Category Archives: Information Systems

More Than 1,300 Demand Response Programs are Underway Worldwide

by 3BL Media Press Release
Posted on May 15, 2013 by 3BL Media Press Release

Demand response (DR) programs, which aim to achieve stability on the grid by ensuring that demand does not exceed supply of electric power, have been offered to many electric customers in the United States for decades.  In the last ten years, utilities and grid operators have adopted new technologies and practices to move demand resources to the next evolutionary phase, offering more advanced types of DR schemes.  According to a new tracker report from Navigant Research, at least 1,342 DR programs are now underway worldwide – 95 percent of them in North America. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, BusinessWire, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Information Systems, Sustainability News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

GE and Google Agreement Allows Utilities to Access Maps

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on February 12, 2013 by CGR Staff Writer

Google-LogoATLANTA–()–A new agreement announced today between GE (NYSE: GE) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) will integrate Google Maps data into GE’s Smallworld™ electrical, telecommunications and gas applications. GE, a leading provider of geospatial analytical tools and insight, and Google, a provider of map services with more than 1 billion monthly active users, will help utilities increase productivity based on the ability to visualize and analyze their data with GE’s Smallworld product suite. The combined solution will enhance the existing network visualization capabilities and will allow utility customers to receive incremental efficiency and productivity of operations in the field. By enhancing the ability to visualize data on a map, utility customers will be able to quickly provide their end-use customers with important information such as outage restoration times and will help to more efficiently manage their network assets. Continue reading →

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Energy Points Launches Application for Integrated Environmental Reporting

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on January 22, 2013 by CGR Staff Writer

Energy_Points_Corporate_Logo_(Drop)BOSTON–()–Energy Points today unveiled EnergyPoints™ Integrated Reports, a new application that enables businesses to issue a single, integrated sustainability report that clearly conveys both the financial and environmental impact of the company’s energy and resource consumption. EnergyPoints Integrated Reports is based on the company’s proprietary analytics platform, which converts all resources (water, fuel, waste, electricity and natural gas) into a single, universal unit of measurement.

Environmental performance has emerged as a critical driver of shareholder value and customer loyalty, and is increasingly viewed by executives as being intertwined with commercial success. According to a new report from the Governance & Accountability Institute, 53 percent of the 500 companies indexed by Standard and Poor’s issued sustainability reports in 2011, up from 19 percent the previous year. The study also found that companies issuing sustainability reports attracted more investment dollars and offered shareholders better returns than competitors that failed to report1. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, BusinessWire, Carbon Management, CSR, Energy Management, Green Business, Green IT, Information Systems, Smart Grid, Technology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Green Gift Idea of the Day – NEST Learning Thermostat

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on December 10, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

ORDER YOURS TODAY! Nest Learning Thermostat – 2nd Generation T200577

A thermostat for the smartphone generation

The next generation Nest has a new, slimmer design, is enclosed by a solid stainless steel ring and works with 95% of low voltage systems.

The Nest Learning Thermostat learns what temperatures you like, turns itself down when you’re away and can be controlled from anywhere over Wi-Fi. By programming itself, the Nest thermostat can save up to 20% on your heating and cooling bill. You just have to teach it well.

  • 2nd generation design – Nest is now 20 percent thinner and works in 95 percent of homes with low voltage systems
  • Auto-Schedule – Nest remembers the temperatures you like and programs itself
  • Auto-Away – Nest saves energy by automatically turning itself down when you’re away
  • Remote control – Connect Nest to Wi-Fi to control it from your smartphone, laptop or tablet
  • Easy install – Most homeowners install Nest themselves in 30 minutes or less. After that, it’s just a matter of changing the temperature

ORDER YOURS TODAY! Nest Learning Thermostat – 2nd Generation T200577

Posted in Alternative Energy, Appliances, Business, Electronics, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Heating & Cooling, Home Energy, Home Improvement & Decor, Information Systems, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nearly 150,000 Electric Utility Substations Will Be Automated or Modernized by 2020

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on December 7, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

BOULDER, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The convergence of key technology developments, stronger business cases, and growing regulatory acceptance is accelerating grid modernization. Substations and the increasingly automated and intelligent gear embedded within them will play a critical role in this transformation. According to a recent report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice, more than 10,000 substations worldwide will be automated (including both new construction and retrofits of existing facilities) in 2012. That number will surpass 20,000 annually by 2020, the study concludes, leading to a cumulative total of nearly 150,000 substations automated or retrofitted from 2012 to 2020.

“Key challenges such as outage management and recovery, increasingly complex system operations, and equipment management all suggest real growth in the coming years in the market for next-generation substation intelligence and data management”
“Key challenges such as outage management and recovery, increasingly complex system operations, and equipment management all suggest real growth in the coming years in the market for next-generation substation intelligence and data management,” says senior research director Bob Gohn. “While the trend toward infrastructure modernization will continue, growth will inevitably begin to decelerate somewhat over time as automation technologies reach a high level of installed base penetration.” Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, BusinessWire, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Green IT, Green Living, Home Energy, Information Systems, Smart Grid, Sustainability News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Smart Meter Shipments Grew Sequentially in the Second Quarter of 2012

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on October 11, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

BOULDER, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rebounding from a soft first quarter, worldwide smart meter shipments picked up steam in the second quarter of 2012. According to a new tracker report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice, global volumes in the quarter totaled 18 million units, up sequentially by nearly 19 percent. Even in North America, where the pace of deployments has slowed in recent months, meter shipments grew in the second quarter from the first three months of the year, the study concludes.

“The second quarter shipment gains are encouraging, but in North America shipments will start to dwindle as major smart metering projects reach completion this year,” says senior research analyst Neil Strother. “The next phase of growth is shifting to projects in Western Europe and Latin America, where sizeable deployments are expected in the next couple of years. And, of course, China continues to deploy at a rapid pace as it strives to fulfill its goal of some 300 million smart meters by mid-decade.” Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, Carbon Management, CSR, Electronics, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green IT, Green Living, Home Energy, Information Systems, Smart Grid, Sustainability News, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Investment in Green Telecom Could Reduce Greenhouse Gases

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on October 8, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

Investment in Green Telecom Networks Could Reduce Worldwide Emissions of Greenhouse Gases from Network Operations by 32 Percent between 2011 and 2016

Telecommunications network operators are faced with the challenge of balancing their growing subscriber bases and rising mobile data usage with their public pledges to reduce both capital and operating expenditures, along with emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs).  As such, robust alternative energy solutions to power fixed and mobile networks are increasingly important.  The goal of creating more efficient and sustainable networks is a top priority for nearly every telecom service provider today.  According to a recent report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice, investment in energy-efficient telecom network infrastructure will reach $194 billion annually by 2016.

All told, these investments could reduce GHG emissions from the telecom industry by 32 percent by 2016 compared to a business-as-usual scenario, the study concludes. Continue reading →

Posted in Air Quality, Business, Carbon Management, CSR, Data Centers, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Green IT, Information Systems, Sustainability News, Technology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Symantec Partners with NCWIT to Support Women in Technology

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on October 2, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

BOULDER, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and Symantec have announced the winners of the NCWIT Student Seed Fund, which provides university student groups with awards of $750 each to implement initiatives that recruit, retain, and support women in computing and technology disciplines. Following are the recipients of the NCWIT Student Seed Fund awards:

  • Ball State University, “Women Working in Technology”
  • Fort Valley State University, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Student Chapter
  • Loyola University Maryland, Society of Women Engineers
  • Michigan State University Women in Computing
  • Ohio State University ACM Committee on Women (ACM-W)
  • Santa Clara University ACM-W Student Chapter
  • University of Delaware “CISters@UD” Continue reading →
Posted in Business, BusinessWire, CSR, Green Business, Green IT, Information Systems, Sustainability News, Technology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment
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