Smart Grid Blog
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Western European Utilities IT spending to reach $10 billion in 2014We are publishing tomorrow our latest IT Spending Forecast report, which covers the market sizing and forecast estimates for the utilities industry in Western Europe in the 2009–2014 timeframe. We would like to give you a preview on some of the highlights:
Entry posted Jul 15 by Rick Nicholson , tagged Energy Efficiency/Demand Response, North America, Smart Grid/Smart Metering, Utility IndustryMy Home Energy Monitor: Part 3 (So Now What?)I just returned from vacation and my home energy monitor is still working - collecting and displaying my home's energy consumption and cost data. At least the thing's reliable. I still can't use Google PowerMeter effectively (see my previous blog post) and that issue won't be addressed until next month when my web bridge device arrives in the mail. So what do I do now?
Selling the Value of Smart Metering – Communication, Communication, CommunicationJ.D. Powers just released its 2010 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study and notably, utilities are doing better. According to the survey of 85,000 customers, bills have reduced by 5% and reported outages by 8%. Communication seems to be the key according to study, as customers with outages are much more satisfied when the utility communicates well about status of restoration. Surprisingly, though, only one in six customers are aware of their utilities smart grid efforts. With those who are aware, overall satisfaction increases. So perhaps utilities need to take the lessons they have learned about communication on outages and other issues and apply those to smart grid awareness.
- I am a Model of the Modern Home Energy Management System
Marcus, Rick, Sam, Jay and I got together one day to name all the vendors now supplying home energy management systems. Seems like home energy management is to the residential consumer, as Starbucks was at one time to the coffee consumer. Lots of products are out there to help the utility provide energy efficiency and demand response opportunities to their customers. So we decided to put together a little ditty, to the tune of "I Am A Model of the Modern Major General" for your summer entertainment.
- Entry posted Jul 1 by Roberta Bigliani , tagged Electric Vehicles, EMEA, Sustainability, Utility IndustryElectric Vehicles and Business Models: Updates from Italy
We just issued a new Perspective covering pilot initiatives on Plug-in Electric Vehicles. Our major focus is an update on what is happening in Italy, also leveraging the results of the roundtable discussion I chaired at the end of May during IDC Energy Insights' Energy & Utilities 2010 Forum. Part of the discussion was around business models.
- Entry posted Jun 30 by Jill Feblowitz , tagged Energy Efficiency/Demand Response, Smart Grid/Smart Metering, Utility IndustryBeyond the Smart Meter: Existing Back Office IT Can Help to Reduce Consumption
ACEE just released a study concluding that smart grid technology in itself is not enough to lower energy consumption. The premise is that customers need to be presented information that will help them take actions to reduce consumption. Recommendations were for online or in-home displays of consumption and benchmarking with customers in their neighborhood. It is true that there is currently limited deployment of in-home displays. In a study we conducted in the fall of 2009, IDC Energy Insights found that only 6.6% of utilities were deploying in-home displays. Another 14% were piloting these devices. Utilities are, however, taking steps to present consumption data to their customers. Take for example, Austin Energy, which made a commitment to display data one of their top priorities. So, we agree that it requires people and process, but there are other pieces of technology that utilities should be integrating to make real reducations happen.
- Nuclear Power Expansion Almost There for Southern Company
Southern Company is on the road to expanding its nuclear fleet with a loan guarantee from the federal government. The plan is to build two additional units at an existing site in new Waynesville, Georgia. According to SNL Energy, "Total guaranteed borrowings would not exceed 70 percent of the company's eligible projected costs, or approximately $3.4 billion, and are expected to be funded by the Federal Financing Bank. Any guaranteed borrowings would be full recourse to Georgia Power and secured by a first priority lien on the company's 45.7 percent ownership interest in the two new units." New nuclear projects depend on loan guarantees, given their high cost and the risk of the project not making it through to operating licensing. Utilities with nuclear generation, or any new plant construction, will want to watch this project.
- Entry posted Jun 18 by Rick Nicholson , tagged Energy Efficiency/Demand Response, North America, Smart Grid/Smart Metering, Utility IndustryMy Home Energy Monitor: Part 2 (You've Got Data!)
Well sort of... My home energy monitor has now been dutifully collecting data once every twelve seconds for a week now. The display tells me how much energy I'm currently using (2.84 kW at this exact moment), how much it's costing me ($8.14/day), and how much I've used in the last day, week and month. For instance I've used 25 kWh in the last day and 200 kWh in the last week. Not bad. But what I'd really like is some more sophisticated graphing and analytics.
- Entry posted Jun 15 by Rick Nicholson , tagged Distributed Energy, Electric Vehicles, Energy Efficiency/Demand Response, North America, Smart Grid/Smart Metering, Utility IndustrySmart Grid Technology Investment Exceeds $1.8B Year to Date
From January to May 2010 there were 30 publicly announced smart grid investment deals in the United States and Canada totaling over $1.8 billion. Technology types included application software (typically used by utilities for customer care and billing, meter data management, distribution management, etc.), communications, energy efficiency and demand response (including hardware and software to provide consumers with energy management capabilities), grid connected energy storage, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Types of investments included acquisitions, debt, equity, and government grants.
- Entry posted Jun 11 by Rick Nicholson , tagged Energy Efficiency/Demand Response, North America, Smart Grid/Smart Metering, Utility IndustryWill you ENVI me (and my home energy monitor)?
I don't have a smart meter and probably never will. My utility just built a new coal-fired power plant and regularly sends me bill inserts trying to disprove global warming theories and convince me that carbon cap-and-trade will destroy our economy (I'm not making this up). The point here is that my utility will also never provide me with any home energy management technology. As a result, I just bought and installed an ENVI home energy monitor. The product was developed by Current Cost in the U.K. which claims to be the largest provider of in-home displays with over 1 million units sold. The product is distributed in the U.S. by PowerSave. I chose it because it doesn't require a smart meter - it collects data through two CT clamps that you attach to your home's main cables - and because Current Cost is a Google PowerMeter partner. Over the next few months I will be chronicling my experience with my new home energy management technology.
Please note that THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT EVALUATION OR ENDORSEMENT. It's simply my personal experience.
