How Nest and Opower quietly morphed into competitors
The leading energy data startups Nest and Opower have quietly started to look more like competitors, though with some significant differences. Read more »
Early results: PG&E customers like controlling thermostats with iPhones
According to early results of PG&E’s trial with smart thermostats from Honeywell and Opower, customers really like controlling the thermostat remotely with their iPhones. Remote control could prove to be one of the first smart grid applications that is a clear benefit to consumers. Read more »
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Cleantech and investment in 2013
In 2013 cleantech investing will move toward companies serving unsubsidized markets where software plays a role in reducing power consumption. In many ways this is a return to plays for energy efficiency, and there’s still money to be made from business models built around saving energy. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
10 things to be thankful for this year in cleantech
photo: Flickr/ VincciWincci
Despite the difficult year in cleantech, there’s quite a few things that excited me this year. Here’s 10 things to be thankful for in cleantech. Read more »
Opower, the big data energy player to beat
Opower has quietly been amassing serious reach with utilities, including crunching energy data from 50 million households and plans to be able to save its customers 2 terawatt hours by the end of 2012. Read more »
Nest launches slimmer, smarter learning thermostat
The next-generation of the Nest learning thermostat is now on sale (and shipping in a few weeks). It’s got a slimmer design and smarter software to make it compatible with most homes in the U.S. Read more »
Utilities embracing smart thermostats to help manage grids
American utilities are slowly starting to embrace using smart thermostats to help manage the energy consumption of their customers. Startups like EnergyHub, EcoFactor, Nest, and Opower are offering these tools. Read more »
Yahoo email users spend more on energy than Gmail users
Here’s a weird bit of energy data courtesy of energy software startup Opower: people that use Yahoo email spend $110 more a year on electricity — or 11 percent more — than Gmail users. Why? Read more »
Amazon starts selling Nest learning thermostat, too
Following the news that startup Nest began selling its smart thermostat through Apple’s online store, the company announced on Thursday that its device is now available via Amazon, too. Read more »
Apple starts selling the Nest smart thermostat
In a huge win for startup Nest, which makes a connected learning thermostat, Apple has now started selling the Nest thermostat through its online store. It could end up being the most important move ever for a next-generation digital thermostat. Read more »
Round 3 in the Honeywell vs. Nest fisticuffs
The bare-knuckle boxing match between thermostat giant Honeywell and smart thermostat startup Nest Labs entered round three on Monday, with Honeywell’s official denial of Nest’s counterclaim. Read more »
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Ups and downs for cleantech in Q1
This quarter the EV market struggled to find its footing. Meanwhile, the smart-grid sector solidified and low-power technology proved itself important in the data center. Read more to learn what these news pieces and others mean for the larger space over the next few months. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Nest taps Apple’s former patent chief to fight Honeywell lawsuit
If you were wondering if smart thermostat startup Nest was going to roll over to be squashed by the Honeywell thermostat gorilla, the answer is a resounding no. Nest announced has officially denied Honeywell’s patent infringement claims, and has brought on Apple’s former patent chief. Read more »
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A near-term outlook for big data
Big data now touches everything from enterprises to smart-meter startups, while Hadoop is fast becoming the leading tool to analyze that data, and debates around privacy abound. GigaOM Pro analysts offer insights on what to consider when it comes to big data decisions for your business. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Today in Green IT: What’s the future of Zipcar?
Zipcar reported fourth quarter earnings this week and Wall Street was not happy (shares traded down an immediate 13 percent). Despite actually posting its second consecutive quarterly profit of $3.9 million, concerns are rising about revenue numbers, particularly in Europe. Read more »
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Have the patent wars come to cleantech?
Cleantech largely has so far avoided the nasty patent wars that plague a space like mobile, but the Honeywell-Nest lawsuit changes that. A large company using its patent libraries to fight a new product could have chilling effects for startups in the space. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Have the patent wars come to cleantech?
Have the patent wars — that have dominated mobile in recent years — finally come to cleantech? And what does that mean for startups? Read more »
The implications of the Honeywell-Nest lawsuit
Check out the results of our survey of 200+ GigaOM readers on what they think are the implications of the Honeywell-Nest lawsuit. Read more »
Nest to Honeywell: We will vigorously defend ourselves
Nest has finally publicly commented on being slapped with a patent infringement lawsuit. Nest says it will “vigorously defend itself,” against Honeywell’s lawsuit, and says it has “the resources, support and conviction to do so.” Read more »
How the Honeywell, Nest lawsuit could stifle innovation
When tech patent lawsuits land in the middle of an industry they tend to make a loud, dull, thud sound. Nobody particularly likes them, both parties can often times end up looking bad, (or at least petty) and patent lawsuits are a guaranteed time and money-suck. Read more »
Survey: Weigh in on the Honeywell-Nest lawsuit
Then news that thermostat giant Honeywell has slapped startup Nest with a lawsuit for patent infringement throws an unexpected wrinkle in the landscape of the smart thermostat this year. We ask readers to weigh in on what the lawsuit means for the smart thermostat industry. Read more »
Today in Green IT: Solar & smart thermostats in 2012
The Green IT section of our GigaOM Pro service has been cranking out a lot of rock solid research and long form reports in 2012. Come check out our new 30-page state of solar report, our smart thermostat research and new analysis on batteries. Read more »
Honeywell killed off its learning thermostat 20 years ago
Two decades Honeywell tested out learning thermostats — the notion behind Nest’s new device — and found that consumers didn’t take to them and would rather control their thermostat themselves. Read more »
Hey Silicon Valley, Nest isn’t the only smart thermostat around [photos]
There’s a perception in Silicon Valley that smart thermostat startup Nest created the world’s first connected thermostat. While the Nest thermostat is gorgeous and potentially a game-changing, there’s dozens of companies that are making smart thermostats and software, and here’s a dozen of them in photos: Read more »
The smart grid acquisition tally to date
For the occasion of Siemens’ swallowing eMeter, we have pulled together our recurring smart grid acquisitions list, including the new ones we have seen in recent months. Read more »
Opower hires CFO, considering IPO down the road
Energy software startup Opower has hired a chief financial officer, Thomas Kramer, and is mulling over a potential IPO down the road. Kramer was previously the CFO at Cvent, and created the eCommerce strategy for Boston Consulting Group. Read more »
Best Buy making a bet on home energy gear
Retailer giant Best Buy is launching a modest push into home energy products, planning to sell gadgets that can help home owners cut their energy consumption, and lower their energy bills, via dedicated sections of some of its stores and through a new online portal. Read more »
Groupon’s $12.6B valuation compared to greentech (it’s sad)
Looks like Groupon will go public on Friday morning at $20 per share, giving it a valuation of $12.6 billion for its online coupon business. Let’s compare it to some of the greentech startups and big energy firms and try not to get disturbed. Read more »
Serious Energy launches no money down efficiency deals
Remaking office buildings with energy-efficient equipment can cut utility bills and give some green cred. But often, building owners don’t want to pay the large upfront cost. To help fix this problem, Serious Energy is launching a no-money-down program called SeriousCapital. Read more »
Opower & Honeywell launch a smart thermostat
Earlier this year we reported that energy software startup Opower was considering adding a home energy device to its portfolio. A half year later here’s Opower’s first foray into hardware: the company announced it has partnered with building automation giant Honeywell to sell a connected thermostat. Read more »
Landis+Gyr at Any Price? Smart Meters’ Second Act
Landis+Gyr is on the auction block, and big smart grid suitors like General Electric, Toshiba and Honeywell ABB are rumored to be interested in paying $2 billlion-plus for the smart meter giant. Strategic buyers could find value by integrating into their own lines of business. Read more »
Light Bulbs Move Into the Internet Age
Along with our latest gadgets, cell phones, electrical meters and cars, light bulbs and lighting systems, are increasingly getting embedded with chips, connected to wireless networks and moving into the Internet age. Here are some examples from the annual lighting convention Lightfair this week. Read more »
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Smart Grid Apps: Six Trends That Will Shape Grid Evolution
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 »
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Green IT Q1: Cleantech Breaking Out — and Bracing for Hard Times
Is the greentech industry headed for a breakout year or is it retrenching for hard times to come? The first three months of 2011 provided evidence that could support both assertions, with a big rise in venture capital investment and a big drop-off in global energy financing. Solar power remained the largest green technology sector in terms of venture capital investment, while in the world of electric vehicles, GM’s Chevy Volt hybrid and Nissan’s all-electric Leaf — the first two mainstream plug-in vehicles — hit the showroom floors in significant numbers. Meanwhile the smart grid sector’s relative dearth of VC investment was more than made up for by the massive round of acquisitions. Companies mentioned in this report include NRG Energy, Microsoft, Silver Spring Networks, Tesla and BrightSource Energy. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
EnergyHub Launches Direct to Consumer Home Energy Strategy
On Sunday, at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, EnergyHub, for the first time, plans to start offering its home energy device directly to a consumer beta group, and one day soon plans to start selling its product directly to consumers. Read more »
Johnson Controls Buys EnergyConnect’s DR Dashboard
Johnson Controls is buying up Campbell, Calif.-based EnergyConnect, one of the more interesting behind-the-scenes players in demand response software for the customer as well as the utility. Read more »
Powerit Seeks Scale with $5M Investment, New CEO
PowerIt Solutions, a behind-the-scenes player in building energy control and demand response technology player, has raised $5 million and landed a new CEO. New partners and new markets are on its menu. Read more »
Open Source Smart Grid Goes to China, Courtesy of Honeywell
Honeywell and State Grid Corp. of China plan a big demand response pilot project using OpenADR, marking the first step into the potentially huge Chinese market for the emerging standard for automating demand response. Read more »
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Green IT’s Q4 Winners: Wind Power, Solar Power, Smart Energy
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 »
How Honeywell is Tackling the Smart Grid
How does one of the world’s biggest makers of technology to control buildings connect with the power grid? Honeywell is in a natural position to start answering that question with smart thermostats, home energy management, open source demand response, and a couple of quiet research projects. Read more »
