"…96% of participating (large) businesses indicated that they had started implementing energy-saving measures. Moreover, when asked about their motivations to reduce energy consumption, respondents cited “reduce energy costs” as their most important driver." | "Businesses can save energy when relying on renewable energy. One efficient way is to install biomass production of space or process heating." | "Major savings can also be realized when businesses start relying on onsite solar and wind power." | "Building control plays an important role in industrial energy-efficiency…. By deploying effective building controls, consumption can typically be reduced by up to 30%." | "Having identified the most important areas of energy-saving potential is a first step towards greener and more energy-efficient businesses. However, the turn towards energy-efficiency still is a challenge, as it involves vast investment sums. …"

"With the 80% drop in price of solar panels over the past five years, the cost of solar is as currently the same or lower than the price of grid power in 20 states across country."  |  "Crane and Kennedy, Jr. urge for the removal of costly regulations for solar energy so that infrastructure can be built that will not fail in the event of natural disasters, as seen with Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast."  |   Read the original article here.

"Microgrids can shrink the amount of fossil fuels consumed to create electricity by networking generators as a system to maximize efficiency. They can also be used to help integrate renewable energy resources (such as wind and solar) at the local distribution grid level."

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"Who needs this report?Microgrid technology vendorsSmart grid hardware and software companiesSystems integratorsDefense contractorsUtilitiesMilitary agenciesInvestor community …"

"Are there any deals on upgrades?

Yes. If you have a PC running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, you qualify for a discounted upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $40. If you purchased a new PC with Windows 7 after June 2, 2012, you qualify for a $15 upgrade to Windows 8 Pro. Both offers expire on January 31, 2013. If you bought a new PC with Windows 8, your upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will cost a little more. "

"Key Questions Addressed:

What is the size of the global market opportunity for commercial CHP systems?Which countries offer the most attractive opportunities…"

Combined with recent developments in grid technologies and tie in to utilities, CHP is an attractive option worth exploring.  Improvements in energy efficiency & utilization, as well as resiliency in providing grid support and back-up resources.

"A National Renewable Energy Laboratory study found that the impact of community-owned projects on jobs creation during construction period is 1.1 to 1.3 times higher than corporate ones, and 1.1 to 2.8 times higher during operations period.

The employment and investment impact of community-owned projects can also go beyond a local community. Community ownership played a pivotal role in Germany and Denmark becoming global leaders not only in renewable energy generation but also in energy research & development and systems manufacturing. Currently, more than 50% of Germany’s renewable power is generated by community-based projects, and 80% of Denmark’s world-renowned windmills are cooperatively owned. …"

Clean Technica (http://s.tt/1xJmi)Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/28/community-power-renewing-communities-through-renewable-energy/#9BJDEsWlYydVVI10.99

"The “followers” number posted on a profile is not the best indicator of whether someone is helping other. It is one indicator of activity. Other indicators would be

The number of conversations you haveThe time you have recommended a good link that doesn’t point to a self serving sales pageHow often someone says “thanks for the help”The use of the retweet functions (RT) to share others tweets.  "

The growth of building energy management systems (BEMS) has driven significant gains in energy efficiency and the understanding of how buildings truly operate.  …. According to a recent report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice, the SBMS market will grow more rapidly over the remainder of the decade than the wider BEMS market.

Worldwide spending on these outsourced services, which include data acquisition and analytics, as well as building maintenance contracts, will grow from $291 million in 2012 to $1.1 billion by 2020, the study concludes.  That equates to a compound annual growth rate of nearly 18 percent, compared to the BEMS market rate of 14 percent.