Silver Spring Networks gobbles up Greenbox to become Smart Grid powerhouse
Silver Spring Networks, a startup that provides IP-based networks and advanced wireless meters to utilities and their customers, just announced that it is acquiring Greenbox Technology, a maker of monitor displays that show homeowners how much energy they are using and how much it is costing them. This extends Silver Spring’s lead over the competition as it eyes an increasingly likely IPO.
In addition to generous funding, Silver Spring also enjoys high-profile utility partnerships with Pepco,… Continue Reading
British utilities lobby against consumer energy monitors — will the same happen in the U.S.?
Consumer-friendly devices used to monitor home energy consumption are only starting to gain traction. In the U.S., companies like Tendril (shown below), Greenbox and EnergyHub have pioneered systems that allow homeowners to easily view how much energy they are using and how much it is costing them. Even larger companies like Google, Microsoft, and Intel are developing energy management dashboards that will allow laymen users to view this data on their computers, phones and television… Continue Reading
AT&T partners with SmartSynch to bring the smart grid to your neighborhood
AT&T announced today that it will open its wireless network to smart meter maker SmartSynch, allowing electric utilities to install its IP-based smart grid technology in even more residential areas. Every SmartSynch SmartMeter will now send energy use information to utilities and homeowners over the expansive AT&T network, saving millions of dollars in network infrastructure, expansion and maintenance costs.
Now any consumer with AT&T service will be able to understand their energy consumption in economic terms,… Continue Reading
The Energy Detective investigates home energy use
A new device called the Energy Detective gives users a window into their home energy consumption and the appliances that suck the most power. Manufactured by Energy Inc., the system includes a transmission unit that connects directly into a building’s circuit breakers and a compact screen display that plugs into any electrical outlet. It retails for $145.
For maximum impact, the device not only tells you how many kilowatts you’re using but also how much your… Continue Reading
DEMO: Tendril releases mobile app for home energy management
Tendril Networks, a company that offers a portfolio of energy management tools to the utility industry, unveiled a web-based program for individual users at the DEMO conference today. The new application, called Tendril Vantage Mobile, lets users monitor their energy consumption, accumulating energy costs and pricing changes from their cell phones.
The application will also send users alerts and notifications of various changes in home energy use and pricing structure. One of program’s key features is… Continue Reading
DOE and X Prize pledge $150M in new clean technology grants
The U.S. DOE will invest up to $50 million in nine electric grid efficiency demonstration projects over the next 5 years, an an effort to reduce peak load demand in ways that could prevent the need for more power plants.
These so-called Renewable and Distributed Systems Integration (RDSI) technologies have become a key focus for the federal and local governments, which hope to reduce peak load electricity demand by at least 15% at distribution points.
Though it… Continue Reading