Planet Forward on TV

see more Planet Forward TV segments.

Demand Response: Enernoc Applies Social Media Tech to the Power Grid

by Victoria Riess | 1:52 pm May 27th, 2011 | 6 Comments »

Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are great for staying in touch with friends, but how about one that helps companies cut costs? This month’s Nightly Business Report segment looks how new networking technologies similar to those used in social media are applied to help businesses save big money on electricity by managing energy consumption.

Here’s how it works. Utilities pay Enernoc for the networking service and for any energy it saves. Enernoc then shares the revenue with the building owners. Together, they reduce energy consumption and make money.

Read the transcript

Viability:

6 Responses to “Demand Response: Enernoc Applies Social Media Tech to the Power Grid”


  1. I watched the segment on NBR and was again impressed by the work being done by Planet Forward. David Brewster’s innovative concept was presented and explained with clarity and insight through the video and by Frank Sesno’s excellent commentary. I sincerely hope that the world is watching and taking heed!


  2. Hi, I too watched the segment on NBR last eve, and was totally impressed with the information and easy application.

    Go for it folks “out there”, please. It’s a Win-Win situation. BFE


  3. PS I applaud you Planet Forward. bfe


  4. I think this Smart Grid concept is a great idea. The problems in the past has been not enough information. It seems like Enernoc is now trying to get enough information to make it work. Two big questions in my mind, though. One, can you get enough consumers to agree to be “limited” as when they can and can’t use power? People often don’t like being told what to do. Two, how much could this potentially reduce power consumption? Does it just save brown outs, or does it also save net power? However, despite these questions, I like the ideas!!!


  5. I like the idea that we don’t have to have engineering solutions to address energy problems but also by software (or policy) innovation. (Though sounds like an IBM “build a better planet” commercial!) I wonder how much this Enernoc could reduce building energy usage could be reduced if applied on a large scale. The revenue sharing component is particularly valuable.


  6. The technical part of this is already deploying, but the innovation of finding a private sector market to facilitate energy demand management is brilliant.

hi there! care to post a comment?

By submitting a comment, you agree to abide by our user conduct rules outlined in our terms of service.