Are big data, analytics, and machine learning the answers to reducing the energy consumption of our homes? Yep, according to newly-emerged startup Bidgely that’s backed by Khosla Ventures. In an exclusive interview, Bidgely’s CEO gives GigaOM the details about what it’s been up to. Read more »
Sensus is the only one of the big five smart meter giants using a licensed star network, rather than an unlicensed mesh network, to connect smart meters. Now it has $675 million in debt financing to expand that technology. Read more »
The smart grid industry’s focus is now shifting to the true purpose of the smart grid movement: applications that will improve the efficiency, reliability and versatility of the electric grid. This report analyzes six key smart grid application trends that will help shape the industry landscape in the years to come: distribution automation, data analytics, demand response, carbon management, home energy management and electric vehicles. The applications that prevail in this new arena will define the smart grid experience for industrial, commercial and residential customers. Along the way, new business opportunities that arise from these applications will become available for the providers of software, systems, devices and services, and enhance customer awareness and control of energy consumption. Companies mentioned in this report include Echelon, Google, EnerNOC, ZigBee and Microsoft. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Greentech marked its best year ever in 2010, and part of that is thanks to the wealth of activity across sectors during the fourth quarter. Global investment in clean energy surged, and while wind power remained the biggest greentech area, solar power saw the fastest growth. The energy efficiency sector appears to have more room for smaller players to make their mark amidst a rapidly maturing market. Meanwhile, China’s stance as a growing greentech giant continued to complicate its relationship with the United States. Companies mentioned in this report include General Electric, Intel, ZigBee, iControl, People Power and EnerNOC. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Grid Net, the smart grid software maker, has officially moved beyond the wireless standard WiMAX and this morning announced that its software now supports the 4G wireless standard LTE (Long Term Evolution), the dominate next-gen wireless standard embraced by U.S. telcos. Read more »
Intel has made no secret of its ambition for a fat slice of the home energy management market, but here’s the chip maker’s official play: a hardware design blueprint based on its Atom chip for any manufacturer that wants to build and sell home energy monitoring devices. Read more »
Grid Net, a startup that has built a business around utilizing the wireless standard WiMAX for the smart grid, now has a partnership to make smart grid products with the U.S. carrier that has made the biggest bet on WiMAX: Sprint. Read more »
Who’s trade marking smart grid terms, tag lines, and products? Read more »
The smart grid is a network and one company can’t provide all of the end-to-end gear. That’s why strategic partnerships will be key for companies, particularly startups. This morning Grid Net announced that it’s partnered with software heavyweight Oracle to sell its network and meter management software. Read more »
Greenpeace is lauding Apple while chastising Dell this morning. The do-gooders sent out a note pointing out that, while Apple’s iPhone’s are free of chemicals, Dell still hasn’t implemented a previous commitment to eliminate chemicals by the end of 2009. Read more »
While Apple has been releasing fancy new products recently, like the iPad and the iPhone 4, this last week something brought my thoughts back sharply to some products that have been languishing for some time without an update. Read more »
HomePlug is linking smart meters with homes over electrical wires, and has a few big smart grid vendors — including General Electric and Grid Net — on board. How will powerline technologies compete with wireless in the smart grid to come? Read more »
One of Australia’s first commercial-scale smart grid projects is moving forward, and it’s leaning heavily on the high-speed next-generation wireless standard WiMAX. Partners include GE, IBM, and WiMAX software provider Grid Net. Read more »
Cisco sees a $20 billion opportunity in the smart grid, and while it may have gotten off a bit late to the party, it’s crashed it in a big way. The networking giant wants to deliver products and services that span the grid. Read more »
Lenovo, the company that brings us the ThinkPad line of notebooks, has launched the new ThinkPad L line of notebooks. The company states these new notebooks are “the greenest laptops on the market” as they are made with up to 30% post-consumer content. Read more »
Intel and a who’s-who list of VCs have a little stimulus package of their own — and green technology is high on their wish list. Intel CEO Paul Otellini said Tuesday that Intel Capital has a $200 million investment fund aimed at cleantech and other categories. Read more »
I knew it was only a matter of time until some developer figured out a way to turn the big trackpad on the MacBooks into a little tablet. The folks at Ten One Design have stepped up to the plate with Inklet, a program that does […] Read more »
We’ve seen smartphones for years but it seems that only recently is the software piece of the equation fitting into the puzzle. Useful mobile apps are surely helping drive sales of smartphones, and in turn, more smartphone sales deliver larger captive audiences to mobile app developers. […] Read more »
The upcoming Michael Cera film Youth in Revolt, opening tomorrow in theaters, isn’t your typical teen comedy, at least judging by the trailer. So how do you get teenagers to see it? Hitch the Michael Cera star to one of the biggest teen trends going today […] Read more »
The founder and CEO of Grid Net foresees numerous Smart Grid alliances involving major tech companies, the birth of “retail energy,” an easing of security debates, and much more. Read more »
As I was using my iPhone 3GS last night, I saw an update in the iTunes App Store for the e-book software called Shortcovers. I noticed the app went through a name change to Kobo, which had me scratching my head in thought. Why would such […] Read more »
The wireless standard WiMAX might not be the sexiest of topics, but maybe the smart grid can lend it some buzz. This morning Grid Net, a startup that has developed smart grid software based on WiMAX, is officially launching itself, unveiling its software product and announcing […] Read more »
GE is upping its stake in technologies designed to make and use electricity more efficiently. The company’s investment arm, GE Energy Financial Services, today announced it has invested in three startups: SolarEdge, which has developed electronics to monitor solar panels and maximize their production, Tendril, which […] Read more »
Digital video advertising, in stark contrast to an expected dip for U.S. Internet advertising revenues in the first half of 2009 vs. 2008, has gone zooming off in the other direction. Overall, online ads are down 5.3 percent year-over-year, but video ads have grown 38 percent, […] Read more »
It’s been a rough year for file-sharing sites, legally speaking. Today a Dutch court ordered Mininova to remove all torrents of copyrighted works in the next three months or pay up to $7.16 million in fines. Copyright holder group Stichting Brein had sued Mininova for inciting […] Read more »
In another sign that greentech investments could be back on the rise, organic electronics company Plextronics said today it has raised $14 million in financing. Pittsburgh, Penn.-based Plextronics has developed technology to make conductive inks and materials for printed electronics, specifically for organic plastic solar cells […] Read more »
Updated with additional details: Rajeev Motwani, one of the savviest angel investors in Silicon Valley, a Stanford professor and most importantly a close and personal friend passed away earlier today. My feelings and thoughts on the passing of one of the quiet influencers of Silicon Valley. Read more »
[qi:_newteevee] Chris Albrecht over on NewTeeVee has a video interview with Boxee CEO Avner Ronen thought of Hulu’s recent launch of its desktop app. He also talks about the new TV-friendly browser YouTube launched this week. Also check out my post about why Hulu doesn’t quite […] Read more »
With giant companies like GE and Intel, and startups like Grid Net, testing out how wireless technology WiMAX can be used to build out the smart grid, it was just a matter of time before the companies that make WiMAX network gear started moving in that […] Read more »
Back before the stimulus package or the Waxman-Markey bill, when no one was sure whether tax credits for renewable energy would be re-upped or allowed to fade away, U.S. mayors decided to adopt their own climate policy. In signing on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection […] Read more »
