Utilities
The US Home Automation Market is up for Grabs in 2013
December 31st, 2012The Return to Climate Change Issues & CO2 Emission Levels
November 26th, 2012Demand Response & Distributed Energy can get the UK & US Electrical Utility Industries out of Trouble
In our last Smart Grid article we reported that OFGEM, the UK regulator of electricity and gas markets in the UK was warning that electrical generation will plunge to 4% spare capacity from its present level of 14%. Some 12GW of coal fired plants; equivalent to a sixth of the total generation capacity can now […]
The Consumer Interface of the Smart Grid Business is where the Building Controls Suppliers are now Focused
Although the Smart Building to Smart Grid Interface business is still in its infancy, just a quick take on the strategic acquisitions that have been made over the last 2 years makes a strong statement that the world’s major suppliers see this as a great opportunity to extend their business. They have invested heavily in […]
The Smart Grid is Dead, Long Live Smart Grid
The literal meaning of the expression “The King is Dead – Long Live the King is that the king has died, and it is hoped that the new king will live a long time. But the reasoning for the statement goes deeper. A speedy succession, to the throne was needed to avoid a power vacuum […]
Will The Smart Grid be the Foundation for the Internet of Energy & “Other Things”?
In the quintessential small English village of Chorleywood, the local health centre has placed its first patient on their Hydra network of smart electricity meters and is now monitoring the weight and blood pressure of the patient in their own home. The system uses Zigbee wireless technology to send readings from the devices to the […]
Where Should We Start When Developing A Smart Grid
Where ever we are going we start from where we are now and that point in the Smart Grid industry is very different across the world. Surprisingly, no where more than in the world’s developed countries. In Northern Europe the electrical transmission network is robust and reliable, as much of it, for some years has […]
What Smart Grid Needs Most Is a Level Playing Field
Among the blizzard of information that crossed my desk last month, 2 items made me think that whilst smart grid technology has still got some obstacles to overcome; particularly surrounding security issues; it’s the regulatory and policy demands that are in place to protect electrical utility users that are most likely to hold it back. […]
Is the Long Honeymoon Over for Smart Grid
For the last few years the media have been positively ecstatic about the glittering future of Smart Grid but the last two months have seen doubters pontificating about the problems ahead and in particular the real danger of a serious hold up in the US market. The problems hinge around the political and commercial aspects, […]
Is the Smart Grid Industry just too big for the Utility Companies to Finance and Manage
In the last two months, first quarter figures for 2010 and 2009 year end from the smart grid manufacturers have been released and they show some interesting trends. Itron has delivered a strong 2009 performance increasing its revenues by 29% on 2008, whilst Echelon a serious competitor in the metering business has suffered a significant […]
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