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News | Smart Grid

Jeff St. John: January 27, 2012
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Consert Takes Aim at Home Electricity Control, Not Home Automation

The GE, Verizon, Qualcomm and Constellation Energy-backed startup wants to turn homes into virtual power plants. Is it worth the extra cost?

Can utilities rely on home air conditioners and water heaters the same way they rely on power plants? Consert, a startup founded in 2008 and funded by about $25 million from strategic investors including General Electric, Verizon, Qualcomm and Constellation Energy, says it has the magic formula for making it happen.

Now the startup has a chance to test its proposition in its new hometown of San Antonio, Texas. This summer, the company… Read More ›

Research & Analysis | Solar

Andrew Krulewitz: January 27, 2012
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Who Reigns Supreme in Residential Solar?

SolarCity’s aggressive consumer marketing and expansion into new markets puts it firmly at the head of the pack.

In 2010, the market value of all residential solar installed in the U.S. was just shy of $1.8 billion. Once tallied, the 2011 dollar amount will be substantially larger. According to data collected by GTM Research, there are well over 2,000 experienced residential installers fighting for a piece of this $2-billion-plus pie. This highlights the question, who gets the biggest slice? With the explosion of third-party-owned systems in many of the… Read More ›

Solar

January 27, 2012
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Video: Astronergy on the Complexities of the U.S. Solar Market

Alan Yuan, Senior VP of Astronergy

Watch Now ›

Chatterbox

In regards to Germany: Very different. Between 80% and 85% of… says Sim about Who Reigns Supreme in Residential Solar?
True enough — I should note that GE also makes smart appliances. says Jeff St. John about Consert Takes Aim at Home Electricity Control, Not Home Automation
Musk would not scream and thump if you locked him in the trunk;… says WOV about High-Speed Test Drive of Tesla Model S
So perhaps not a crash, ...” YET. I agree, Bill, that most… says crash about First Solar on the Future of Photovoltaics: Part 1
Why don't we just mandate by law that all new large appliances… says JoeJoe about Consert Takes Aim at Home Electricity Control, Not Home Automation
There are several companies making chargers for forklifts that… says Eletruk about Will Oorja Drive to Fuel Cell Profitability?
Energy Data is just the very beginning. Then, Tendril's platform… says JPTAZ about California Gets the Green Button
I got my system installed with SolarCity just 6 months ago with… says Sp about Who Reigns Supreme in Residential Solar?
We really need to see some commercialization of fuel cells. Why… says Bman about Guest Post: Fuel Cells on the LEEDing Edge
Note that even with this aggressive solar plan, over the 5 year… says Don Osborn about Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Aims at 33 Percent Renewables by 2020

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News | Solar

Eric Wesoff: January 27, 2012
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First Solar on the Future of Photovoltaics: Part 1

In order to thrive, First Solar must deploy 65 GW of photovoltaic panels over the next decade.

First Solar is the largest solar module firm by market capitalization, the largest thin-film solar firm, and one of the largest solar firms by capacity, shipments, and certainly by cumulative profits. The company is in the cross hairs of every other solar firm and continues to set the bar in terms of solar panel value and corporate performance.

What first Solar does in the next few years is important.

Which is why more than 200 people… Read More ›

News | Transportation

Eric Wesoff: January 27, 2012
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High-Speed Test Drive of Tesla Model S

Wherein your humble narrator test-drives the new Tesla Sedan against the EV company’s wishes.

This is not entirely a true story.

***

Greentech Media was invited by Tesla Motors to pilot a test drive in the new Model S beta at their Palo Alto, California facility.

The beta is the phase of vehicle development before it reaches full production.

I arrived, sporting my flame-retardant one-piece test suit and helmet, only to be informed by the Tesla public relations person that I was not going to actually drive the vehicle. Instead,… Read More ›

Perspectives | Green Building

Mike Upp: January 27, 2012
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Guest Post: Fuel Cells on the LEEDing Edge

Fuel cells have been around since the invention of the first bicycle. Now, the training wheels are off—and businesses are saving money and applying to earn LEED credits with fuel cells.

Getting credit for an amazing innovation isn’t always an easy task -- just ask the Winklevoss twins. But for organizations that have gone the extra mile to help the environment, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System is a great way to showcase their environmental credentials.

As a previous post pointed out, everything from low-flow faucets and bike racks to recycled carpeting and daylight harvesting can help… Read More ›

News | Grid Optimization

Katherine Tweed: January 27, 2012
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Entergy Tests AMI Voltage Optimization

What else can the smart meters do?

Many people working in smart grid argue that the smart meter, which got so much attention (and stimulus funds) in recent years, is just an endpoint. Real smart grid is on the grid itself, providing two-way communication and more efficient power flow across the distribution system.

But what if the meter can help with some of that? Following in the footsteps of Dominion Virginia Power, Entergy is using its Elster smart meter system to… Read More ›

News | Policy

Herman K. Trabish: January 27, 2012
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Wind Finishes 2011 Big, Sort Of

Everybody is hustling to build before the December 2012 cliff edge.

The secret behind the latest numbers from the wind industry is that developers, their turbine suppliers and the entire supply chain are running on all cylinders and yet are desperately worried about the cliff out in front of them.

The new numbers from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) are impressive. U.S. cumulative installed capacity is at 46,919 megawatts, second only to China (where government support is so good their turbine… Read More ›

News | Smart Grid

Jeff St. John: January 26, 2012
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Glen Canyon Promises the $25 Smart Meter

The just-unstealthed startup says it has landed a 1.5-million-unit order from China for its super-cheap smart meters.

Some of the biggest buzz at the DistribuTECH conference in San Antonio this week was around a recently unstealthed startup called Glen Canyon. The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based company is promising to deliver smart meters for the unheard-of cost of $25 or less -- and it has already landed a 1.5-million-meter order from China.

Where does Glen Canyon come from, and how is the company making meters so cheaply? I talked to CEO John Heibel at the… Read More ›

News | Smart Grid

Eric Wesoff: January 26, 2012
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DistribuTECH Smart Grid Show Wrap-Up

A roundup of this week’s reporting from the big San Antonio smart grid event

Much of the Greentech Media smart grid brain trust has been in San Antonio, Texas this week attending DistribuTECH, one of the biggest smart grid get-togethers in the U.S. We are reporting on the biggest stories, meeting with the biggest players, speaking at the biggest events and apparently eating at the biggest barbecue joints.

Here's a quick rundown of some of our smart grid coverage from this busy week:

FLISR: The great thing about… Read More ›