Will show Cyber supported the future of energy efficiency?

The US economy is three times larger than China's, but when it comes to developing a clean energy industry, he keeps US China. Ranking moved the United States renewable energy much observed in the second – again – China in this quarter in Ernst & young published February 28.

But it's a clean energy segment in the United States leads: demand response.

Request-response comes into play, if there is high demand for electricity burdening the power grid, typically hot summer days. Utilities or carriers give factories and other enterprises a payment in return for them to peak hours to reduce their energy consumption. As a result, request-response not only unsightly power failures, but also us saves money, because it much cheaper is to save energy when the network is curious, as it is to generate more energy.

An industry, American grown, request-reply WINS now international attention. The concept abroad according to Gregg Dixon, senior Vice President for marketing and sales is increasingly described each, a Boston company, the demand response services. The company supplies now about 12,000 companies, universities, hospitals and other large energy consumers, not only in the United States, but also in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Other demand response companies, Johnson controls, Comverge and Silver Spring networks, Wipro and Honeywell, reports international expansion, the $1.3 billion global market for demand response to see, a compound annual growth rate of 37% by 2016 expected Pike research.

So demand response clearly a success story, at least when it comes to reducing the use of energy by companies and large institutions. The next challenge for request-response is the owner of the House. And unfortunately, that would be a more difficult market to crack. The average person displays little interest, take the time to reduce energy consumption at peak times.

"The concept of an economist point of view makes sense." But, if it is managed for us in a very simple way, only I see it use. And I'm a zealot on this stuff, "said Dixon."

A recent report by the American Council for an energy-efficient economy underlines the problem. It turns out House and apartment owners are not much energy save, even if devices give new energy them real-time feedback about the costs.

This home gadgets that contain screens, smart meters and Web interfaces, are to encourage people at peak times, cut, when energy prices are high. ACEEE home owners found but only a 3.8% achieved overall savings in nine pilot programs tested. Peak period, four of the pilots showed savings of up to 11.3%. The programmes were carried out in the United States, UK and Ireland.

However, there is an interesting exception, a group that responds. ACEEE not quite sure who they are, but she calls Cyber supported. Do you not fit in each of a demographic box; You're not at a certain age or income. But they make a swathe of the population, the energy savings of up to 25% by certain devices reached, providing you real time feedback on their energy consumption.

Some in the energy sector believe demand household response never over the Cyber supported to accept. Others see this group as a starting point for further studies, which can show us what energy conservation, promotion, whether it says cost, comfort, green altruism or even an emotional or intuitive reaction to technology, ACEEE.

It is to difficult, not to draw a parallel between this energy information gadget and the early days of the personal computer. First, the computer was regarded as a device that would be used extensively in business as demand response is today. Then Steve Jobs came, and we all know the rest of the story. If demand the attention of households collect response companies can, as they must be companies, might find the United States which has its new Apple.