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 »
Startup EnergyHub is raising funds to help make the transition from small-scale utility pilots to commercial deployments over the coming years, and has also brought on a high-profile new independent director onto its board: EnerNOC President and Co-founder David Brewster. Read more »
The buying spree in the smart grid-smart building nexus keeps going, this time in France, where Schneider Electric has bought building energy management software providers Vizelia and D5X. Chalk it up to what’s set to be the biggest greentech acquisition trend of 2011. Read more »
There’s been so many acquisitions in the smart grid sector as of late, we’ve been updating the tally every couple of months. Since September there’s been at least six more, so we’re updating our list once again. Read more »
OpenADR may be the open demand response technology of the future, but right now one vendor — Honeywell — has a lock on the market. That may be about to change, ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Honeywell bought a lock on a key piece of technology for OpenADR deployments when it bought Akuacom this summer. But challengers are emerging with OpenADR server products of their own. Read more »
In the building energy management sector, mid-size commercial properties like restaurants and stores are relegated to the industry’s untouched middle territory. But the right combination of low-cost and enhanced customer service could crack open this untapped ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Big buildings already have plenty of energy management technology, and household energy efficiency is the focus of dozens of VC-backed startups and IT giants alike. But who’s tackling the small and mid-size commercial building market, or the “mushy middle?” Read more »
IBM has been talking for a long time about linking smart building technology and enterprise-wide sustainability. Late Thursday, it unleashed a slew of new products, services and partnerships aimed at cementing that role. Read more »
New smart grid technologies promise to widen the reach of demand response, but what if that process works in reverse? Big demand response players are leveraging their middleman role between utilities and customers to bring their technology in as a “back-door” smart grid conduit between the ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Big demand response players are leveraging their middleman role between utilities and customers to apply their technology in to fields traditionally defined as smart grid. Given the way the market is developing, they may have little choice. Read more »
Even with smart meters and home energy portals, customers want opt-out options for home energy management rather than plans that ask them to monitor energy use every day. Here’s how the opt-out concept can guide startups and IT giants in the home energy management ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Mike Zimmerman, the CEO of building automation software startup BuildingIQ, says his company has for the first time met a utility’s demand to turn down power to manage peak load, automatically with a building control system in Perth, Australia. Read more »
While Rapid Electric Vehicles (REV) has been quietly deploying what could be the largest vehicle-to-grid project in the world, on Tuesday, the startup detailed a partnership with the Army to provide all-electric networked cars for its micro grid research project at Wheeler Air Base, Hawaii. Read more »
Stealthy startup Daintree Networks wants to take a slightly different tack than its competitors — deliver ZigBee-based, interoperable lighting controls to market by partnering directly with the incumbents. Will the big boys be interested? Read more »
Wanted — California electricity consumers who can turn off 100 megawatts or more of power use on a moment’s notice. In return, you can get paid as if you’re actually generating that same amount of power, with prices set on the open market. Read more »
The lighting control sector is a growing one, and has significant potential to become a key driver to the building automation market segment if it lives up to its claims of lower total cost, ease of installation, scalability and architecture for the future. The prospects, market watchers and others we engaged with for this research were very interested in seeing these technologies operate in a real client operational environment — a reaction we believe will be indicative of similar interest from the broader market. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Along with eager smart grid acquirers EnerNOC and GridPoint, looks like Honeywell is becoming yet another firm to sell your smart grid startup to. On Thursday, building automation giant Honeywell said it has acquired E-Mon, a thirty-year-old company that sells submetering hardware and software. Read more »
In the second quarter of 2010, greentech startups scored record venture capital and increased spending despite a weak economy. Solar power retained its lead in greentech venture financing, while global investment for clean energy asset financing fell. China, meanwhile, underscored its rising might in the greentech industry, raising billions of dollars in green energy financing. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Phones with video chat capability have been out in Europe for years, but getting the ability on two of the biggest smartphone platforms will expose the feature to millions who have no idea such video calls are possible. A new comprehensive report details this upcoming boom. Read more »
