Most people involved in building automation are familiar with kW, which is the rate at which a building is consuming energy from the power company. But there is another power system parameter known as VAR/kVAR which is less well understood. In this article we will attempt to dispel some of the VAR mystery. The term […]
Read PostCategory: Industry Happenings
Does Your Building Own its Energy Destiny?
Those of you who have read some of my past blogs have probably gathered by now that I’m fascinated by the intersection of building automation, energy and the coming Internet of Things (IoT) revolution. What captivates me most about this collision of previously tangentially related and/or non-existent industries? The monumental shift of perception I believe […]
Read PostOur Coming Transactive Energy Economy
While scanning through the building automation and energy industry news recently I came across a term I hadn’t heard before. The term, Transactive Energy, piqued my interest and upon reading further I found this article from The Energy Collective website to be excellent in succinctly describing where I believe our electricity market is headed; and the implications […]
Read PostWho’s afraid of the IoT (Internet of Things)?
A few weeks back I blogged about the IoT (Internet of Things) and its historical ties to and implications for the building automation industry. Given factors I discussed there and in another blog where I talked about the democratization of building controls, the intelligence of building automation systems is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, creating […]
Read PostThe Democratization of Building Controls
Yesterday I read an interesting article that focused on a cleantech startup’s recent venture capital funding success story. The company, Enlighted, provides smart lighting sensors and software that reduce a building’s power consumption. This concept is nothing novel to the building automation industry, however, according to the article, Enlighted has taken a bit of a different […]
Read PostWireless is Becoming More Visible
New technology is always in some sense a little frightening and permeated with uncertainty, whether real or perceived. The very nature of it makes us cautious and reluctant to accept it. We then in turn, take smaller steps and fewer risks. While sometimes these new technologies give us cause to pause, it also offers us […]
Read PostBuilding Automation and the Internet of Things (IOT)
A topic getting a lot of press these days (at least in the publications and on the websites I frequent) is the Internet of Things (IOT). If this phrase is unfamiliar to you now, it probably won’t be for long. We are headed toward a world of greater and greater connectivity and IOT will increasingly […]
Read PostEnergy Efficiency Should Be Part of Tax Reform Solution
As our government quickly approaches the next big political showdown over US deficit reduction measures, constituencies across the spectrum are offering wide-ranging solutions to fix what ails our seemingly incessant poor fiscal standings. One such set of recommendations near and dear to my heart and profession relates to energy efficiency. The proposal to which I’m […]
Read PostLights Out?
As many of you may be aware there was a very highly important football contest televised this past Sunday. I will not name the contest because I do not wish to draw the attention of the sanctioning body or it’s league offices. During this unnamed football contest there was a strange occurrence, an anomaly, a […]
Read PostEnergy Efficiency meet Investors. Investors meet Energy Efficiency
One of the major customer groups Kele serves is the contracting arms of ESCOs (Energy Service Companies). We work with the great folks on the front lines in this industry everyday and we grow when they grow. We believe in the work they are doing (making buildings safer, healthier and more energy efficient for occupants […]
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