Tendril to release “eco-warrior” game, connecting conservation to virtual rewards
Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck sent ripples through the audience at GreenTech Media’s “Networked Grid” conference yesterday, letting slip that the home energy monitoring company is partnering with a well-known game maker to produce a new title that connects real-life conservation to in-game rewards.
While he wouldn’t reveal the name of the “major computer game” company Tendril is working with, Tuck said the main character will be an “eco-warrior” who gains strength in the game as you,… Continue Reading
EcoFactor: The smartest thermostat concept yet?
Bursting onto the scene with a new utility deal today, EcoFactor offers software for two-way thermostats to make them so smart that they can adjust your home temperature the way you like it without you raising a finger.
Taking past behavior, peak energy demand and even outside weather into account, it automatically dials heating and air conditioning systems up or down, keeping end users comfortable while trimming their electricity bills, the Redwood City, Calif., startup says.
EcoFactor… Continue Reading
Trilliant, ABB partner to make Smart Grid technologies interoperable
Trilliant, provider of communications infrastructure used to beam energy consumption data between so-called smart meters, utilities and their customers, announced today that it is partnering with automation company ABB to make sure their technologies can talk to one another. This type of interoperability is one of the major issues impacting how and how fast the Smart Grid — a cleaner, more efficient electrical grid — takes hold in the U.S.
It seem to be all the… 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
GE, Tendril ink deal to create even better home energy management
General Electric’s Consumer & Industrial division finalized a deal with home energy management startup Tendril today to improve broadband communication between demand response appliances in the home, smart meters and utilities. Ideally, the result of this tandem project will be a wide range of appliances that respond automatically to utility signals — programmable thermostats that shut off by themselves during peak hours, for example, or dishwashers that run only when electricity is cheapest.
Of course, the… Continue Reading
Tendril grows consumer-facing smart grid with new $30M
Tendril, one of few companies that serves household energy consumption data to both utilities and consumers, has landed a fresh $30 million third round of capital led by VantagePoint Venture Partners. It plans to further expand its hardware and software systems and forge more partnerships with appliance makers and utilities. It will round out its staff with 25 new employees.
Most smart meter and smart grid companies only beam data back to the utilities they work… Continue Reading
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 to lower costs at every stage of the energy distribution process and to upgrade grid infrastructure to reduce outages and improve security.
To accomplish these goals, the networking giant will create… Continue Reading
Californian grids are about to get a whole lot smarter
California’s biggest utilities all have major smart grid strategies in the works vying for a chunk of the federal stimulus bill’s $4.5 billion earmarked for revamping the country’s electrical grids . And these plans surpass the roll-out of residential smart meters that most people think of when they think smart grid.
Companies like Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric are all working on lower-profile grid projects like storage-minded microgrids… 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
DEMO: New innovations for the smart, open power grid
There’s no question we’re in a bad mess when it comes to state of our power grid, not only in the United States but globally.
Revamping how we track and use power is crucial for our generation. Which is why I’m delighted to be moderating a panel where we’ll reveal some of the latest innovations in this area. It’s happening at the DEMO conference in Palm Springs, Calif. next week. (This will be one of three… Continue Reading
Tendril, an energy efficiency startup, grabs $12M
Want to keep tabs on how much electricity your home is using? Tendril is one of a newer breed of energy-management startups that gives consumers a personal view of their consumption, but is still capable of tying in with and providing information to the utilities providing the power.
The company’s Energy Management System includes both hardware and software, and makes use of the open-source Zigbee and OpenHAN communication protocols to ensure that it’s interoperable with other… Continue Reading