solar energy
Construction has started on what’s expected to be one of the largest solar installations in Hawaii, as well as one of the largest solar-powered communities in the US. The Hickam Communities/SolarCity project aims to provide 4 megawatts of power to more than 2,000 military family homes at
smart metering
A Nordic energy company plans to deploy smart electricity meters to 100,000 customers in Norway. Fortum Norway will roll out a smart metering system from Echelon with the help of Telvent, a smart-grid partner of Echelon. The project is part of Norway’s new push to install smart meters
solar energy
Insurance group Munich Re and investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) have acquired a 49-percent equity stake in Grupo T-Solar, the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) power generator in Europe. The assets acquired in the deal include 42 PV plants — 34 in Spain and eight in Italy — with a
electric cars
Home improvement retailer Lowe’s expects to make electric-car charging stations widely available to customers by this September. Lowe’s plans to begin selling GE’s WattStation wall-mounted charging system at five stores in California starting in August. It says it will offer the charging stations at 60 stores in
Energy Star
Earning an Energy Star label is good for companies looking to boost their eco-credentials, but a new program will now recognize the most energy efficient of energy-efficient products. “Most Efficient,” a pilot program of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE), aims to provide
smart metering
PECO, a Pennsylvania-based electric and gas distribution company that provides energy to the greater Philadelphia area, has selected Telvent’s smart-grid solutions to upgrade its electrical network, reduce power losses and operational costs, and improve power quality and reliability. PECO plans to implement Telvent’s advanced distribution management system (ADMS)
lighting
The good news for US energy efficiency is that an effort to repeal legislation mandating more efficient light bulbs failed this week in a vote in the House of Representatives. The bad news is that, had the repeal effort not required a two-thirds majority, the measure would have passed … at
smart metering
Canada’s BC Hydro is enlisting the help of two British Columbia-based firms as it prepares to begin rolling out smart meters to 1.8 million customers starting this month. The utility will launch the deployment with the help of software and communications infrastructure from Vancouver-based Bit Stew Systems and
power distribution
It’s hard to avoid faults within electrical power systems, and the fault currents they cause increase as more energy sources are connected to our distribution systems. That’s a concern as work continues to make our power grids both smarter and more clean-energy-based. That’s why the Energy Technologies
renewables
A smart-grid demonstration project in New Mexico aims to find better ways to conserve energy and make wider use of renewable energy sources. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the New Mexico state government, the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities, a national research center run under the umbrella
smart cities
A new planned development being built in South Korea is being designed as a model to help the country turn its cities into environmentally sustainable communities that can also generate rapid economic growth and opportunities for citizens. The first phase of the 1,500-acre Songdo International Business District (IBD,) which
How can smart technology help communities ensure resilience in the face of natural disasters? Siemens explores the possibilities in a feature in its latest “Pictures of the Future” online magazine. The year is 2030. The place, Houston, watching the approach of a massive hurricane named Rose. The city’s mayor
