By Liz Enbysk

SGN Managing Editor

 

Earlier this month we wrote about a leading analyst slashing smart grid forecasts  and told how smart grid start-ups are being stranded as funding dries up. Grim stuff. But just because Halloween is around the corner doesn't mean all the news has to be frightening.  We came across a couple good news stories we thought you might be interested in.

 

Amazing revenue growth spurs Tantalus award

Tantalus, a smart grid communications company based in the Vancouver, BC area, has won a Deloitte Technology Green 15 award and been featured in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 and Fast 500 lists. Created in 2007, the Green 15 award showcases the 15 Canadian companies leading the way with breakthroughs in the field of green technology.  So what led to Tantalus being so honored? The company tells us that over the past five years it has had an incredible 1,069% revenue growth, setting a "blistering" pace of new customer wins and steadily expanding its product offerings.  Tantalus has broadened its reach into the U.S., including the Northeast, the Rockies and Texas. It also recently announced a strategic partnership with Itron that will expand its reach into all territories of North and Central America.

 

Solar industry is breaking records – in a good way

Word from the solar industry is another ray of sunshine given the push to get more renewable energy onto the grid. A CNN report suggests the industry has grown into "a major economic force" – at $6 billion it is up 300% since 2006. And the industry's job base has expanded 6.8% in the past year. Even better, according to the Solar Foundation's National Solar Jobs Census 2011, solar employers are anticipating their workforce will grow 24% next year. "Despite a struggling economy and the worst recession since the Depression and despite the Solyndra debacle, the industry is experiencing record-breaking trade numbers, record-breaking installed capacity, and record-breaking private investment," said Andrea Luecke, the Foundation's executive director.

There's real $$ in demand response, if only …

A report from the Smart Energy Demand Coalition (SEDC) indicates demand response is already generating approximately $6 billion in annual direct revenues to business, industry and households in the U.S. Plus there are investment costs that have been avoided. That's the good news part. But Europe is another matter. The organization wants to see Europe go down a similar path but says historical regulation has hampered development of DR programs there. The majority of revenue from DR programs flows to end users, and stays within the local communities and builds local businesses, the SEDC explains.  Speaking of the situation in Europe, Chris King of eMeter, who is SEDC Chair, noted, “The SEDC estimates that €3.5 billion a year could be earned directly by consumers in the form of payments, for shifting consumption, and indirectly through lowered industry investment needs."

 

Any good news to add? Use the Talk Back form below to share your story.

 

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Current Comments (2)

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DR

Perhaps the Europeans are smarter than the Americans. Perhaps there is "$6 billion in annual direct revenues to business, industry and households in the U.S". But where does the money come from. Consumers end up paying for the energy efficiency and demand response incentives as well as the cost to automate the process and the cost of phony "nega watts". In other words the consumer that uses DR capabilities receives incentives from the other consumers. There is a net loss experienced by the whole consumer community. There is some job growth in the work that EE and DR vendors do but at what cost.

Chuck Drinnan - 10/21/2011 - 10:03

Load following generation?!

I may not agree with G. Beck on all issues but I agree with him that America should invent/innovate to tackle its energy challenges as opposed to curtailing the demand. Off course that does not mean wasting energy. Energy efficiency is right at the heart of such innovation. I see DR just the opposite of that. But, it works at least for some consumers and aggregators...

Mirrasoul Mousavi - 10/21/2011 - 13:37

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