Jim Pierobon is Founder and principal writer of The Energy Fix. He is a policy, marketing and social media strategist who has reported on, testified and consulted about smarter grids, cyber-security as it affects the power grid, fossil fuel shortages, price spikes, energy efficiency and the rise and fall -- and the rise again of nuclear and renewable energy sources.FAST FIX: How the Smart Grid can save households almost $600 per year
If you need to quickly grasp the potential and benefits of the emerging smart grid in the U.S., this infographic is the best effort yet. It comes courtesy of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative and its 90+ member utilities, technology companies, non-profits, regulators and consumers advocates. Increasing the power grid’s efficiency by 9% equates to [...]
If half of U.S. consumers don’t know what a ‘smart meter’ is, how are they supposed to engage?
That is perhaps the most interesting question raised by the latest “Consumer Pulse” research by the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative. In its third survey by the Collaborative of at least 1,000 consumers throughout the U.S. since 2011 reflecting the U.S. demographics, 54% of Americans who are heads of households and at least 18 years old [...]
Energy ‘datapalooza’ draws more apps; know the cost of that old refrigerator?
The Obama administration threw a its third datathon (my word) this week dubbed the “Energy Datapalooza.” It featured about 150 entrepreneurs, policymakers and software developers, among others, and aspired to offer ways to learn new ways to save energy and lower bills from what is supposed to be free and secure data. Government and private [...]
FAST FIX: debunking 6 myths about smart meters
Courtesy of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, here are facts about smart/digital meters and six commonly circulated myths — debunked. 1. Smart meters are less accurate than analog meters. Public service commissions require meter manufacturers to supply independently certified testing results to prove that their smart meters provide accurate measurements. 2. Smart meters are a [...]
Let’s see if THIS green social network – Ozoshare – has staying power
The web is littered with attempts to build a ‘green’ social network for allied individuals and organizations. Here comes “Ozoshare” from a couple of L.A.-based recycling pros who are taking Ozoshare out of its beta test tomorrow-Tuesday, August 7. Sharing the endangered ozone layer is what co-founders Tom Smith and Scott Peters hope will capture [...]
How the U.S. Dept. of Energy is raising the bar in green buildings
How can the sustainability world best brand more energy-efficient buildings without focusing solely on cost savings? That is the quintessential challenge of the recently launched Better Buildings Challenge by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). After its first year, the initial 60 participating organizations appear to be off to a smooth start; but using 20 [...]
Green Button approaching critical mass – 27 million households now getting access to their energy data
NOW, we’re getting somewhere with the Green Button Initiative. Nine investor-owned utilities from across the country have jumped on board enabling an updated total of about 27 million households to access their electricity usage data. This is a huge step forward for motivated consumers to better understand how they can save on their energy bills [...]
Consumer energy data from the ‘Green Button’: how long before adoptions match the hype?
The White House wants it. Some California utilities get it. But will more than a few U.S. utilities sign on to help ratepayers better understand how they use electricity with one-click access to their data? One year after the Obama Administration began talking about the idea, and in the roughly six months since it formally [...]
Smart grid apps poised to score energy savings on top of more-successful-than-expected efficiency programs
Early lessons from utilities deploying proactive smart grid programs with their customers point to potentially significant energy savings if consumers are engaged with targeted communications they find relevant to their values and lifestyles. When matched with stronger-than-expected gains being achieved through more traditional efficiency programs found in a report out this month by the Consortium [...]
What to make of Chevy Volt’s ignitable battery pack? Consumer confidence hangs in the balance
Just as more brands of hybrid and electric vehicles are gaining real momentum in the U.S., questions raised by the Chevy Volt’s ignitable batter pack pose serious challenges to General Motors and perhaps the entire auto sector. What to make of it? After several test crashes damaged the Volt’s battery pack, coolant leaked in each [...]