Smart Grid Library

Energy efficiency is “the first fuel to set priorities about design, deployment, and use of any devices or materials that consume electricity or contribute to its consumption.” (Definition from the Smart Grid Dictionary, 2nd Edition). It is also called “low-hanging fruit” to describe that it is the easiest and cheapest way to avoid the purchase [...]

There is welcome evidence that the intellectual and financial resources in Silicon Valley are starting to seriously engage in Smart Grid activities. 
Take a look at where Smart Grid investment funds are based.  Of course, the Federal government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus fund kickstart of $3.4B beat all other sources of money.  But [...]

As a telecom veteran, I sometimes get a sense of deja vu at Smart Grid conferences.  There are some strong similarities between the telecom industry of 25 years ago and electric utilities today.  I know how much the utility industry hates to hear that but it is true.  Here are the similarities and important lessons [...]

Previous blogs discussed proper introduction of Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) solutions and In-Home Displays (IHDs) into residential consumer homes.   While these solutions hold great promise to help consumers save money and the environment through participation in energy conservation and energy efficiency programs, the development of a Consumer Enlightenment Model is absolutely critical to successful [...]

Technology can’t get more visible and disruptive than Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS). HEMS solutions are one of the most critical components of the Smart Grid – truly game-changing solutions that change the relationship residential consumers have with electricity and with utilities.
HEMS solutions are software solutions that offer direct consumer management of electricity in ways [...]

November 4th will be a busy day in California.  It’s the date of an important energy efficiency standards meeting and the date for the  UCLA WINSmartGrid Connection– the 3rd leadership forum that will discuss the state of the transmission and distribution power grids and future Smart Grid directions.
This forum, and others like it that encourage [...]

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that it was taking steps to enforce Energy Efficiency standards.   This announcement and all resulting enforcement actions should be applauded, since such actions get to the heart of concerns about the viability of current standards and can restore trust in those standards.  It also implicitly acknowledges a statement [...]

My October 5 blog mentioned concerns with the Energy Star program used in the USA to guide consumers to select energy-efficient appliances.  A recent audit confirmed those concerns, according to an article published on October 18 in the New York Times.  There have been circumstances in which manufacturers have gamed the testing to produce the [...]

Energy efficiency standards work, and giving consumers information about energy consumption also helps us make informed decisions that reduce our overall energy use and help the environment.

The Smart Grid standards that are under development require solid testing and certification processes to build confidence with all stakeholders and accelerate the adoption of technologies to help us all reduce electricity and carbon emissions.