Sequentric Energy Systems, LLC, Wilmington, N.C., inked a deal with HD Supply Utilities, Atlanta, the largest distributor of utility products in North America, to distribute its Sequentric Energy Systems product line, which provides two-way communication between the electric utility and a homeowner’s electrical loads, such as appliance, electronics, HVAC system and electric-vehicle charging system.
Sequentric said in a press release that its Internet Protocol-based products and software systems provide electric utilities with a wide range of proven, cost-efficient smart grid options. By enabling demand, consumption and information management with a variety of control and storage innovations, Sequentric’s technology empowers a utility company to create custom network-based smart grid solutions that can benefit the utility as well as its customers.
The press release also said Sequentric products will be an integral part of HD Supply Utilities’ smart grid technology solution suite, which includes hardware, software and services comprising total, end-to-end demand response solutions, from generation source to in-home smart appliances.
Details
Archive for the ‘Smart Grid’ Category
HD Supply adds new vendor to bolster its suite of smart-grid solutions
Some Bay Area Residents Don’t Trust their Smart Meters
A Wall Street Journal report says city councils in several Bay Area municipalities are asking area utilities to stop installing smart meters until concerns over inaccurate electric bills are addressed.
LumaSense acquisition adds transformer sensors
LumaSense Technologies, Santa Clara, Calif., a maker of temperature and gas sensing products, has acquired fiber optic sensing technology from Quebec, Canada-based Opsens Inc. The technology is used to help energy companies identify transformer hot spots and perform critical high-voltage equipment temperature monitoring. The deal for Opsens’ PowerSens system rounds out LumaSense’s fiber optics portfolio designed to help utilities improve power grid reliability involving generation, transmission and distribution assets, the company said.
“As global energy demand increases, transformer and electrical asset reliability is a growing priority,” said Vivek Joshi, LumaSense Technologies’ chief executive officer. “Transformer makers and utilities are looking for a wide range of options for improving system reliability across all sizes of transformers, distribution units included. This type of technology truly enables the Smart Grid and allows LumaSense to have a wide range of products to fit all needs and budgets.”
GE Energy Buys Software Developer
GE Energy, Atlanta, has acquired SNC-Lavalin’s Energy Control Systems, Montreal, a developer of software to improve power efficiency and reliability. Atlanta Business Journal
Honeywell Earnings Report Upbeat on Automation; Rumors of E-Mon Acquisition
Honeywell International, the multi-faceted technology conglomerate based in Morris Township, N.J., reported earnings with a distinctly enthusiastic outlook for economic recovery. The company reported a 24 percent boost in earnings on an 8 percent increase in revenues for the second quarter: $8.2 billion in sales versus $7.6 billion in Q2 2009.
“We believe the recovery is happening, with improving demand in both our short- and long-cycle businesses. However, given ongoing economic uncertainties, we remain cautious about the near-term outlook,” said Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote in the earnings report.
The company’s Automation and Control Solutions business saw a 7 percent gain in sales and a 9 percent gain in profits, “primarily due to growth in all regions, general industrial recovery, growth in energy efficiency-related projects, and new product introductions, partially offset by softness in residential markets in developed regions.”
The company has posted no official announcements about an acquisition of E-Mon, the manufacturer of sub-metering equipment based in Langhorne, Pa. The deal has been reported on some reliable sites — it was posted by Greentech Media and picked up (verbatim) by The Motley Fool. Electrical Marketing is following up and will report what we learn, so stay tuned. This would be significant step for Honeywell, adding a technology that supports both smart-grid opportunities and its building-management systems.
Here’s Honeywell’s earnings report
UPDATE: A press release from merger/acquisition advisor Cobblestone/Harris-Williams takes credit for advising E-Mon in its acquisition by Honeywell.
Leviton Teams with Coulomb Technologies for EV Charging
Leviton Manufacturing, Melville, N.Y., and Coulomb Technologies, Durham, N.C., today announced an OEM, product and marketing partnership for the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) market. Through the agreement, Leviton’s EVSE product family, which includes home and public Level 1 and Level 2 charging stations, will be network-enabled by Coulomb’s ChargePoint network. The ChargePoint network uses an open interface architecture that will provide Leviton customers advanced features similar to all charging stations on the ChargePoint network. The product line will debut at Plug-In 2010 Conference and Exposition in San Jose, Calif., on July 26-29, 2010.
“Leviton now has a complete solution for home and public EV charging, providing the charging stations as well as installation by certified contractors and extensive customer service. We are pleased to partner with Coulomb as it aligns with our intent to create a growing portfolio of green solutions and helps bring an established technology and network to our existing customer base,” said Mike Mattei, vice president and general manager for Leviton’s Commercial and Industrial Division.
Leviton’s Evr-Green Level 1 portable cord set lets EV drivers charge their vehicles anywhere a standard outlet is available. Leviton also has developed a unique receptacle for EV owners to plug in their Level 1 cord set. Leviton’s Level 2 residential charging stations range from 16 amp to 32 amp charging levels. The Leviton public stations offer Level 2 (208/240 V @ 30 amps) charging via a standard SAE J1772 connector and fixed 18-foot cable and Level I (120 V @ 16 Amp) charging via a standard NEMA 5-20 receptacle protected behind a locking door.
Leviton will market these charging stations to residential, workplace and public markets, including existing and new customers, builders, higher education, government, hospitality, Fortune 500, commercial real estate, and auto manufacturers.
Making the charging stations part of the ChargePoint Network will allow drivers open access using any standards-based RFID card; will allow sending text-message or email notifications to drivers when charging is complete or there is an interruption in charging; and will give EV drivers a way to easily locate, access and use any of the expected thousands of ChargePoint charging stations using a smart phone iPhone or Blackberry applications, among other benefits. It also will allow station owners to set charging session access pricing via a web enabled user interface and give utilities a way to manage grid load and consolidate billing.
GE & Venture Funds to Provide $200 Million in Funding for the Most Innovative Smart Grid & Green Power Solutions
The GE Ecomagination Challenge is a $200-million innovation experiment where businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators and students share their best ideas on how to build the next-generation power grid – and just might get funded. GE has teamed up with some of the best-known venture capital firms, including Emerald Technology Ventures, Foundation Capital, KPCB and Rockport Capital to help back the most promising ideas. Categories for submission are renewable energy, grid efficiency and ecohomes/ecobuildings. Entries may be submitted between July 13 and September 30 and must include a clear, detailed proposal describing an innovative, original smart grid technology. Details
GE unveils electric vehicle charger
GE today introduced the GE WattStation, an electric vehicle (EV) charger designed to help accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles. GE says the WattStation significantly decreases time needed for vehicle charging and, using smart grid technology, allows utility companies to manage the impact of electric vehicles on the local and regional grids.
Designed by artist and industrial designer Yves Behar the WattStation is designed for ease of use and fast charging. It will be commercially available globally in 2011; GE will unveil a specialized home version of the charger later this year.
For more information on the GE WattStation, the company invites you to visit:
www.ecomagination.com/wattstation.
Schneider & PowerSecure to Offer Smart Grid Solutions for Hospitals
PowerSecure International, Inc., Wake Forest, has established a partnership with Schneider Electric to bring its Interactive Distributed Generation smart grid power systems to hospitals. Under the terms of this new partnership, Schneider Electric will offer hospitals across North America PowerSecure’s Interactive Distributed Generation (IDG) power systems. This technology, in partnership with local utilities, enables hospitals to make their operations more efficient by utilizing their idle backup power systems during high-cost peak electricity demand and extend and upgrade their backup power systems.
Details
Quanta Edging Onto Wall Street’s Radar
In a world with increasing interest in the expansion of the U.S. electrical grid, the smart grid and new power lines to carry power from wind farms and utility-grade photovoltaic fields, Quanta Services Inc., Houston, (PWR) the publicly held contractor with an expertise in power line construction seems like one of the electrical contractors situated at the right place at the right time. Its stock price hasn’t moved much until the past year, but check out this post on the www.seekingalpha.com investment blog to see why Wall Street is nowtaking more interest in Quanta.