SmartGridNews.com

Smart Meter Setback: Hawaii PUC Kicks Back Project, Tells Utility to Try It Again

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:46:31 PST

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission denied a request by the state's largest utility to expand a smart meter test program. This latest bump in the Smart Grid road came when regulators determined that ratepayers, who would foot the bill for the expansion, wouldn't see the benefits.

Press Release: Largest Wind Project of Any Manufacturer in U.S. Gets Green Light

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:22:49 PST

The largest wind project of any manufacturing company in the United States won final approval yesterday and is expected to start construction next month.

Press Release: Lutron Helps the Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition Raise Awareness of Electricity System and Usage

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:19:50 PST

Light control manufacturer Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., is pleased to announce its association with The Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition (DRSG) to develop compatible products and help raise awareness of how lighting demand response activities can easily stabilize the grid. The DRSG communicates the opportunities in building the Smart Grid infrastructure and practices that will update the national electricity system and change the way customers best use electricity.

Press Release: Schneider Electric Announces Plans for Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:15:50 PST

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, today announced plans for delivering a comprehensive portfolio of electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions. Schneider Electric will offer a complete spectrum of EV charging infrastructure, smart-grid integration, services and management in one complete solution to help speed adoption of EVs globally. These charging solutions address the needs of all EV stakeholders, including automotive manufacturers, municipalities, utilities, commercial and government entities as well as consumers.

Press Release: Chicagoland Church Has Faith In Wind: First Urban Green Energy Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Installation in Illinois at Valley Baptist Church

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:11:15 PST

Urban Green Energy, the world leader in small vertical axis wind turbines, announces the installation of the first 4kW vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) in Illinois at Valley Baptist Church in Oswego. A different kind of wind turbine, a VAWT’s design generates power regardless of the direction of the wind, making it ideal for a suburban area with variable wind patterns.

Smart Grid Gut Check: How Do Things Feel from Where YOU Sit?

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:44:30 PST

As we march into the second half of 2010, progress on the Smart Grid front is a decidedly mixed bag. Some wins? Yes. Setbacks? Sure. Uncertainty? Oh yeah. So how does it all shake out? That’s where you come in. Click inside and participate in our H2 Smart Grid Gut Check.

Press Release: IBM Provides Smartphone Data Services for Solar-Powered Robot Car Journey From Italy to China

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:46:32 PST

The VisLab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge (VIAC), an epic 13,000km journey from Parma, Italy to Shanghai, China using unmanned, solar energy powered vehicles, aims to showcase the benefits of green transport. Over the course of the trip, the automated vehicles will use IBM (NYSE: IBM) Human Centric solutions to collect data on CO2 pollutants in the regions covered along the way – Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and China – using the data to assess the health and environmental impact of CO2 in these areas.

Press Release: Sentec breezes into turbine design

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:37:10 PST

Sentec, the smart metering technology specialist and product development company, has collaborated with another Cambridge business, Wind Technologies Ltd, to create a bespoke control system for wind turbines. The first test site is now in-situ in the city.

EPA Webinar Highlights New Renewable Energy Purchasing Program for Major Power Users

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:02:17 PST

The EPA's Green Power Partnership will host a webinar Thursday, July 29, on a new national wind program designed to allow companies that use a large amount of power to buy renewable energy in a financially neutral way.

New Report Cites Top 10 States Driving Smart Grid Deployment

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:57:15 PST

You’d probably expect California and Colorado to make a list of 10 key states driving Smart Grid deployment. Click inside to learn the eight other states cited by GTM Research in its new report on 2010 Smart Grid policy and the states that are leading the way.

Press Release: Windfrastructure Program Makes the Purchase of Renewable Energy Financially Neutral for Large Power Users

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:39:56 PST

National Wind announces today the launch of its patent-pending Windfrastructure Partner Program. Windfrastructure enables large power users to purchase renewable energy in a financially neutral manner.

Press Release: Market Value of Biomass-Generated Electricity to Reach $53 Billion by 2020, According to Pike Research

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:37:09 PST

Biomass, already a large percentage of total renewable energy sources, is poised for continued growth in the years to come within three key sectors: biopower, biofuels, and bioproducts. Significant investments continue to be made in biomass research and development, and the pace of commercializing new technologies will increase during the next decade. According to a new report from Pike Research, the market value of electricity generated from biomass in the United States will increase steadily to $53 billion by 2020, up from approximately $45 billion in 2010.

Press Release: Energy Storage Pioneer Xtreme Power Closes $29.5M Series C Round

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:33:50 PST

Xtreme Power, a provider of Dynamic Power Resources™ (DPRs) for utility-scale power management and energy storage systems, announced today the close of a $29.5 million financing round co-led by Bessemer Venture Partners, The Dow Chemical Company through its Venture Capital group, and existing investor SAIL Venture Partners. Additional investors include POSCO ICT and SkyLake & Co.

Press Release: Freescale and Indesit Collaborate on Smart Appliance Solutions for ZigBee® Connected White Goods

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:30:45 PST

Freescale Semiconductor and Indesit Company recently demonstrated their ability to help their customers create “smart” products by showcasing a Smart Washer that can regulate its own energy use based on cost and availability at the Freescale Technology Forum in Orlando, Fla.

Press Release: Silicon Valley Power Chooses Elster Solutions to Provide Smart Meters in Santa Clara

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:27:43 PST

Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility, announced today the selection of Elster Solutions to provide smart meters over the next three years for the SVP Meter Connect program, starting with large business customers in 2011.

Press Release: Silver Spring and ClipperCreek Join PG&E and EPRI in Innovative Electric Vehicle Smart Charging Pilot

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:23:58 PST

Today, Silver Spring Networks, a leading provider of Smart Grid solutions, and partner ClipperCreek, Inc., a leading producer of plug-in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, announced their participation in an innovative plug-in electric vehicle (EV) pilot program, sponsored by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The pilot will enable PG&E and EPRI to test and validate the security, scalability and functionality of smart charging technology integrated with the Smart Grid. Findings will be open to a broad audience, helping to set best practices for EV charging and utility integration of EVs across North America.

Press Release: Coulomb Technologies to Significantly Expand ChargePoint Network with Announcement of Strategic Partnerships

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:20:20 PST

Coulomb Technologies today announced plans to significantly expand the ChargePoint® Network through partnership agreements with Leviton, Siemens and Aker Wade. Each of the Coulomb partners will market and distribute their own brand of home and/or public electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) built specifically for the ChargePoint Network. The ChargePoint Network is founded on an open interface, standards-based architecture providing station owners with a complete set of business applications, and providing drivers with EV charging apps to make fueling electric vehicles easy and low cost.

Press Release: New Report Dissects Top Ten States Driving Smart Grid Deployment

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:57:43 PST

As smart grid initiatives advance in the U.S., key states are emerging as policy leaders. Bolstered by US$4.5 billion in Federal smart-grid stimulus funding, these states are laying the groundwork for market development and shining light on the economic, technological and regulatory issues associated with smart grid’s nascent integration.

Smart Grid Markets: Biomass Expected to Hit $53 Billion by 2020

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:45:23 PST

The market value of electricity generated from biomass is expected to reach $53 billion by 2020, well above the roughly $45 billion in 2010. That’s according to a new Pike Research report.

EV Charging Companies Partner Up for Expansion and New Pilots

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:25:46 PST

It's been a busy week in the EV charging arena: Coulomb Technologies will greatly expand its ChargePoint Network as a result of partnership agreements with Siemens, Leviton and Aker Wade. And Silver Spring Networks and partner ClipperCreek will join an innovative EV pilot program sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric and the Electric Power Research Institute.