GigaOM Pro: Three trends that could transform the energy efficient data center
You say AC, I say DC, and several other ways that energy efficiency is remaking the data center, via GigaOM Pro. Read more »
Audit reveals some mismanagement of smart grid demonstration stimulus funds
A report from the Department of Energy’s Inspector General found some mismanagement of the smart grid demonstration program that allocated $700 million mostly from the stimulus package. Out of an audit of just a portion of the program, the report found $12 million in questioned costs. Read more »
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Cleantech third-quarter 2012
This quarter Tesla’s production schedule came under fire, and share economy leaders Airbnb raised cash while Zipcar struggled with its membership model. Meanwhile the Indian power outage in July prompted questions about how the developing economy will power itself. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Photos: The wild power grid of Old Delhi
Check out the wild jerry-rigged grid action going on in some of the areas of Old Delhi. Now that is some craziness. Check out my little photo essay of Old Delhi’s “grid gone wild:” Read more »
Green building firm Project Frog raises $22M from GE, VCs
Despite the seemingly downward short-term trend for cleantech investing, corporations and investors continue to back the green building sector. On Wednesday San Francisco–based energy-efficient building company Project Frog announced that it has raised $22 million from GE and a group of investors. Read more »
A123 Systems hooks into China’s grid
Only 72 percent of China’s wind-power sources are connected to its grid — meaning there’s a good deal of wind turbines that are spinning that aren’t providing usable clean power. Battery maker A123 Systems hopes its first deal in China can help with that problem. Read more »
Aquion Energy raises $20M for its grid battery
Aquion Energy, which is developing a low-cost battery for the power grid made from sodium and water, has closed $20 million of a planned $30 million round and has brought on investor Foundation Capital in addition to existing investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Read more »
How California ISO uses Google Maps, big data to manage power
Talk about big data: The California Independent System Operator Corporation has installed an 80-foot by 6.5-foot screen in its control room to display real-time power-grid data from thousands of endpoints. Its system is powered by Space-Time Insight, whose software melds real-time geospatial data with unique visualizations. Read more »
There’s a severe oversupply of electric car batteries comin’
The supply of batteries for electric cars could far surpass the demand for electric vehicles over the next few years, estimates Lux Research. It could be a “severe mismatch,” that could cause consolidation and the need for new markets for battery makers. Read more »
Transmission Lines Needs Money, & Freedom, to Let Jobs Bloom
A new report says the U.S. needs to spend $12 billion to $16 billion a year on new transmission lines, which could support 130,000 to 250,000 jobs annually. But how to cut through all the red tape? Read more »
Will Consumers or Utilities Control the Future Power Grid?
As energy management becomes decentralized, there’s a great opportunity for apps to help direct the flow. At Green:Net, three experts discussed how the responsibility for managing the smart grid will fall on the utilities, but the process will bring trading-floor approaches down to the consumer level. Read more »
Cleaner Power and Smart Grid Requires Clear Sales Pitch for Consumers
The future of the power grid is combining clean energy together with the intelligence of the smart grid. But kickstarting that convergence requires some serious salesmanship to convince consumers of the benefit, as NRG Energy’s David Crane and Silver Spring Networks said at Green:Net. Read more »
Damn, That’s One Advanced Power Grid Worm
The Stuxnet worm, the first worm that was able to exploit a Microsoft Windows vulnerability to break into power grid control systems, is one sophisticated beast. It looks like it had over 30 people build it, according to a Symantec talk via The Atlantic’s Alexis Madrigal. Read more »
EnerNOC: What Heat Wave?
Power grids that emerged unscathed from the recent heat wave in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states have demand response companies to thank, and proved it’s a good idea to get the demand response word out when the electrical grid starts feeling the strain. Read more »
