Silver Spring Networks gobbles up Greenbox to become Smart Grid powerhouse

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… Continue Reading

British utilities lobby against consumer energy monitors — will the same happen in the U.S.?

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… Continue Reading

AT&T partners with SmartSynch to bring the smart grid to your neighborhood

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… Continue Reading

The Energy Detective investigates home energy use

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… Continue Reading

DEMO: Tendril releases mobile app for home energy management

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… Continue Reading

DOE and X Prize pledge $150M in new clean technology grants

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… Continue Reading