Last week, Silicon Valley-based boardroom consultant and smart grid expert Christine Hertzog made five predictions for trends likely to occur in the smart energy sector, including the prediction that “Consumer intermediation threats would abound for utilities”. And wouldn’t you know it, on Tuesday Google announced it is expanding into “smart homes” with the acquisition of Nest Labs for $3.2 billion. One down for Christine! This week she follows … [Read more...]
Energy Harvesting: the Next Big Thing
Devices and materials that harvest lost energy have the potential of transforming our society, argues Silicon Valley-based consultant Christine Hertzog, author of the Smart Grid Library. “There’s a growing number of companies that are developing ways to capture the enormous amounts of energy that are currently wasted. But it’s going to take basic R&D to realise the full potential of energy harvesting.” Photo: Singularity Utopia  Solar … [Read more...]