Now it's our turn to nominate smart grid companies to watch in 2011

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Before we turn on the voting machine, we wanted to add a few nominations of our own to the list of smart grid companies to watch in 2011. Our criteria -- these are companies the SGN team will be monitoring because they embody an important trend. They are either leaders, or canaries in the coal mine, or both.

(If you missed any of the previous nominations, you'll find them in this SGN 11 in 2011 article.)

Our nominations:

ABB– If you haven't noticed, the Swiss giant has been on a spending spree, picking up company after company in an aggressive bid to fatten its smart grid portfolio. We'll be watching to see 1) if anyone else is on ABB's shopping list, and 2) how effectively they integrate the new companies and technologies.

Coulomb Technologies– With auto manufacturers finally rolling out EVs for the mass market, consumer acceptance is going to have a lot to do with charging stations on the nation's highways and byways. They'll have plenty of competition, but Coulomb is definitely in the charging fast lane.

Honeywell– Tough to say who's going to win in the "heated" home energy management / demand response space, but given its depth, longevity and name familiarity with many consumers, Honeywell is definitely one to keep your eyes on.

Schneider Electric– Schneider is well on its way to creating a comprehensive "total solution" approach to energy management for buildings, one that embraces the smart grid but does much more besides.

Silver Spring Networks– Observers were disappointed that Silver Spring didn’t go public last year. Is this the year? The company got more wins than just about anybody else and the economic climate is better than it has been in years. If they can't go public this year... well, it would be bad news for the entire sector, especially the sector's venture capitalists.

SmartSynch– In a world of "me too" communications providers, SmartSynch has a different approach, one that embraces public cellular networks as a viable alternative to private RF mesh networks. They're worth watching, among other reasons, because this is the year we will know if that alternative gets traction.

Be sure to check back later this week to cast your vote for the company you think should be among the 11 smart grid companies to watch in 2011. We'll also be launching our Companies to Watch forum so we can keep the discussion going all year long.