rapidly beyond that point, reaching nearly 40% by 2022. The energy management market will encompass a unique blend of utility deployments and independent solutions from a variety of players, and we look forward to hosting over 150 industry leaders at Smart Energy Summit to discuss new strategies and opportunities.

Parks Associates will present new research findings and strategic recommendations at a half-day workshop prior to the Summit, Monday, January 24. The workshop, “Energy: Consumer Demand and New Business Models,” will include an interactive session "Emerging Business Models – Alternative Approaches," with panelists from Austin Energy, TXU Energy, Motorola Mobility, and Ingersoll Rand.

The Smart Energy Summit features an incredible line-up of speakers, including keynotes from Grid Net, IBM, and NIST, who provide research, business, and regulatory expertise in analyzing the benefits of smart grid technologies and key strategies to engage consumers.

Smart Energy Summit is the premier event examining business opportunities and technical challenges as smart grid technologies move into the home.

Visit www.smartenergysummit2011.com for more information.

Control4 and Silver Spring Networks Announce Strategic Reseller Agreement

2011-01-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

Control4, a leader in affordable IP-based home control systems, announced the signing of a strategic reselling agreement with Silver Spring Networks, a leading Smart Grid solutions provider. Together, they now offer a Home Area Network (HAN) solution interoperable with utility Smart Grid and Demand Response systems.

By offering the Control4® Energy Management System (EMS) 100, Silver Spring extends its Demand Response solution to deliver an engaging in-home experience, exchanging up-to-the minute consumption data between customer and utility and providing intelligent automation and control of smart devices throughout the house. The combined solution incorporates Silver Spring’s Advanced Metering, UtilityIQ and CustomerIQ applications with Control4® ADVANTAGE software, Control4® EC-100 Energy Controllers, and Control4® WT-100 wireless programmable thermostats, providing a comprehensive solution set for utilities of all sizes.

The EC-100 is one of the several ways that Control4 addresses energy management in the home. Control4’s energy solutions span from energy management applications in the 4Store to utility driven deployments of the EC-100, offering consumers a variety of cost effective, energy saving options.

For the complete article, please click here.

Smart Energy Summit examines opportunities in energy management for utilities, service and security providers, retailers, and CE manufacturers

2011-01-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates announced the list of speakers for its upcoming Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, January 24-26, Austin, Texas.

Parks Associates will also host a special pre-show workshop on January 24, Energy: Consumer Demand and New Business Models, which will feature a special speaker session "Emerging Business Models – Alternative Approaches."

John Heflin Baker, Jr., Chief Strategy Officer, Austin Energy

Utz Baldwin, CEO, CEDIA

David Bercovich, Vice President, Business Development, AlertMe

Kris Bowring, Sr. Director, Emerging Business, Best Buy

Eric Bruno, Senior Vice President Consumer Product Management & Development, Verizon

Scott Burns, Manager, Smart Energy Product Management, Reliant Energy

Colin Calder, CEO, PassivSystems

Gavin Cato, Director of Strategic Alliances, Elster Solutions

Al Choperena, President, SimpleHomeNet, Inc.

Brian Dawson, CEO, Calico Energy

Christopher Deutschen, Senior Manager, Direct Energy

Greg Ennis, Technical Director, Wi-Fi Alliance

Sheri Givens, Public Counsel, Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel

Chano Gomez, Director of Business Development, Lantiq North America, Inc representing Homegrid Forum

David Hennekes, Vice President, Residential Markets, TXU Energy

Randy Kauffman, President, NextEnergy

Mark Komanecky, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Eragy

John Lacour, COO, DMN3

Stuart Lombard, President and CEO, ecobee

Steve Malnight, Vice President of Integrated Demand Side Management, PG&E

Andy Melder, Powerline Marketing, Broadcom

Greg Memo, CEO, GreenWave Reality

Bill Muston, Manager, Research & Development, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC

Ivan O'Neill, Strategic Alliance Manager, Southern California Edison

Roy Perry, Director, Technology Integration, CableLabs

Rob Ranck, President, HomePlug Powerline Alliance

Steve Samolinski, Director of Solution Management for Connected Home Solutions, Ingersoll Rand

Bill Scheffler, Senior Director of North American Business Development, Z-Wave Alliance

JT Thompson, Utility Sales Leader, GE Appliances and Lighting

Kenneth Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy

Steve Widergren, Principal Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Visit www.smartenergysummit2011.com for information.

Manufacturers rev up interest in electric cars, but challenges remain

2011-01-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

There's significant interest in all-electric vehicles among car buyers, but automakers have a few obstacles to navigate in order to satisfy consumers, according to an IBM study.

Nineteen percent of 1,716 U.S. drivers said they were likely or very likely to consider an all-electric vehicle for their next car. The average driving range per day is between 30 miles and 40 miles, which held true even in rural areas, said Kal Gyimesi, IBV automotive lead and co-author of the study. Thirty percent of people said that a 100-mile range, which is what many automakers are targeting, is sufficient.

Consumers are sensitive to purchase price and the price of gasoline, but the survey also found many were willing to pay more for a more environmentally friendly car. Forty percent said they would be willing to pay up to 20 percent more for an electric-only car.

Although there's a great deal of buzz around the Nissan Leaf and other plug-in cars coming to market, most analysts expect battery-electric cars to represent a small fraction of total auto sales in the next 10 years. Large batteries make EVs relatively expensive, although the cost per mile is cheaper. They also face ongoing competition from more fuel-efficient, gas-only vehicles or hybrids.

For the complete article, please click here.

Direct Energy Becomes the Newest Sponsor for Smart Energy Summit 2011

2011-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates welcomes Direct Energy, the largest competitive retailer in North America of electricity and natural gas, home services, energy efficient solutions and more, as the newest sponsor for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin, Texas.

Direct Energy is one of North America’s largest competitive energy suppliers with approximately 6,000 employees. They are active in upstream production (electricity and natural gas) and downstream delivery. Direct Energy helps customers effectively manage all of their energy needs.

For more information about the company, visit http://www.directenergy.com/

We thank you for your continued support!

Smart Energy Summit features executive session with CEDIA, GE, and Broadcom

2011-01-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates will host Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer on January 24-26, 2011, in Austin, Texas, which will feature the session "Opportunities beyond the HAN" to discuss new opportunities for energy-related solutions, including smart appliances and electric vehicles.

While consumer awareness of smart grids remains low, U.S. households are still taking energy-saving actions themselves, with roughly 80% making energy-related improvements in their home. Parks Associates also reports perceptions of energy-efficient solutions are expanding, with consumers showing near equal interest in lifestyle enhancements as well as cost savings in motivating these changes.

"Opportunities beyond the HAN," 1:45 p.m. on January 26, will feature the following speakers:

Utz Baldwin, CEO, CEDIA
Andy Melder, Powerline Marketing, Broadcom
JT Thompson, Utility Sales Leader, GE Appliances and Lighting

Parks Associates reports only 12% of U.S. consumers have strong familiarity with the term smart grid, essentially unchanged from 11% in 2009, indicating utilities and companies providing utility-related solutions must invest in education and marketing to capture consumer interest.

DMN3 Becomes the Newest Smart Energy Summit 2011 Sponsor

2010-12-30T09:15:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates welcome DMN3, a direct marketing firm and advertising agency that offers both offline and online marketing campaign services, as the newest sponsor for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin.

For the first 10 years, the marketing agency focused on the financial market. Today, the DMN3 staff comes from the advertising agency, online, technology and direct marketing disciplines. Our service offerings moved from solely direct mail to integrated programs. The marketing firm has offices in Houston, TX and Dallas, TX. They also have a strategic partner in Westport, CT.

For more information about the company, visit www.dmn3.com

We thank you for your continued support!

Next Energy Becomes the Newest Sponsor for Smart Energy Summit 2011

2010-12-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates welcomes Next Energy as the newest sponsor for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin, TX.

NextEnergy is a solar PV contractor with over 30 years experience demonstrating innovation in home energy management. Our goal is to scale cost effective energy management solutions and create partnerships that will enhance our sales and installation programs. We empower customers to take control of their energy use with a selection of products and services marketed under the PowerNab brand.

For more information about the company, visit www.nextenergy.com.

We thank you for your continued support!

Ingersoll Rand Becomes the Newest Sponsor for Smart Energy Summit 2011

2010-12-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates welcome Ingersoll Rand, a company that has recently transformed itself into a multi-brand commercial products manufacturer serving customers in diverse global markets, and away from the capital-intense, heavy-machinery profile of its past, as the newest sponsor for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin.

Ingersoll Rand is a global diversified industrial firm providing products, services and solutions to enhance the quality and comfort in homes and buildings, transport and protect food and perishables, secure homes and commercial properties, and enhance industrial productivity and efficiency,

For more information about the company, visit www.ingersollrand.com

We thank you for your continued support!

Itron and Silver Spring Networks Expand Agreement

2010-12-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

Itron Inc. and Silver Spring Networks announced today that they have finalized an expanded agreement to integrate Itron’s CENTRON® II electricity meters, 100G gas ERT® modules and 100W water ERT® modules with Silver Spring’s Smart Energy Platform.

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies have addressed the technical, functional and solution delivery issues required to deliver a robust, multi-vendor advanced metering solution for gas, water and electricity providers. This further extends our existing agreement which provides for compatibility of the Itron CENTRON I electricity meter with the Silver Spring Smart Energy Platform.

Integration between the Itron modules and Silver Spring Smart Energy Platform is underway. Orders will soon be accepted for delivery in mid-2011.

For the complete article, please click here.

Parks Associates reports 28% of U.S. households looking to adopt electricity usage displays

2010-12-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

Rising energy costs and economic conditions are motivating consumer interest in energy management solutions but also setting high expectations for these technologies, according to Parks Associates, which will host Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer on January 24-26, 2011, in Austin, Texas.

The conference agenda features the session "Solutions that Deliver on the Promise," January 25 at 11 a.m., with executives from ecobee, Oncor Electric Delivery Company, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory discussing business strategies that align with user needs and expectations.

Over one-fourth of U.S. consumers are very interested in an in-home display that shows their current electricity usage, with 90% willing to pay $90-$100 for this solution. However, this level of interest comes only if it can help save 10-30% off their electric bill. Our Residential Energy Management project is finding, behind the high overall interest in energy-saving solutions, consumers have very specific expectations that must be met before they adopt.

Confirmed speakers for "Solutions that Deliver on the Promise":
• Stuart Lombard, President and CEO, ecobee
• Bill Muston, Manager, Research & Development, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC
• Steve Widergren, Principal Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Smart Energy Summit is the premier event examining business opportunities and technical challenges as smart grid technologies move into the home. The agenda features keynote speakers from IBM, Grid Net, and the U.S. Department of Commerce and includes interactive panels and presentations focused on strategies to demonstrate the value proposition of new energy management products, services, and standards.

HomeGrid Forum President Re-Elected to SmartGrid Interoperability Panel Governing Board

2010-12-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

HomeGrid Forum, the non-profit trade group promoting the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union’s G.hn and G.hnem energy management technologies, announced in December that Matthew Theall, President of HomeGrid Forum and a Technology Strategist at Intel Corporation, was re-elected to another two-year term on the SmartGrid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) Governing Board.

The mission of the SGIP is to provide a strong framework for coordination of all stakeholders of the Smart Grid to accelerate standards harmonization and development. The SGIP does not write standards, instead it develops and reviews use cases, identifies requirements, lists approved standards, and proposes action plans for achieving Smart Grid interoperability and coexistence goals.

The SGIP is managed and guided by a Governing Board that approves and prioritizes work programs and arranges for the resources necessary to carry out finalized priority action plans. The Governing Board’s responsibilities include facilitating a dialogue with standards development organizations to ensure that the action plans can be implemented. The SGIP Governing Board provides guidance to the SGIP. This guidance includes a broad perspective of the NIST Interoperability Framework and Roadmap vision.

For the complete article, please click here.

Itron Expands Its End-to-End Solutions Portfolio with Acquisition of Asais

2010-12-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

Itron Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Asais, an energy information management software and consulting services provider, headquartered in France, for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2011.

Asais is a leader in energy information management and multi-vendor data collection capabilities. For the past 25 years, the company has developed and implemented advanced energy information management solutions through state-of-the-art software and online services. Asais delivers competitive flexibility to every segment of the energy industry by providing customers with data collection, data analysis and smart grid management software solutions and services.

Itron has been partnering with Asais globally for the past four years. Joint projects include smart metering and smart grid initiatives with many major utilities across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The acquisition enables Itron to offer integrated, end-to-end solutions with a strong expertise in energy information management and efficiency—fundamental components for success in today’s utility industry.

Asais’ leading data collection software will complement Itron’s field-proven meter data management and analytics systems, creating a platform for successful smart metering deployments in Europe and across the globe. In return, Itron will provide Asais opportunities for accelerated growth into international markets. Asais’ consultancy expertise will afford Itron’s utility customers expanded options to optimize the management of their resources.

For the complete article, please click here.

The Residential Energy Management Ecosystem

2010-12-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

Numerous firms are developing solutions for both utilities and consumers to monitor, manage, and control their electricity consumption. Companies developing solutions for the residential market represent only one group within the rapidly expanding universe of participants in the residential energy management ecosystem.

The basic structure of the ecosystem has three primary levels:

-- Technology Enablers: firms developing the building blocks of solutions from control communication technologies to software platforms on which communication service providers can provide applications over the top of their current offerings.

-- Products and Systems: companies integrating these building blocks with their own technologies to offer solutions designed to take advantage of the smart grid capabilities.

-- Distribution Channels: organizations that touch the consumer, or perhaps more specifically, have a billing relationship with the consumer.

To read more about the The Residential Energy Management Ecosystem, subscribe to Parks Associates' Home Systems and Home Controls Newsletter.

Click here to subscribe to other Parks Associates complimentary newsletters.

At CES, Green Plug to Debut Advanced System-on-Chip (SOC) Designed Expressly for Smart Power Supply Control

2010-12-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

WHO: Green Plug develops and licenses innovative technology and components that enable consumer electronics manufacturers to upgrade from traditional analog power adapters to “smart” digital controllers that save power and significantly reduce environmental waste. The company is the first developer of digital technology enabling communication between electronic devices and their power sources.

WHAT: Capping three years in development, Green Plug will preview its first product at CES, bringing intelligence, power monitoring and advanced control to AC/DC power adapters and the consumer device ecosystem.

WHEN: January 6-9, 2011

WHERE: Platinum Hotel, 211 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas

For the complete press release, please click here.

GE’s Nucleus™ Energy Manager is First Energy Gateway to be ZigBee®-Certified

2010-12-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

GE announced that its Nucleus™ energy manager with Brillion™ technology will be the first ZigBee®-certified home energy gateway for smart grid communications and home energy management. Nucleus is the first ZigBee device to act as both an in-premise display device and energy services gateway that can communicate inside and outside of the home. In this regard, consumers need only to connect the Nucleus to the utility smart meter, and then have the option of connecting smart home devices, and a smart phone interface that is currently under development, to the Nucleus.

Using the ZigBee communication protocol, GE’s Nucleus will be capable of communicating with the smart grid and allowing consumers to manage their smart appliances and thermostats in response to utility price signals and take control of their energy consumption and costs.

ZigBee is a standards-based (IEEE 802.15.4), wireless communications protocol that is embedded in, and compatible with, a wide-range of energy-management devices in the home. ZigBee enables smart technologies – like appliances, thermostats and energy gateways – to receive signals from the utility through the home’s smart meter. Products that receive ZigBee certification are able to communicate with a broad range of devices, ultimately providing flexibility, reliability and cost-effectiveness.

For the complete article, please click here.

Energy management session featuring Verizon, Direct Energy, Reliant Energy, and PG&E at Smart Energy Summit 2011

2010-12-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

Executives from Verizon, Direct Energy, Reliant Energy, and PG&E will examine the new competitive market for residential energy management in the special session "Energy as a Service" on January 25 at Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer.

Regulatory changes and technology advancements, including the proliferation of broadband, are adding a competitive dimension to the energy business. Electricity providers can supplement their power offerings with monitoring and management services, but other players, including communications service providers, are looking to enter the consumer energy management market. We predict adoption of non-utility residential energy management solutions, including systems from firms such as AlertMe, Control4, and HAI and services from providers such as Verizon and Comcast, will grow more quickly over the next five years.

Confirmed speakers for the "Energy as a Service" session:

Eric Bruno, SVP, Consumer Product Management & Development, Verizon
Christopher Deutschen, Senior Manager, Direct Energy
Brent Hodges, Director, Smart Energy Partnerships, Reliant Energy
Steve Malnight, VP, Integrated Demand Side Management, PG&E

Smart Energy Summit includes interactive panels and presentations focused on strategies for manufacturers, utilities, and other service providers to demonstrate the value proposition of new energy management products, services, and standards. The agenda includes keynote speakers from IBM, Grid Net, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

For more information, visit www.smartenergysummit2011.com .

ZigBee Smart Energy Makes Electric Outlets Smart

2010-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Energy Optimizers Limited (EOL) has launched a new ZigBee Smart Energy version of its existing plug-in electricity meter for the Canadian market that can help utilities and households understand better the load demand on the grid. The U.K. company’s device, called the plogg, allows utilities, home and building-owners to monitor how much electricity is being used by individual appliances and electronic devices so that energy efficiency across the grid can be improved. The plogg has gained approval to CSA C22.2 No 61010-1 for use in Canada.

The plogg is a combined smart meter plug and data logger, based on Ember’s EM357 ZigBee wireless technology running on a Telegesis module. It can be attached to any electrical appliance or device that uses a standard NEMA 5-15 15 Amp North American plug. The plogg stores the measured electricity data and wirelessly communicates this information through an Internet-linked Ethernet gateway. For instance, BC Hydro in Vancouver is using the plogg in trials designed to test demand side management (DSM) programs that provide accurate load data for the following residential end-uses: Appliance Loads, Standby Loads, Reactive Loads, Voltages.

For the complete article, please click here.

GE Executive Reveals Promise of Energy Evolution for EU

2010-12-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

The European Union can be a leader in the implementation of a 21st century energy infrastructure, according to the keynote address by GE’s Bob Gilligan at the IEEE Smart Grid World Forum in Brussels today. While outlining the challenges of growing electricity demand and its environmental impact, Gilligan showed how emerging energy solutions can enable Europe and the world to sustain and improve our energy-dependent lifestyles. The key, he said, is starting with a viable roadmap to guide measured improvement over the coming decades.

He sees tomorrow’s breakthroughs, like the European Union’s proposed “Energy Highways” for transporting remote wind and solar power to urban consumption centers, as an important element of an overall energy plan to meet our growing energy needs in a more sustainable way. We need clear government policy, with funding support, to drive the utility investments needed to assure reliable, clean power and improved energy efficiency from energy generation, through delivery, to consumption.

The European Parliament and Council’s 20/20/20 initiative to increase energy efficiency by 20 percent, produce 20 percent of its energy from renewable resources and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent is a positive demonstration of the region’s commitment to responsible energy leadership, Gilligan said. He called on governments and regulators at the national level to provide the leadership, incentives and accommodations needed for the transformation to a low-carbon economy.

For the complete article, please click here.

Burbank Water and Power Selects Tropos Wireless Mesh Network for Smart Grid Communications

2010-12-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Tropos Networks, the leader in high reliability outdoor wireless IP networks, was selected by Burbank Water and Power (BWP) as a key element in their Smart Grid network of networks. To improve service and empower its 51,000 electricity customers to use energy wisely, BWP is implementing comprehensive Smart Grid systems across the utility’s entire coverage area. Tropos’ GridCom® architecture will be used as the high performance wireless distribution area network, providing secure connectivity for multiple utility Smart Grid applications.

Key goals of the Smart Grid initiative include enabling customer energy efficiency and demand response, improving operational efficiencies, reducing CO2 emissions, supporting Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PEVs), and integrating renewable energy sources to meet California’s mandate of 33 percent renewable power by 2020.

Upcoming Smart Grid program phases include full AMI deployment to all customers, distribution automation, demand response, thermal energy storage systems at select customer sites, and new control systems. Several retail services are planned that utilize the Smart Grid to enable energy efficiency, demand management and other programs that will give customers greater information and control over energy usage. BWP does not expect to raise rates to fund the program; instead, it will cover costs with the SGIG, cost reductions related to operational efficiency improvements, and selling services utilizing excess capacity on its communication systems.

For the complete article, please click here.

Duke Energy and ITOCHU to Develop Strategies for Reusing Electric Vehicle Batteries

2010-12-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

Duke Energy and Tokyo-based ITOCHU Corp. signed an agreement today to collaborate on advanced energy technologies, starting with the evaluation and testing of second-life applications for electric vehicle batteries.

According to some auto industry estimates, electric vehicle (EV) batteries that can no longer charge to approximately 80 percent of their original capacity may be candidates for replacement. Duke Energy and ITOCHU believe batteries that become unsuitable for use in EVs could live on in other applications. Reuse possibilities for these batteries include providing a supplemental home energy supply, storing renewable power and providing a fast-charging power source for EVs.

The companies will assess how EV batteries perform in their "second lives," including stationary applications in homes, neighborhoods and commercial buildings. This pilot project will help Duke Energy and ITOCHU validate potential business models for future commercialization. In addition, the companies believe increasing the total lifetime value of batteries through second-life applications could help reduce initial battery cost.

For the complete article, please click here.

Verizon Wireless Partnering With EPA's ENERGY STAR to Improve Energy Efficiency

2010-12-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

Furthering its commitment to protecting the environment, Verizon Wireless has become an official ENERGY STAR® Partner. Through its voluntary partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Verizon Wireless will work to improve energy efficiency and fight global warming. Seventy-five Verizon Wireless Communications Stores have already earned the ENERGY STAR for superior energy performance.

In partnership with ENERGY STAR, Verizon Wireless will:

•Measure and track energy performance at hundreds of company Communications Stores, switching centers, cell sites and other facilities throughout the United States.

•Integrate ENERGY STAR resources into Verizon Wireless' energy management strategy.

•Spread the word about the importance of energy efficiency to employees, partners and community members in the 49 states where Verizon Wireless operates.

For the complete article, please click here.

Motorola enters the connected home market through the acquisition of 4Home

2010-12-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

Connected home platform developer 4Home was acquired by Motorola today (12/01/10). 4Home will now become a part of Motorola’s Mobility division; terms of the deal have not yet been announced.

4Home’s solutions include energy management, healthcare monitoring, home security monitoring and entertainment management. 4Home, a Sunnyvale, CA based company, was founded in 2005 and has been a regular participant at Parks Associates’ CONNECTIONS conference. To date the company has raised over $9 million in venture capital funding from Pond Ventures, Parker Price and Verizon Ventures.

Motorola is one of the leading Set-Top-Box (STB) brands and we predict that 4Home’s platform will be embedded on their (Motorola’s) STBs enhancing the company’s offering. We expect more details on the deal to be available soon.

In our opinion this is another great example of a market mover, such as Motorola, building the foundation for the connected home systems and services market to blossom. We have repeatedly stated that there are multiple paths to the connected home. 4Home developed a robust platform and Motorola is well-positioned to deploy it. Other recent examples of companies with market clout getting behind the connected home solutions include cable MSOs Comcast and Rogers, both deploying services based on the iControl/uControl (a recent merger) platform(s).

The bottom line for industry participants is that these firms, and others we expect to hear from shortly, will build awareness of the capabilities monitoring and control technologies can add to consumers’ lifestyles. 2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the connected home systems and services market. So much so, that we are formulating a new market intelligence program aimed at characterizing and quantifying opportunities in this arena for manufacturers, service providers, utilities, retailers and a host of technology enablers. Stay tuned.

No one said it was going to be easy

2010-11-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

The smart grid is fast becoming a reality. The U.S. power grid is aging and is in need of an upgrade. Smart meters are being installed on residences across the U.S. as part of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) deployments. Pilot programs testing a variety of residential energy management programs are well underway, including the latest from CPS Energy in San Antonio, TX. As part of the pilot program, 40,000 residential customers will receive smart meters. Over the next 10 years, more changes and developments will take place on the grid than they have over the last 100 years. However, it is not going to be easy.

The smart grid has benefits for all involved; however, failure to convey the benefits has become a major challenge. Utilities like the idea of cutting labor costs and being able to manage electricity usage more efficiently; environmentalists want to integrate renewables onto the grid; manufacturers want to sell appliances and consumers want to cut expenditures on electricity. These are all different goals and not necessarily compatible in every respect. For instance, some utilities are developing the capability to shed load by remotely adjusting consumers’ thermostats or appliances. This helps them avoid paying premium prices for power during times of peak usage, but not all consumers want to participate in these programs. Parks Associates 2010 Residential Energy Management Survey shows that about a third of households don’t mind utilities controlling systems in their homes; on the other hand, 40% of households don’t like the idea.

Another hurdle is lack of communication. Utilities are accustomed to acting unilaterally once public utility commissions approve a program. Many didn’t place a priority on customer education. This has changed significantly and utilities are taking an active role in building stronger relations with their customers. Both California-based Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Dallas- based Oncor have established C-level positions, Chief Customer Officer (CCO), to build stronger relationships with the customers. The CCOs and their staff are responsible for addressing customer concerns answering billing inquires and educating customers about the benefits of smart meters and more.

Not being easy doesn’t mean impossible. Meter data management firm eMeter’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Chris King, briefed congress in July, 2010, on the results of the PowerCentsDC smart grid pilot program in Washington, DC. Conducted in collaboration with DC utility PEPCO, King reported that the overall results of the pilot were very positive, “Over the course of the pilot, 90 percent of customers saved money -- an average of $44 per year -- and more than 90 percent said they would recommend the program to friends and family.”

Parks Associates’ 2^nd Annual Smart Energy Summit in Austin, TX on January 24th-26^th, 2011 will provide utilities and other interested parties a forum to share and discuss these initiatives as well as other lessons learned with an eye to identifying additional ways to engage in energy conservation and management programs.

Investments supporting smart grid innovations

2010-11-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

Investments in the smart grid and related technologies continue to grow. The latest was made last week by General Electric which announced the first round of winners of the GE ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid. The competition was launched in August, 2010 and is co-funded by venture capital firms Emerald Technology Ventures, Foundation Capital, KPCB and Rockport Capital. 3,500 applications from 150 countries were received by GE for the $200 million prize pot.

Last week’s announcement showed GE’s strong interest in supporting solar, EV charging stations, energy management software and grid optimization projects. $55 million have been awarded as part of the first round; GE plans to make more rounds of investments over the next 18 months. Included in the list of winners is North Carolina based Consert, which Parks Associates has profiled in our Residential Energy Management: Company, Alliance & Technology Profiles report and will also be covered in our latest Home Area Networks (HAN): Analysis & Forecast 2010 report scheduled to be published by the end of this month. According to the press release from GE, Consert’s load curtailment technology helps increase operations efficiency and act as a virtual power plant. The product complements GE Digital Energy’s existing solutions to meet the unique needs of these market segments.

Besides supporting the firms financially, GE will provide winners access to its engineers and sales staff. The fact that GE is also developing energy management technology in-house, such as the GE Nucleus, and investing in competing technologies along with other cleantech ventures, it is clear that GE wants to be involved in all facets of the new and improved power grid.

The government and academia have also continued their financial support for the smart grid with the DOE announcing investments of $19 million in five smart grid projects and Stanford University’s TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy launching a $1.2 million fund for researchers focused on smart grid related studies. Investments in consumer focused solutions are still taking a backseat to grid and renewable energy related investments, but we expect this to change over the next 4-5 years. Based on our forecast, by the end of 2014 approximately 9 million residential energy management systems will be in use in U.S. households. This fact, coupled with a growing interest among consumers to have better insight into their consumption, is attracting interest from all smart grid participants.

Parks Associates announces Smart Energy Summit Advisory Board

2010-11-23T12:48:00.000-08:00

Parks Associates announced the executives on the Advisory Board for the upcoming Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, Austin, Texas, Jan 24-26, 2011, which will examine the business opportunities and technical challenges as smart grid technologies move into the home.

The advisory board for Smart Energy Summit provides guidance and recommendations into topics, strategy, and marketing for the event. This year's advisory board includes representatives from the following companies:

Control4
ecobee
eMeter Corporation
Gigle Networks
GreenWave Reality
GridNet
HomePlug Powerline Alliance
Lantiq North America, Inc., representing HomeGrid Forum
Sigma Designs
Smart Grid News
U.S. Department of Energy

Smart Energy Summit analyzes the business strategies in conjunction with the latest consumer data to determine the best opportunities for success. Agenda sessions focus on smart grid deployments in the U.S. and around the world, new players and business models, cloud-based energy management, new services, growth of the ecosystem, and strategies to engage consumers.

For more information, visit www.smartenergysummit2011.com .

Vice President Biden Launches Home Energy Scoring Program

2010-11-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Vice President Biden joined U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu to announce the launch of the Home Energy Score pilot program. The Home Energy Score will offer homeowners straightforward, reliable information about their homes' energy efficiency. A report provides consumers with a home energy score between 1 and 10, and shows them how their home compares to others in their region. The report also includes customized, cost-effective recommendations that will help to reduce their energy costs and improve the comfort of their homes.

DOE also released the Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades, a comprehensive set of guidelines for workers in the residential energy efficiency industry. The guidelines will help develop and expand the skills of the workforce, ensuring the quality of the work performed, while laying the foundation for a more robust worker certification and training program nationwide. Vice President Biden made the announcements on November 9 at a Middle Class Task Force event, highlighting the progress that has been made on implementing the recommendations of last year's Recovery through Retrofit report.

A score of "10" represents a home with excellent energy performance, while a "1" represents a home that will benefit from major energy upgrades. Along with the score, the homeowner will receive a list of recommendations for home energy upgrades and other useful tips. For each specific improvement, the estimated utility bill savings, payback period, and greenhouse gas emission reductions are included. To see a sample copy of the Home Energy Score and get more information on how it is calculated, visit the Home Energy Score Web site.

For the complete article, please click here.

DOE Announces Report on Encouraging Homeowners to Invest in Energy Efficiency Improvements

2010-11-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently released a report on how governments and industry can spark homeowners to seek out home energy improvements, or retrofits, which save energy and money for consumers.

Energy efficiency upgrades include energy saving improvements such as adding insulation, sealing air ducts, installing high-efficiency lighting, enhancing or replacing windows and doors, and replacing furnaces, heat pumps, water heaters, and air conditioners. Called "Driving Demand for Home Energy Improvements," this study will help ensure that the Department's investments in energy efficiency provide taxpayers with a high rate of return on their investments, deliver the maximum impact in local communities, and support a self-sustaining industry for residential energy efficiency improvements that will help grow America's economy and create new jobs.

The report concludes that success will require multifaceted approaches that acknowledge a deeper understanding of what motivates homeowners and what contractors are concerned about. Effective programs will tend to be tailored to the location, thoughtfully researched and piloted, personalized to the target audience, and more labor-intensive than simple incentive programs.

For the complete article, please click here.

GE Announces Largest Single Electric Vehicle Commitment, Commits to Convert Half of Global Fleet By 2015

2010-11-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

GE announced it will purchase 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015 for its own fleet and through its Capital Fleet Services business - the largest-ever single electric vehicle commitment.

GE will convert at least half of its 30,000 global fleet and will partner with fleet customers to deploy a total of 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015. GE will initially purchase 12,000 GM vehicles, beginning with the Chevrolet Volt in 2011, and will add other vehicles as manufacturers expand their electric vehicle portfolios. GE and its partners will use a mix of electric vehicle technologies to meet their respective needs. Chevrolet Volts will roll off production lines this month and other automakers are bringing electric vehicles to market. As this occurs, GE is in a strong position to help deploy the supporting infrastructure to help its 65,000 global fleet customers convert and manage their fleets.

GE businesses including Capital Fleet Services, Energy and Licensing & Trading will benefit from an emerging electric vehicle market that could deliver up to $500 million in GE revenue over the next three years. This includes rapidly developing markets for GE’s charging station, the WattStation.

For the complete article, please click here.

eMeter Announces Smart Grid Partnership with Convergys to Extend Next-Generation Rating and Billing Capabilities to Utilities

2010-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

At Knowledge 2010, eMeter, a leader in Smart Grid management software, announced its partnership with Convergys Corporation, a global leader in relationship management, to provide proven real-time rating, billing and data management capabilities to utilities and their customers. The partnership is aimed at evolving current utility billing and customer care systems to enhance the time it takes for utilities and consumers to realize true Smart Grid value while reducing any potential risks which may arise during deployment.

With the introduction of the Smart Grid and the technology advancements made to date, utilities are facing challenges with data management and customer engagement - key elements to the success of any Smart Grid project. These challenges are not unlike those that the telecommunications industry addressed in its nascent years. Convergys and eMeter together deliver proven and responsive technologies designed to help address the needs of utilities while addressing the concerns of their customers by providing them with clear and relevant information about their personal energy use in a timely manner.

For the complete article, please click here.

SmartSynch GridRouter Performs Successfully During Duke Energy Pilot Program

2010-11-16T14:26:00.000-08:00

SmartSynch, a smart grid technology company utilizing standard IP communications via cellular networks, announced that its GridRouter™ universal communications solution has performed successfully in energy management pilot programs conducted by Duke Energy at businesses and universities.

With the aid of a custom software application developed by Duke Energy for this project, the GridRouter enables distribution of energy efficiency data, demand response and pricing information from Duke’s corporate information systems back to the customer’s building automation systems. Duke Energy designed the software application, which resides on the GridRouter, using a software development kit that SmartSynch built into the solution to allow utilities to design custom software applications to meet specific smart grid needs.

Launched in December 2009, SmartSynch’s GridRouter is one of the industry’s first universal smart grid communications solution. With the GridRouter, utilities can seamlessly and easily communicate with every possible device on the smart grid regardless of make, model or communication protocol.

For the complete article, please click here.

Sigma Designs sponsors Smart Energy Summit 2011

2010-11-16T05:11:00.001-08:00

Parks Associate is proud to welcome Sigma Designs as a Premier sponsor for the upcoming Smart Energy Summit in Austin.

Sigma Designs is a leading fabless provider of highly integrated SoC solutions that are used to deliver multimedia entertainment throughout the home. Sigma’s SoC solutions include media processors, home control and communication devices which combine semiconductors and software as critical components of high-growth consumer applications including IPTV-based settop boxes, gateways, Blu-ray players, HDTVs, entertainment connectivity devices, and RFbased home control devices.

Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., Sigma Designs also has design centers or sales representatives in Canada, China, Denmark, France, Israel, Japan, Korea (third party), Singapore, and Taiwan.

For more information, please visit www.sigmadesigns.com.

eMeter Announces Smart Grid Partnership with Convergys to Extend Next-Generation Rating and Billing Capabilities to Utilities

2010-11-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

eMeter, a leader in Smart Grid management software, announced its partnership with Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG), a global leader in relationship management, to provide proven real-time rating, billing and data management capabilities to utilities and their customers. The partnership is aimed at evolving current utility billing and customer care systems to enhance the time it takes for utilities and consumers to realize true Smart Grid value while reducing any potential risks which may arise during deployment.

With the introduction of the Smart Grid and the technology advancements made to date, utilities are facing challenges with data management and customer engagement – key elements to the success of any Smart Grid project. These challenges are not unlike those that the telecommunications industry addressed in its nascent years. Convergys and eMeter together deliver proven and responsive technologies designed to help address the needs of utilities while addressing the concerns of their customers by providing them with clear and relevant information about their personal energy use in a timely manner.

For the complete article, please click here.

ecobee sponsors Smart Energy Summit 2011

2010-11-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Parks Associates is proud to welcome ecobee as a 2011 sponsor for the Smart Energy Summit in Austin, Texas from January 24-26, 2011.

ecobee helps homeowners conserve energy, save money and reduce their environmental impact. The green automation platform sits at the convergence of energy conservation, green technology, the networked home and consumer electronics. Their products automate energy conservation making it easier to save on energy costs without sacrificing comfort.

ecobee is part of an international ground swell empowered by the realization that we need to take action on the environment, and the time to take that action is now. Their products and services are developed with care, innovation and attention to detail. They have a real and meaningful impact on our customers and the communities they live in.

For more information about ecobee, visit: http://www.ecobee.com/

Noveda Technologies Signs Letter of Intent to Provide Energy Monitoring Solutions for Taiwan

2010-11-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Noveda Technologies, the leader in web-based real-time monitoring systems, and the government of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) signed a letter of intent for Noveda to assist in developing comprehensive monitoring solutions for the country. The entry into Taiwan furthers Noveda's plan of worldwide market expansion.

According to the letter of intent, Noveda will work with the MOEA and various government agencies to jointly explore monitoring solutions that will empower Taiwanese consumers to optimize their electricity and water usage in the commercial, industrial and residential sectors.

In cooperation with the MOEA, Bureau of Energy, Department of Industrial Technology, Institute for Information Industry, and the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Noveda will begin visiting with energy management companies in Taiwan to identify potential partners for technology development and smart grid solutions for the Taiwanese market. Responding to an invitation by the Deputy Minster Sheng-chung Lin, Noveda plans to establish local operations in Taiwan to develop the country's energy solutions market.

For the complete article, please click here.

Wi-Fi Alliance joins forces with HomePlug Powerline

2010-11-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Wi-Fi Alliance and the HomePlug Powerline Alliance announced a recent agreement to collaborate on applications that allow smart energy grids to interoperate with "connected" homes.

The two alliances are part of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, a forum that coordinates smart grid standards. They plan to collaborate on wireless and wired network applications for what the forum calls its Smart Energy 2 Applications Profile.

To read more about this collaboration, click here.

Constellation NewEnergy VP calls for real-time use data

2010-11-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Federal decision makers need to change the way they think about energy, Constellation NewEnergy said yesterday at the Public Sector Energy Symposium the firm hosted in Washington, DC. “Real-time information is the key,” said Peter Kelly-Detwiler, senior VP of energy technology services at retailer Constellation NewEnergy.

While federal agencies including the military buy energy, they need to think about how they buy. Some of that “how” comes from the competitive energy market.And now may be the time for those who are among those who use the most power to do things in new ways.

For the complete article, please click here.

BRIDGE Energy Group Selected by Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) as the Smart Grid Integration Partner

2010-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

BRIDGE Energy Group, the trusted advisor and implementation partner in Smart Grid Integration, today announced that OUC—The Reliable One has selected BRIDGE as the Smart Grid integration partner for its Smart Grid initiatives. OUC, which provides electric and water service to more than 313,000 metered accounts in Central Florida, will start integrating Meter Data Management (MDM), Customer Information System (CIS) and Outage Management System (OMS) applications as part of a broader Smart Grid initiative.

BRIDGE will leverage its proven eFAME™ Methodology to integrate OUC's newly acquired eMeter MDM application with OUC's existing CIS and OMS applications across distributed locations. eFAME is BRIDGE's comprehensive and integrated suite of methodologies and blueprints to perform strategic assessment, develop Smart Grid strategy, evaluate vendor products and implement application integration. BRIDGE's technology agnostic and vendor neutral approach will enable OUC to work with various application vendors under a uniform set of standards, thereby reducing risk and bringing transparency across all Smart Grid tracks.

For the complete article, please click here.

OPower waiting to add devices to its portfolio

2010-10-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

Tendril's purchase of GroundedPower does not change OPower's strategy with respect to entering the smart grid devices space,according to Ogi Kavazovic, OPower senior director for marketing & strategy. The Tendril-GroundedPower deal is gratifying in some ways, he said, noting OPower has been preaching for some time that energy data is not enough to engage consumers.

The acquisition of GroundedPower made public last week will let privately held Tendril offer more management services in the energy-efficiency space. Tendril currently focuses such efforts on real-time energy use displayed on websites and in-home displays. GroundedPower helps consumers set energy-efficiency goals and provides reports on individual and community participation.

For the complete article, please click here.

Honeywell UtilityPRO Becomes Fastest-Selling Demand Response Thermostat

2010-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Honeywell announced that UtilityPRO™ has become the fastest-selling thermostat for utility-sponsored demand response programs. Since the technology was introduced in 2008, Honeywell has shipped more than 350,000 of the touchscreen programmable thermostats, which give utilities control over peak consumption while helping homeowners cut energy costs.

Thirty-three utilities in the United States and Canada have already selected the thermostat for their demand response efforts. By 2011, Honeywell expects UtilityPRO will give these utilities combined control of more than 500 megawatts of peak energy use — equivalent to the generation capacity of approximately 10 gas-fired peaking plants.

Utilities and end users access UtilityPRO through a built-in communication module. In addition, utilities can communicate directly with customers by sending customized text messages — an industry first. Specifically, they can send information like weather forecasts, and updates on other efficiency and conservation programs.

For the full release, click here.

Tendril and Lockheed Martin Collaborate to Deliver Integrated Demand Response Solutions

2010-10-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Tendril, a leading energy management technology provider and Lockheed Martin announced they will be working to integrate Lockheed Martin's SEEload™ Demand Response Management solution with Tendril's energy management platform. The integrated solution provides a comprehensive demand-side management solution that gives consumers greater control over their energy consumption and enables utilities to deploy comprehensive, secure and standards-based demand response (DR) programs.

The integration enables utilities to deploy Open ADR-based (automated demand response) programs across their residential, commercial and industrial customers. Demand response is increasingly viewed as an essential way to meet growing demand, comply with peak load and emissions reduction targets, and help customers control energy costs.

Lockheed Martin's Smart Energy Enterprise Suite, or SEEsuite Smart Grid Command and Control™ applications gives utilities and system operators unprecedented insight into enterprise operations and control of their smart grid assets.

The Tendril platform helps energy service providers gain insight and control over their energy load by utilizing products and applications that communicate directly with a Utility's existing infrastructure, and subsequently provide customers with the information they need to make good energy management choices day to day.

For the complete article, please click here.

Toyota To Release a Smart Energy Management System in 2012

2010-10-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

In an effort to enable its customer base to better control its energy consumption, Toyota recently announced that it is developing a smart center system that links homes, vehicles and electric power companies. The Japanese automaker will launch the smart grid initiative in 2012 when it rolls out its new line of plug-in hybrids.

The all-in-one energy management system will allow customers to use their television or mobile phone to monitor the amount of energy that is consumed by their home. Users can also check how much their hybrid vehicle has charged and how much power has been stored at their house.

Authorities with the auto giant expect the system will be able to reduce home energy consumption by as much as 75 percent, according to the Daily Tech. Unfortunately for consumers, Toyota will only launch the system in Japan for the time being, and consumers must own a brand-new plug-in Toyota to incorporate the system into their home.

For the full article, please click here.

HomePlug Powerline Alliance Becomes The Newest Sponsor Of The Smart Energy Summit 2011

2010-10-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Parks Associates welcome HomePlug Powerline Alliance, a company that enables and promotes rapid availability, adoption and implementation of cost effective, interoperable and standards-based home powerline networks and products, as the newest sponsor for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin.

Founded in 2000, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. is an industry-led initiative with 70 member companies that creates specifications and certification logo programs for using the power lines for reliable home networking and Smart Grid applications.

The Alliance accelerates worldwide adoption for HomePlug technology by collaborating with international standards organizations such as the IEEE and through market development and user education programs. Sponsor members include Atheros Communications (ATHR); Cisco (CSCO); Comcast (CMCSK); Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK); GE Energy, an affiliate of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE); Gigle Networks; Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723); SPiDCOM Technologies; and STMicroelectronics (STM). Contributor members include Arkados (OTCBB: AKDS) and Corporate Systems Engineering.

For more information, visit www.homeplug.org.

We thank you for your continued support!

Climate Talk Alliance Joins 2011 Smart Energy Summit Supporter List

2010-10-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Parks Associates welcome Climate Talk Alliance, an organization of companies committed to developing a common communication infrastructure, to the newest list of supporters for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin.

The ClimateTalk Alliance is an organization of industry-leading companies who are committed to developing a common communication infrastructure for HVAC and Smart Energy devices and enabling the interoperability of diverse systems. The ClimateTalk Alliance has been formed as an ecosystem to drive collaboration on standards to address fragmentation in the HVAC Communications market and provide interoperability for applications in the Smart Energy arena.

The ClimateTalk Alliance is open to companies committed to providing long term interoperability of communicating devices that provide reduction in energy consumption while improving comfort and end user experience.

For more information, visit www.ClimateTalk.org.

We thank you for your continued support!

Landis+Gyr is Selected by CoServ Electric to Provide Advanced Metering and Smart Grid Technology for the Utility's eCoGrid Initiative

2010-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Landis+Gyr announced it has been selected by CoServ Electric to provide advanced metering and smart grid technology for the utility's eCoGrid initiative. CoServ Electric will deploy Landis+Gyr's Gridstream™ technology that supports advanced metering, distribution automation and personal energy management applications, and will bring two-way communications capabilities to the utility's more than 150,000 electric meters.

CoServ Electric is an electric cooperative that serves six North Texas counties. The utility plans to begin installing Gridstream RF advanced meters in March 2011, with an anticipated project completion date of 2013.

CoServ Electric currently offers a variety of resources to help members reduce energy usage, including free energy audits. Earlier this year, CoServ Electric accepted a $17.2 million grant from the Department of Energy to support the eCoGrid initiative.

Landis+Gyr's Gridstream RF technology uses a powerful radio mesh network to communicate with meters and distribution devices, such as monitors and switches. Gridstream devices use the Smart Energy Profile standard to communicate with smart appliances and in-home devices.This technology is currently being deployed to millions of residential and commercial sites across the United States. For more information, please click here.

Calix counts on smart grid to feed fiber builds

2010-10-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Both the town of Concord and the city of Highland, Ill., are deploying the Calix Unified Access portfolio. The vendor claims that the $4.5 million Concord deployment, orchestrated by government utility Concord Municipal Light, is the first smart grid project in the U.S. that combines GPON and wireless technologies. The Calix E7 Ethernet Service Access Platform is being used to deliver GPON to the Calix 700GX/GE optical network terminals located at wireless collector sites attached to transformers in the network. The configuration will allow the utility to better manage peak energy demand and allow residents to monitor their own energy usage using tools like Google’s PowerMeter.

The revenue and cost savings angles mean that smart grid projects are becoming a significant contributor to the average fiber access business case. Municipalities deploying fiber on their own may look at the bottom line savings, while a telco or other service provider involved in such projects may focus more on how smart grid revenue can be added to the top line of their business cases.

Overall market conditions, including low interest rates, increasing competition, government subsidies and increasing demand for video, are helping to prime the pump for vendors like Calix.

For the full article, click here.

Ambient Expands Smart Grid Deployments in Ohio

2010-09-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ambient announced that it has ramped up manufacturing capacity to meet the increasing demand for its products. Ambient is positioned to meet the recent increase in purchase orders, currently totaling over 44,000, for the X-3100 smart grid nodes. The company continues to further increase capacity for additional anticipated orders.

Ambient's node is a key component in smart grid deployments that are intended to bring these benefits to over 750,000 consumers. To date, Ambient has shipped approximately 25,000 IP-based smart grid communications nodes (from previously received orders), with over 17,000 of these nodes deployed in multiple locations in the United States.

Having experienced more than four consecutive quarters of growth, the Company is continuing to add essential resources to enhance its smart grid communications portfolio of products and expand its customer base. Ambient designs, develops and markets Ambient Smart Grid communications technologies and equipment. Using open standards-based technologies along with in-depth industry experience, Ambient provides utilities with solutions for creating smart grid communication platforms and technologies.

For the complete press release, please click here.