By Jesse Berst

 

The technology for automated energy efficiency is moving forward more quickly than the market. The latest company to push the boundaries is FirstFuel Software. In an approach reminiscent of Serious Energy, the company performs remote audits. (It benchmarks their performance against a database of comparable buildings.) Then it makes recommendations. The Boston-based company has just closed a small round of venture financing.

 

I am enamored of the technology offered by young companies such as FirstFuel, Serious Energy and Scientific Conservation. Yet even with this technology edge, small companies may soon get crowded out by the Honeywells and Johnson Controls of the world. The building automation giants have technology of their own, plus many more feet on the street to sign up building owners.

 

As for the market, many observers expect it to heat up in 2013. I think it will be more like 2012. All those big companies making all that noise will finally wake up utilities and building owners alike to the benefits of combining energy efficiency and demand response. My worry, as you may recall, is that the stampede to next-generation efficiency may trample utilities.

 

Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com. He consults to smart grid companies seeking market entry advice and M&A advisory. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the US and abroad, he also serves on the Advisory Council of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Energy & Environment directorate.  

 

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