Siemens amps up its smart grid bid with eMeter startup acquisition
German electronics giant Siemens has just bought eMeter, a San Mateo-based startup focusing on smart grid technologies for utilities such as power and water.
eMeter, which is led by Veritas CEO and former Oracle executive Gary Bloom, gathers information from two-way meters. The data then travels to utility companies and allows them to make better business decisions, to understand peaks in demand and to read meters automatically.
Consumers can also use the information to find … Continue Reading
Demo: A revolution in home utilities, NeighborOil promises lower prices through group buying power
Oil means more than just gasoline. For many folks, it's also how they heat their homes.
NeighborOil is a startup that's reexamining how communities buy oil for heating and helping consumers negotiate for better prices and better service. And starting today, it's bringing its revolutionary model to a wide range of residential utilities, including electricity and natural gas.
Fuel cell manufacturer ClearEdge raises $73.5M
ClearEdge Power, a manufacturer of fuel cells that run on natural gas, announced today that it has raised $73.5 million in its fifth round of funding.
The company manufactures fuel cells that run on natural gas, which is broken down into a hydrogen-rich gas. The natural gas mixes with oxygen in the fuel cell, inducing a chemical reaction and generating electricity within the cell. The reaction also produces heat, which can be used in commercial … Continue Reading
Consumer electronics battery maker Leyden Energy raises $20M
Leyden Energy, a developer of consumer electronics batteries that operate at temperatures as high as 60°C, announced today that it has raised $20 million in its second round of funding led by New Enterprise Associates.
The company makes lithium-ion batteries that work in high-heat environments, such as on a laptop that generates a lot of heat when doing a lot of work. The Macbook Pro, for example, heats up quickly when doing video editing or … Continue Reading
Trash-to-fuel company Enerkem raises another $30M
Enerkem, a company that specializes in converting unusable waste into ethanol and other chemicals, announced today that it has raised $30 million in an extension of its most recent funding round.
Enerkem converts household garbage and leftover debris from demolition and utility poles into chemicals that appear in household objects. That includes ethanol and acetates. The company raised $60 million last month.
“Enerkem’s one of the strictly fuel-focused companies getting funding because they are flexible … Continue Reading
Fuel cell manufacturer ClearEdge snags $2.8M DOE grant
ClearEdge, a manufacturer of fuel cells that run on natural gas, announced today that it has secured a $2.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The grant will give ClearEdge working capital to produce and install fuel cells in 10 new businesses in Oregon and California. The funding came from the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), which will monitor the fuel cells to see if they are producing the kind … Continue Reading
Enerkem's trash-to-fuel talents bring in $60M
Oil and petrochemical giant Valero and existing investors have just dropped $60 million on Enerkem, a company that specializes in converting unusable waste into ethanol and other chemicals.
The company says it can convert household garbage, leftover debris from demolition and utility poles into ethanol, acetates and other chemicals that appear in household objects. Valero’s investment in Enerkem appears to be a strategic investment, meaning the oil giant might either use Enerkem’s technology to produce … Continue Reading
Cellphones could be charged by voice chatter — still annoy everyone else
Here’s your daily dose of science: Researchers in South Korea have been working on technology that could turn sound into electricity, something that could potentially let you charge your cellphone while also talking into it, in addition to a multitude of other uses.
Don’t expect this to be a feature on your iPhone 5 (or 6, or 7). But the research shows that there may still be innovative ways to power all of our … Continue Reading
Bill Gates: The good thing about nuclear power is its lack of innovation
Despite the trouble with Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant following that country’s devastating earthquake, Microsoft co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates still hasn’t given up on nuclear power.
In a conversation with Wired Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson today at the magazine’s third annual Business Conference, Gates said that one of the best aspects of nuclear power at the moment is its lack of innovation thus far, which leaves it ripe for disruption in the coming years.
When … Continue Reading
Making people happy about the smart grid: There's (probably) an app for that
Smart grid and smart meters are an inevitable part of America’s energy future, but at least when it comes to consumers, it has gotten off to a bumpy start.
Consumers have sued PG&E and Oncor over smart meters that they felt overcharged them (both suits were found to be without merit). Consumers in Illinois have claimed smart meters cause headaches and impotency. Recently, protesters in California’s West Marin County tried to block smart meter installers … Continue Reading
On the GreenBeat: BMW readies electric car, Obama pitches $8 billion for clean energy
Here’s the latest action we’re following today on the GreenBeat:
Obama proposes $29.5 billion for DOE budget — The president pitched more clean energy projects for the 2012 budget, to be funded by cutting $3.6 billion in fossil fuel subsidies, an idea he proposed in his State of the Union address last month. The Department of Energy’s proposed budget would give it $29.5 billion for the fiscal year 2012, with $8 billion for clean energy … Continue Reading
How secure is the smart grid?
What if a burglar could browse data which reveals which houses in an area are empty, or a cyberattack could create an electricity blackout? What if you unwittingly paid for your neighbour’s electricity, or a hacker could hijack control of your washing machine?
These are all possible scenarios in an insufficiently secured electricity grid, and in particular in the emerging smart grid.
Smart grid is a bionic upgrade to power generation and distribution that will … Continue Reading
On the GreenBeat: GridPoint nearing IPO, smart meters win in PG&E and Oncor disputes
Smart grid company GridPoint is nearing a public stock offering, possibly beating Silver Spring to the IPO punch, speculates the Washington Business Journal. The article notes that GridPoint has raised $220 million from venture capital and needs to show a payoff soon for its investors. The company has also done well in the marketplace, winning a $28.7 million contract with the Postal Service, making several acquisitions and hiring executives who have IPO experience.
PG&E smart … Continue Reading
Energy Dept. launches blog, social media strategy
Today marked the inaugural post from U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu on the Department of Energy’s new Energy Blog, which it has launched in an obvious effort to better engage with the American public. It’s timely in the wake of the BP oil spill and upcoming mid-term elections in November that could change the course of the department’s funding programs.
The blog’s goal is to provide a central location for people to hear from leaders … Continue Reading
EnerTech Capital has raised $75M for energy fund, slow going
Today marked the inaugural post from U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu on the Department of Energy’s new Energy Blog, which it has launched in an obvious effort to better engage with the American public. It’s timely in the wake of the BP oil spill and upcoming mid-term elections in November that could change the course of the department’s funding programs.
The blog’s goal is to provide a central location for people to hear from leaders … Continue Reading
EEStor to "blow away" lithium-ion battery technology, to launch
Today marked the inaugural post from U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu on the Department of Energy’s new Energy Blog, which it has launched in an obvious effort to better engage with the American public. It’s timely in the wake of the BP oil spill and upcoming mid-term elections in November that could change the course of the department’s funding programs.
The blog’s goal is to provide a central location for people to hear from leaders … Continue Reading
