solar
Pecan Street Awarded $7.9 Million to Develop Solar Congestion Solution, Improve Solar Access for LMI Customers
The U.S. Department of Energy has granted a five-year, $7.9 million Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program (GRIP) grant to Pecan Street Inc. and its partners to develop and deploy technology that will allow utilities to manage solar supply and energy demand throughout the grid.
Pecan Street Opens Waitlist for Residential Microgrid System
Pecan Street is conducting screenings with homeowners that would like to acquire the Energy Switch - a microgrid in a box.
Pecan Street Launches “Check Engine Light” Service for Solar Panel Owners
Free iOS and Android App for Solar Panel Owners with eGauge Systems Launched After Pecan Street Finds Maintenance Issues Usually Go Undetected and Unaddressed for Weeks or Months
How Do You Know Your Solar Panels Are Working Correctly? You Probably Don’t
A new study from Pecan Street has found that most solar PV systems only experience minor issues and that solar PV is largely maintenance-free. But the minor issues can often impede power production for days, weeks or even longer. In most cases, the homeowners had no idea there was a problem. “It’s a minor issue. But by not detecting it, it becomes an issue where you’re losing value on your solar panel even though it’s a $5 issue to fix,” said McCracken, CEO of Pecan Street.
GreenTech Podcast: This Data on How Consumers Use Energy May Surprise You
In this week’s podcast, we’ll talk with Brewster McCracken, the CEO of Pecan Street Inc., about the organization’s analysis of consumer energy use, utility efficiency programs and electric vehicle charging.
How California is incentivizing solar to beat the peak
South-facing systems produce more solar, but west-facing panels may produce more valuable solar to the grid. By Herman K. Trabish, Utility Dive, October 13, 2014 The California Energy Commission wants to turn rooftop solar in a whole new direction. Discovering where and when west-facing rooftop solar has a value proposition as good or better than traditional south-facing […]
Smart Grid Project Saves Money and Energy in Texas
Using smart grid technologies, the project provides 1,000 residences, 25 small commercial properties and three public schools energy data in real-time. Customers can now set and track utility bill budgets, use software to manage the electricity use of individual appliances, and even sell energy back to the grid when they are using less than they produce. By integrating smart meters, solar panels, electric vehicles and energy storage capabilities, the project is already seeing the benefits of smart grid integration and providing customers with control over their electric usage.
Bloomberg on the Aging U.S. Grid
Some consumers are raving about the benefits of the smart grid, too. For Austin, Texas, resident Luke Downs, a participant in the Pecan Street project, access to the smart grid has changed his energy life. “Suddenly, I could see what I was doing,” he said. Downs, 44, lives in a 3-bedroom row house in what’s known as the Mueller neighborhood, a planned urban redevelopment on the grounds of Austin’s former municipal airport.
The ‘Home of the Future’ Makes Life Sweet and Neurotic (WNYC Podcast)
There's a neighborhood in Austin, Texas where the refrigerators tell stories. The roofs are paved in solar panels. There are more electric cars per capita here in the Mueller community than in any residential neighborhood in America. It's a kind of paradise and it could drive you nuts.
Pecan Street Dataport (formerly wiki-energy.org)
There’s a new resource for researchers on residential energy usage called Wiki Energy, which is a new initiatve from Austin, Texas-based Pecan Street Inc.