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

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.

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

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 .

Independent probe says heat (not smart meters) caused PG&E bills to soar

Around the time Pacific Gas & Electric started installing smart meters in California’s San Joaquin Valley, temperatures started to soar. But consumers got hotter still when their electricity bills started arriving with new smart meters and higher bills. Could this really be right?

The California PUC commissioned an independent evaluation to determine if PG&E smart meters were working properly. In a 414-page report, the smart meters were determined to be accurate.
Better communication and customer service need to bring together utilities, suppliers, vendors and advocates to better understand consumer needs and share best practices.