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This is the section to watch for thought leadership and industry expertise on issues critical to our energy future.


Results: 252 results found. You are on page 1 of 11 pages.

Are We Building the Grid @$$ Backwards?
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With all the stimulus money (and press) focused on smart meters last year, you might think AMI is the only way to start a Smart Grid initiative. But Jesse Berst points to evidence the tide is turning and that grid applications may prove the quickest way for some utilities to demonstrate benefits. Click for his analysis.

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

Stationary Battery Storage Expands to Strategic Markets
Recent moves by Ener1, Sony and others demonstrate industry interest in the still-emerging business models for energy storage. Click inside where Lux Research analyst John Kluza provides details.

IBM Smart Grid Strategy: The Grid’s Only ‘Super Integrator?’
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After updating you on Cisco and GE Smart Grid strategies in recent posts, today Jesse Berst zooms in on IBM, which he’s calling the Smart Grid’s first and only super integrator. Do you agree? Click inside for a quick look at Big Blue's far-reaching role in our ecosystem (and a chance to nominate IBM strategies you want to know more about).

Smart Grid into the Home: The Battle Begins
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With increasing frequency we’re seeing reports of new players or new partnerships in the home energy management space. Everyone wants in on the action. But Pike Research senior analyst Bob Gohn poses the billion-dollar question: Who will entice pesky consumers into “behavior change” – and be able to make money doing it? Don’t miss his analysis.

Swept Away ― How the Smart Grid Tsunami Could Destroy Utilities (And What to Do About It)
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The Smart Grid tsunami is nearing the shore. Without preparation, you and your company could be victims. With forethought, you could emerge as victors. The key is to get to the high ground… but where’s that going to be? Jesse Berst says we can learn from other industries that have gone through similar upheavals. Click to read insights from telecommunications, transportation and retailing.

Microsoft's Billion-Dollar Missed Smart Grid Opportunity
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That innovation platform that Cisco is touting could have been Microsoft’s. There was a time when the software giant was the obvious candidate to create an operating system for the Smart Grid. But Jesse Berst says Microsoft has missed out entirely. Click inside to find out why.

Challenges to Cisco’s Smart Grid Strategy
Cisco was a big winner in the Internet world and is looking to be equally so in the Smart Grid space. But we count at least five hurdles the networking giant will have to overcome (and you may think of a few we’ve overlooked). So click inside and take a look; there's a Quick Poll too.

The Good News and Bad News about Cisco’s Smart Grid Strategy
There’s much to like about what Cisco is doing to connect the dots in the Smart Grid space. But for utilities, Cisco’s vision may pose some real challenges. High cost, hidden lock-ins and cloud computing are on our worry list. But there’s more too.

Cisco Smart Grid Strategy: The Grid’s First Operating System
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Cisco calls it an innovation platform. But Jesse Berst has taken a look under the hood and he's calling it the Smart Grid’s first operating system. Either way, the important thing is that we are finally starting to see the underpinnings of a real end-to-end platform. Click inside for details on this promising development.

GE’s Smart Grid Strategy: Cool Little Pieces, No Glue
GE just made a series of announcements that illustrate both the strengths and the weaknesses of its Smart Grid strategy. Take a look yourself and see if you agree with Jesse Berst that there may be individual strokes of brilliance in GE’s portfolio – but they are hampered by the lack of an end-to-end strategy to connect all the pieces.

Electricity from the Oceans: Will It Really Happen Anytime Soon?
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Marine and hydrokinetic technologies (ocean waves and currents, tides and rivers) are getting more attention (and money) than ever before. But how likely is it that we'll see them pumping out power in the foreseeable future?

Echelon and Convergys Want to Host Your ‘Energy Happy Hours’
Over the next decade utilities will need powerful new capabilities to scale up all sorts of offerings for all sorts of customers in all sorts of service territories using all sorts of rate plans. Some refer to this array of services as “energy happy hours” – and today Jesse Berst introduces two forward-looking companies with plans to host them.

From Distributing to Connecting: Utilities’ Evolving Role in a Smart Grid World
As Smart Grid deployments transform today’s electric utilities, consumer advocate Michael Shames says the utilities’ product will evolve from kilowatts to connectivity. They'll be selling convenience, lifestyle, improved service quality and better value. Shames warns that utilities that are too cautious as they move into this new role could see disastrous results. Find out why inside.

Home Energy Management: TED 5000 Provides Real Consumer Value – But Scores Low on Standards-Based Interoperability
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Technology expert Erich W. Gunther reviews the TED 5000 home energy monitoring device from The Energy Detective. The TED 5000 uses a hardware-based gateway that receives signals from the voltage and current sensors and makes the data available through a built-in web interface. Click inside to read why it scores only 74 out of 100 on the SGN Smart Grid Scorecard.

Smart Grid 2.0: Moving Beyond Meter-Centric Systems
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In this thoughtful commentary by Echelon CTO Bob Dolin we start at the world’s first Smart Grid project in Italy - and then follow a path that takes us past two-way communications and remote meter reading towards Smart Grid 2.0 and the benefits of intelligent energy management. How do we get there? What are the requirements? Dolin offers his point of view inside.

Smart Grid Standards Wars: The Battle over Communications is Heating Up
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Nothing is more crucial than getting Smart Grid standards in place, especially in communications. But the communications space is highly complex, both technically and politically. As our friends from EPRI explain in this exclusive report, we are getting down to crunch time. Different factions are drawing lines in the sand and different groups are vying to be in charge. The next few months could determine the direction of Smart Grid communications for years or even decades to come.

BG&E Fallout: What’s the Take-Away for Other Utilities?
The Maryland Public Service Commission’s decision to turn down Baltimore Gas & Electric’s stimulus-funded smart meter proposal sent shockwaves through the industry. In this guest commentary, eMeter Chief Regulatory Officer Chris King offers perspective on the PSC decision – and suggestions for utilities hoping to avoid a similar fate.

The Overlooked Standard That Could Unlock New Benefits
With all the Smart Grid standards now in the works, which ones are most essential? Smart Grid expert Dr. Dale McMullin argues that a single set of standards for geospatial interfaces and encodings deserve a spot on your "pay attention" list. Find out why.

Transmission Smart Grid: Does BPL Finally Have a Home?
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Broadband over powerline (BPL) has died a dozen deaths in the Smart Grid space, yet continues to dig itself out of each grave. In this article, former AEP executive and early BPL advocate Bruce Renz argues that its rightful role is in the transmission system. Click inside to see if you agree with him – and then vote in our Quick Poll regarding BPL prospects.

Smart Grid Stimulus: Did DOE Bet Wrong?
Many Smart Grid experts believe too many stimulus dollars went to smart meters. They argue it would have been smarter to spend more on distribution automation and system efficiencies. Here's an opposing viewpoint from longtime industry participant Sunil Sharan.

What Customers Say Vs. What Customers Do
No one company has the full picture when it comes to home energy management. When it comes to the customer engagement and participation piece, however, OPOWER has the mind share lead, and the biggest number of on-the-ground installations, as this guest article by Sheldon Reiffenstein explains.

Smart Power Business Models for a Smarter Grid
Peter Fox-Penner’s new book, “Smart Power: Climate Change, the Smart Grid, and the Future of Electric Utilities,” is a must-read for anyone in the industry – and we’re delighted that Peter graciously agreed to write a short adaptation for SGN readers. Don’t miss it.

The Smart Grid Threat You’re Not Worrying About (But Should Be)
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It doesn’t take a Ph.D in economics to see the utility business model is breaking down as fast as the Smart Grid is building out. And rather than shrugging it off as someone else’s worry, Jesse Berst says anyone collecting a paycheck from a utility ought to be nervous - and pro-active about helping piece together a new model. He explains inside.

Customer Engagement: The New Metric for Utility Success
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All of those smart devices we’re seeing roll out around the world – the meters, thermostats, in-home displays, even smart appliances – aren’t going to change consumer behavior. And if we don’t change consumer behavior, the demand response and energy efficiency initiatives we’re banking on will fail. What to do? For starters, you can join us at our next free Webinar where experts will share insights on that critical topic. Click inside for details.

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