Home appliance makers and energy efficiency advocates have agreed to vastly improved energy efficiency standards and are calling for new national minimum standards, production tax credits for super-efficient appliances and the inclusion of Smart Grid readiness as a feature of Energy Star-qualified appliances
Federal officials were briefed today on the results of the PowerCents DC Program, a pilot project considered the first in the electric utility industry to test an integrated Smart Grid combination of dynamic pricing, multi-faceted consumer energy information feedback and smart appliance control.
GE will install a new type of meter in homes in Maui's resort community of Wailea. It's a wall-mounted unit capable of monitoring how much electricity appliances are using and turn them on and off as peak demand periods come and go.
In the same week that Google announced it’s opening up its PowerMeter API to developers, along comes research from Zpryme suggesting the global smart appliance market will soar between 2011 and 2015. But with this increasing attention on home energy management and consumers controlling consumption comes a cautionary note for utilities in a new TELUS-sponsored white paper.
The makers of a variety of household appliances are required to certify with the Energy Department that their products meet the agency's minimum appliance conservation standards. DOE is putting pressure on those manufacturers to comply or face civil penalties or fines.
Intelligent appliances are expected to help utilities manage peak demand and consumers manage their electricity costs. But appliance manufacturers and the government so far can’t manage to agree on standards for these smart appliances.
The California Energy Commission voted unanimously to adopt strict energy efficiency standards for new televisions sold in the state. The tough standards are the first in the nation for TVs and could make a surprising dent in carbon dioxide emissions.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Waxman-Markey or “climate change” bill. But beyond the well-known cap-and-trade provisions, this bill, if it becomes law, promises to have sweeping impacts on grid modernization issues and the Smart Grid in general. Alex Zheng cuts through the legal language and tells you what you need to know.
PNNL is finally ready to license a smart chip that lets your appliances monitor the grid and manage their power use. But are they just playing catchup with GE?
We're getting mixed signals about the vitality of the smart grid market. On the one hand, the recent DistribuTECH conference was one of the most successful ever. On the other, a well-known Wall Street analyst recently told his clients that the smart metering sector is "facing several headwinds," including weak regulatory support in the U.S. and delays in European adoption. Taking the pulse of the smart grid industry is this week's Tuesday Topic.
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