From Earth and Industry:
HT: MatterNetwork
Goolge and Cisco are both making plays to manage your energy. (photo: © Eimantas Buzas/Dreamstime)
Google and Cisco have the resources–and the head start–to lead the IT sector in energy management
The IT leaders have re-entered your home and business in a whole new way. Companies like Google and Cisco are providing the tools to help consumers and businesses monitor and manage their energy use to reduce carbon emissions.
So, how did this trend come about? And what does it mean for energy consumption in the U.S. and throughout the world?
The IT sector and energy management
Let’s start at the beginning. A report published in 2008 by The Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) called SMART 2020 (pdf) provided a clear picture as to how the IT sector has a major role to play in reducing energy use, and as a result, reducing carbon emissions. This report is key in understanding the global business opportunity of the IT sector in transforming energy use and carbon mitigation....
...The new energy management products
The two most interesting developments currently are from Google and Cisco (full disclosure, Cisco is a client of DOMANI). Google has essentially bypassed the need for a smart meter by partnering with Energy Inc. to provide a home energy meter, which works with Google’s energy management software. The Google PowerMeter and Energy Inc.’s TED 5000 (The Energy Detective) monitor energy use from a web browser or smart phone. The information from the system includes real time energy use and approximate cost, trends and comparisons to previous use.
Google is “everywhere” and now may become your trusted source for home energy management, in particular with Android entering the Smartphone market.
Now let’s take a look at Cisco and their EnergyWise product (Cisco also has an Energywise calculator to quantify projected performance). According to Cisco, EnergyWise can:
- Monitor the power of all Cisco network-connected devices, from Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices to IP-enabled building controllers;
- Report aggregated power consumption to provide a clearer understanding of an organization’s power-consumption habits...MORE
Some previous posts on Cisco (in reverse chronological order):
Barclay’s Raises CSCO to Overweight; Target $28 (CSCO)
Stimulus Funds Speed Transformation Toward 'Smart Grid' (CSCO)
Smart grid: "IBM, Cisco Look to Tie Up Smart Grid Partners" (CSCO; IBM)
Cisco: We See our Future in the Smart Grid (CSCO)
Smart Grid: Cisco expected to report 18% drop in sales: Continues to Outpace the Market (CSCO)
Why Silver Spring Should Be Worried About Cisco (CSCO)
Cisco and Energy
