NIST posts standards roadmap. Following the passage of the ARRA or stimulus bill, Congress and the DOE pressed the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to get moving on the development of Smart Grid interoperability standards. NIST contracted with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to develop an interim roadmap. And in April and May, the first two of a series of stakeholder workshops were held. Now NIST has posted the first of its interim roadmaps on its Web site. However, the document is careful to note that it is “not a formally reviewed and approved NIST publication. Rather, it is one of many inputs into the ongoing NIST-coordinated roadmapping process.”

   Quick Take: As we’ve pointed out before, standards are going to be a make-or-break issue for companies competing in the Smart Grid sector. Check out our take on the standards issue and the links to our standards primer below.

   NIST standards site

   NIST interim standards roadmap (PDF)

   SGN: Standards for Dummies (Who Want to Get Rich)

   SGN: Standards Primer, Part 1

   SGN: Standards Primer, Part 2

EnerNOC acquires carbon management software company. EnerNOC, provider of demand response and energy efficiency applications, has announced the acquisition of eQuilibrium Solutions, which develops carbon management and energy efficiency software. The privately held eQ creates software for monitoring, mitigating, and monetizing the carbon footprint of its industrial, institutional, and commercial customers. EnerNOC plans to integrate this product, which comes in the form of software as a service (Saas), into its PowerTrak software platform.

   Quick Take: Up until now, a number of demand response companies have recognized the time value or energy use —the ability to shift demand to off-peak hours to lower the strain on utilities. But as climate change legislation becomes a reality, companies will also need to be aware of the carbon value of increased energy use. EnerNOC’s forward-looking acquisition will prove to be a smart move, especially if the cap-and-trade legislation under consideration in Congress becomes the law of the land.

   Press release