Silver Spring finds home on the range with OG&E

Silver Spring finds home on the range with OG&E

Silver Spring Networks, increasingly the provider of IP-based smart metering systems to watch, has gotten another big break, expanding its partnership with both Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) and General Electric Energy to help deploy the utility’s ambitious Positive Energy Smart Grid Program, one of the… Continue Reading

Siemens closer to wind dominance with $900M in turbine contracts

Siemens closer to wind dominance with $900M in turbine contracts

Engineering giant Siemens has made its presence felt in the wind business, winning six contracts to build 565-megawatts worth of wind turbines, valued at more than $900 million. About 250 of the turbines will be installed in Ontario Canada, with the other 750 (enough to… Continue Reading

Green investing bounces back from recession

Green investing bounces back from recession

Venture Capital investment in green technology companies has jumped to tie pre-recessionary levels, according to a new report out of Greentech Media. With $1.9 billion spread over 112 deals, this year’s third quarter trounced figures from earlier this year, signaling a stronger than anticipated comeback… Continue Reading

Siemens, Silver Spring announce Smart Grid interoperability

Siemens, Silver Spring announce Smart Grid interoperability

Interoperability is the elephant in the room that is the Smart Grid industry. As large companies, startups and utilities alike strive to create a cleaner, more efficient electrical grid — deploying new technologies wherever they can — it is becoming increasingly important for their devices… Continue Reading

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

German utility Yello Strom steals the smart grid spotlight — at least for today

German utility Yello Strom steals the smart grid spotlight — at least for today

The net is abuzz today with talk of Yello Strom, the German utility that reportedly takes smart grid technology and web integration to the max with its new Sparzahler meter — rivaling U.S. utilities that are just beginning to adopt green initiatives. But, on closer inspection,… Continue Reading

Cisco joins the race for a leaner, cheaper smart grid

Cisco joins the race for a leaner, cheaper smart grid

Cisco Systems threw its hat into the increasingly crowded smart grid ring today, laying out a more defined strategy and projecting that this market could soon be worth up to $20 billion a year. The core of its plan is twofold: to partner with utilities… Continue Reading

Silver Spring takes smart grid networks down under

Silver Spring takes smart grid networks down under

To meet their government’s mandated transition to the smart grid, Australian utilities Jemena Electricity Networks Limited and United Energy Distribution (UED) have chosen Redwood City, Calif.-based Silver Spring Networks to implement IP-based smart metering systems for more than 1 million buildings in the state of… Continue Reading

Silver Spring pumps another $15M into smart grid tech

Silver Spring pumps another $15M into smart grid tech

Silver Spring Networks, a company that wirelessly connects residential smart meters with utilities, has added another $15 million to its now $90 million fourth round of funding, reports VentureWire. Open since October, the round will help the company expand and bring more utilities into its… Continue Reading

GridPoint lands more funds for smarter utility use

GridPoint lands more funds for smarter utility use

GridPoint, one of the largest companies in the emerging smartgrid sector, announced that it has brought in an undisclosed sum from Craton Equity Partners. Already working with several investor-owned utilities like Duke Energy Corp. and Xcel Energy, GridPoint says its system automatically manages energy loads… Continue Reading

Roundup: Feds offering short-term loans, presidential debates live online, Silver Spring gets a big raise, and more

Roundup: Feds offering short-term loans, presidential debates live online, Silver Spring gets a big raise, and more

Feds now providing short-term debt — The Federal Reserve will provide money for companies to finance their day-to-day activities, in the government’s latest effort to staunch bleeding in the credit markets.

Live presidential debates hit the web — Hulu will stream tonight’s presidential debate live, something of a… Continue Reading

Smart grid adoption could turn out to be slower than expected

Smart grid adoption could turn out to be slower than expected

Following a spate of hefty financings this year, culminating last week with Trilliant’s $40 million funding, it looks a bit like smart grid startups — companies that give the meters on homes and businesses the ability to communicate with utilities and other devices — are… Continue Reading

On the anniversary of our biggest blackout ever, are we on the road to another?

On the anniversary of our biggest blackout ever, are we on the road to another?

When I was a kid in rural Virginia, losing electricity was a yearly event around Christmas. Situated on the outskirts of a large utility’s territory, my family was among the last to have its power restored when, inevitably, a big winter storm knocked trees onto… 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

Silver Spring Networks, smart-grid power company, raises $39M

Silver Spring Networks, the San Mateo, Calif. company that offers wireless utility metering technology, has raised $39.9 million in a third round of funding, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing cited by VentureWire (sub required).

It is just the latest funding in a sector… Continue Reading

Silver Spring, wireless metering co. for utilities, raises $10.5M

Silver Spring Networks, a San Mateo, Calif. company that allows utilities to use wireless technologies to meter power and other usage, has raised $10.5 million in debt and warrants, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission cited by VentureWire.

By allowing for remote,… Continue Reading