Status: U Return-Path: Received: from mx-canard.atl.sa.earthlink.net ([127.0.0.1]) by mx-canard.atl.sa.earthlink.net (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1lMcX336i3Nl36s0; Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:10:21 -0400 (EDT) Received: from wsmarth-ovenbird.pas.sa.earthlink.net ([207.217.120.247]) by mx-canard.atl.sa.earthlink.net (EarthLink SMTP Server) with ESMTP id 1lMcX22so3Nl36s0 for ; Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:10:20 -0400 (EDT) Received: from domrl-brush.atl.sa.earthlink.net ([207.69.231.198]) by wsmarth-ovenbird.pas.sa.earthlink.net with smtp (Exim 3.36 #4) id 1LmCwu-0007u5-00 for merileek@earthlink.net; Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:10:12 -0700 X-ELNK-Loop: merileek@kerncommunications.com Received: from dukecmfep03.coxmail.com ([68.99.120.38]) by domrl-brush.atl.sa.earthlink.net (EarthLink SMTP Server) with ESMTP id 1lMcWR4Ug3Nl5vE0 for ; Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:10:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: from merilee07cf8a9 ([68.15.13.44]) by dukecmmtar04.coxmail.com (InterMail vM.7.05.02.00 201-2174-114-20060621) with SMTP id <20090324195722.HWYC15591.dukecmmtar04.coxmail.com@merilee07cf8a9> for ; Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:57:22 -0400 Message-ID: <1EA7D341B328465A8B6A28EEAD3797E9@merilee07cf8a9> Reply-To: "Merilee:::Kern Communications" From: "Merilee:::Kern Communications" To: Subject: GreenTech Media Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:05:38 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="multipart/alternative"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0327_01C9AC81.3A2FF570" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5512 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 X-ELNK-AV: 0 X-ELNK-Info: sbv=0; sbrc=.0; sbf=00; sbw=010; This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0327_01C9AC81.3A2FF570 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_001_0328_01C9AC81.3A2FF570" ------=_NextPart_001_0328_01C9AC81.3A2FF570 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/harvesting-megawatts-from-mcdonald= s-5930.html =20 =20 Today's Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2009=20 Harvesting Megawatts From McDonald's?=20 Comverge, Advanced Telemetry and others are trying to bring demand = response and energy efficiency to fast food restaurants, retail outlets, = and the thousands of other small businesses out there.=20 by: Michael Kanellos March 24, 2009=20 The power plant of the future might prepare value meals too. Advanced Telemetry - which makes software and services for energy = management and control - says it has been able to cut the utility bills = at the fast food franchises by an average of 12 percent to 15 percent a = month, according to CEO Gus Ezcurra, mostly by fine-tuning the air = conditioner controls. The average bill for a 3,000 square foot outlet is = about $2,500. Some monthly bills have been cut by 30 percent, he added. = The company also recently conducted a demand response trial with a = Southern California utility that managed to take several kilowatts of = demand off the grid. Tens of kilowatts harvested from fifty or so small = outlets won't prevent a blackout, but if you extrapolate the figure = across the number of wheel balancing centers, restaurants, video rental = stores and 7-Elevens in this great land of ours it begins to add up. "Eventually you get volume," he said. Small and medium-sized businesses are potentially poised to become the = next frontier for smart grid companies. Approximately 18 percent of the = energy consumed in America goes to operating commercial buildings, = according to the Department of Energy, and heating and air conditioning = can account for 30 to up to 60 percent of that total. Worse, it's not = really deployed efficiency: think for a moment how cold Jack in the Box = feels when you walk in on a particularly hot day. Utilities and energy service companies have already begun to install = energy efficiency networks and sell demand response services to large = businesses. The large business sees a drop in operating expenses and = gets a fee for providing so-called negawatts at peak times. The utility = avoids a brownout and the service provider gets a fee. Meanwhile, consumers in parts of Europe and the U.S. have begun to = participate in these sorts of networks because utilities have been = willing to foot the bill. Small business, however, has been stuck in the middle. "Utilities have a tough time getting to below 250 kilowatts," said = Comverge CEO Robert Chiste. Small and medium-sized businesses are "a = good sweet spot, but it is difficult to get to." Comverge, though, says it has already begun to penetrate the market. The = retailer Limited Brands is a customer. Comverge provides both energy = efficiency services (i.e., installing technology that cuts consumption) = as well as demand response (i.e., getting customers to refrain from = using power at peak times for money) to this market. One of the bigger stumbling blocks has been customer acquisition. Simply = put, it's prohibitively expensive to have a direct sales force that can = reach these customers, says Chiste. He wouldn't say exactly how Comverge = is getting to these customers, but the company relies in part on = tried-and-true mass marketing techniques. Energy efficiency is a somewhat straightforward proposition. Customers = can cut "at least 10 to 15 percent" from their power demands with = improved efficiency, Chiste said. Demand response is tougher, he said. Customers tend to worry about the = experience of customers inside their stores. No one wants sweaty = patrons. To get around that Comverge will place somewhat strict = parameters around the contract. In a typical contract, the company will = agree to only take over the controls of the air conditioning system for = 80 or so hours a year. And when it takes control of the air conditioner, = it cycles it on and off to maintain temperatures. "We run on very short bursts," he said. Economic savings actually don't play as big a role in demand response as = you might think. The savings from energy efficiency controls are far = higher. As a result, Comverge sends customers bounties for demand = response services every quarter. Another big challenge is that power demands at small outlets vary = considerably, according to Ezcurra. At times, the places can be nearly = empty. The next thing you know, a busload of old ladies on their way to = the Konocti Boat Harbor might come streaming in. "By controlling temperature you can have a tremendous impact on = operations," Ezcurra said. Most of these places also don't have CIOs on = site. "The employees are there to make hamburgers and tacos," he added. Nonetheless, the energy efficiency message is trickling down. Advanced = has installed energy management systems in 100 quick service restaurants = and has orders to install in 300 more. It also provides consoles to = houses and has licensed software to General Electric for its = SmartCommand product. Under the stimulus, customers can get 30 percent off on the first $1,500 = of equipment, Ezcurra added.=20 ------=_NextPart_001_0328_01C9AC81.3A2FF570 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/harvesting-me= gawatts-from-mcdonalds-5930.html

 

 3D"Greentech<= /A>

 

Today's Date:=20 Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Harvesting = Megawatts=20 From McDonald's?
 
Comverge, = Advanced=20 Telemetry and others are trying to bring demand response and energy = efficiency=20 to fast food restaurants, retail outlets, and the thousands of other = small=20 businesses out there.
 
by: Michael Kanellos
3D"Bullet March 24, = 2009=20

The power plant of the future might prepare value meals = too.

Advanced=20 Telemetry =96 which makes software and services for energy = management and=20 control =96 says it has been able to cut the utility bills at the fast = food=20 franchises by an average of 12 percent to 15 percent a month, according = to CEO=20 Gus Ezcurra, mostly by fine-tuning the air conditioner controls. The = average=20 bill for a 3,000 square foot outlet is about $2,500. Some monthly bills = have=20 been cut by 30 percent, he added.  

The company also recently conducted a demand response = trial with a=20 Southern California utility that managed to take several kilowatts of = demand off=20 the grid. Tens of kilowatts harvested from fifty or so small outlets = won't=20 prevent a blackout, but if you extrapolate the figure across the number = of wheel=20 balancing centers, restaurants, video rental stores and 7-Elevens in = this great=20 land of ours it begins to add up.

"Eventually you get volume," he said.

Small and medium-sized businesses are potentially poised = to become=20 the next frontier for smart grid companies. Approximately 18 percent of = the=20 energy consumed in America goes to operating commercial buildings, = according to=20 the Department of Energy, and heating and air conditioning can account = for 30 to=20 up to 60 percent of that total. Worse, it's not really deployed = efficiency:=20 think for a moment how cold Jack in the Box feels when you walk in on a=20 particularly hot day.

Utilities and energy service companies have already = begun to=20 install energy efficiency networks and sell demand response services to = large=20 businesses. The large business sees a drop in operating expenses and = gets a fee=20 for providing so-called negawatts at peak times. The utility avoids a = brownout=20 and the service provider gets a fee.

Meanwhile, consumers in parts of Europe and the U.S. = have begun to=20 participate in these sorts of networks because utilities have been = willing to=20 foot the bill.

Small business, however, has been stuck in the = middle.

"Utilities have a tough time getting to below 250 = kilowatts," said=20 Comverge CEO Robert Chiste. Small and medium-sized businesses are "a = good sweet=20 spot, but it is difficult to get to."

Comverge,=20 though, says it has already begun to penetrate the market. The retailer = Limited=20 Brands is a customer. Comverge provides both energy efficiency services = (i.e.,=20 installing technology that cuts consumption) as well as demand response = (i.e.,=20 getting customers to refrain from using power at peak times for money) = to this=20 market.

One of the bigger stumbling blocks has been customer = acquisition.=20 Simply put, it's prohibitively expensive to have a direct sales force = that can=20 reach these customers, says Chiste. He wouldn't say exactly how Comverge = is=20 getting to these customers, but the company relies in part on = tried-and-true=20 mass marketing techniques.

Energy efficiency is a somewhat straightforward = proposition.=20 Customers can cut "at least 10 to 15 percent" from their power demands = with=20 improved efficiency, Chiste said.

Demand response is tougher, he said. Customers tend to = worry about=20 the experience of customers inside their stores. No one wants sweaty = patrons. To=20 get around that Comverge will place somewhat strict parameters around = the=20 contract. In a typical contract, the company will agree to only take = over the=20 controls of the air conditioning system for 80 or so hours a year. And = when it=20 takes control of the air conditioner, it cycles it on and off to = maintain=20 temperatures.

"We run on very short bursts," he said.

Economic savings actually don't play as big a role in = demand=20 response as you might think. The savings from energy efficiency controls = are far=20 higher. As a result, Comverge sends customers bounties for demand = response=20 services every quarter.

Another big challenge is that power demands at small = outlets vary=20 considerably, according to Ezcurra. At times, the places can be nearly = empty.=20 The next thing you know, a busload of old ladies on their way to the = Konocti=20 Boat Harbor might come streaming in.

"By controlling temperature you can have a tremendous = impact on=20 operations," Ezcurra said. Most of these places also don't have CIOs on = site.=20 "The employees are there to make hamburgers and tacos," he added.

Nonetheless, the energy efficiency message is trickling = down.=20 Advanced has installed energy management systems in 100 quick service=20 restaurants and has orders to install in 300 more. It also provides = consoles to=20 houses and has licensed software to General Electric for its = SmartCommand=20 product.

Under the stimulus, customers can get 30 percent off on = the first=20 $1,500 of equipment, Ezcurra=20 added. 

------=_NextPart_001_0328_01C9AC81.3A2FF570-- ------=_NextPart_000_0327_01C9AC81.3A2FF570 Content-Type: image/gif; name="greentechmedia.gif" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Location: http://www.greentechmedia.com/img/refreshing/greentechmedia.gif R0lGODlh+gAyANUhAJGPj7PIotnj0cjHx1pXWI2tdOPj4/Hx8ayrq0xJSj87PGhlZjEtLnZzdNbV 1bq5ufX4856dnYSmaXGYUqC6jOzx6MbWuYSBguLq3Je0gHqfXarBl8/cxbzPrjQ8KmeRRiMfIP// /wAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAEAACEALAAAAAD6ADIAAAb/wEpg SCwaiYKQcslsOp/QqHRKrVqv2Kx2y+UKPuCweBwOdM/otHrNbrubX7JcbH7b7/i8Pi88+otJe4KD hIWGh4iJiouMjY6PkHgYBZSVlpeVFpGbnJ1YcXNzdZ6kpaSgoWSjpqytjBACsbKztLIVrri5uru8 vb6/wLqoqXTBxsdTw8Rgq8jOyMrLzc/U1dbX2Nna29zd3t/g4eLj5OXm5+jp2AYA7e6+R7dLqIHq nQMg+fq+ZPUh9PausGswCJ++fPzG+AMYcMoAAvkIDBp4EF4AMQsxNpwCQJ9EQgYR/tK4BJYsCBul dIxYKCQIYCQLNkgAQsGCASEGuHNnQOdO/wQhDgBQAIKBAyYIFtBUQACAASgHIhAgmmBBhANM2O0E oCQpUZs4lbSDmE/BTidJlzZ9+sQriAQADmjlqsRl1wVfby7pU0SJhQITPkjYIC+EhQyBNWTwx0QA hQIfJhTYwJgJhwAFMgSQR5IvEScVKEgII7kDyioNDuprsPKgTtUEDtDUF9YBUdX5LqBlgLso0Lq4 ZfeOoKR3xSW2jetmcoDsQQUR9gHXJxw38X9kIIwmoymDnA1NIECWU+D0EgwayGyAQFJZEwuhJmCg csF4UdyvDxKYTTuEA972LdeVffk8MN1B/OH2FIEvKfEfgQKG4JxqADaYE4L2PaXMdnJ4N/9HYdql IgETFQQmB4cfBOLePMRMYN4TBjxnYFQV5tNOTwBMqE8CBBBw1G1v4cSOa0rEqM8CTzmwgD4MYEUR ggYakJo+XI2lj1nvKAFkAkK2BkJYD+h3lJLHXQhlCFIexJUQFIyRwXwYoBiZJhC0WcYSds4ZAgQW mPjBKOOBkQEHAmzgJxiBsCkGE3lKIE+fYXQgRX35MMCWEmGWKZZqDWC1BAJXerppPgSFMCUICzTh 3G9m5pOAqkcu0dpHSIXKRGulLulqE0Au4dKrTDiXqhKoFMAEezGFwGEGSlQgxnwsgqFBs2JQwAQG h2YUBhPpgQGtX2Ew24QBnjpXKhP8ASv/60HDMnHqdUsYWZSW+hxVaz7tumTgrR6ty1IT747LZHH6 sDqqhfo2MWu0YHDQRKAjMnERGMYaFq4T3X4wXwekvRjCxIg2tugSfYlMcRPRMYDTQfsyQSkItB4M gr3o6hPBADjnfBC5ruWMc3Rl+arpwbQu3AR/N/vskgEO7NyET3S1aqG/MDP8gROBNgNyxRuEQUEt HGqSp7jXJouKExhgZgmHFS8BoEREKtwvv5U+wWDPd0sntRNGh9D3Ennng/PQUNgl97/YbfvwnRKH UXGgxJiR9RNmj6yEeMS0rQRZXMVNd9Wfxwx44IMHLrTeVBc9NxOBf2m4Q4T3ffbizDSx/7USkKci OeNNVK64EnKS10RUvwEJ7xKniv736KRutVVPajp/1oFTE526EwexJv2NTetzaRSvX0+s5UtM3vjJ IQRawB9DJBEoeOH5DsYS8HldDyiaO6Er6EwAqfzqwdJHy6JwEFFJIXzWS6ADcCYhAVKBZU/jCfX4 trrZMcF8JHOcEkAGPymALGKWkd/VlOChD1iLCRxDHxRAVbDP8S+BTXjZuYrUIwIMiz8GC8EDahg1 BPptdUYjSwhkOK4aDss5ouOPp3woO/Lhjncb1GAIOBCGaTUhA5W4BRXDwBjIaWt+T6wdt6QIlRpd YAAP2B/iYJiVg9CsOiAoFQtrIqoH5f+DVUwE4o7o9RJ5zWwJcJTjQVg1RwWcTiShsxrWoPgxMmZM Uniq4hL8NIFA1EkhJgNjCEoIwhDk6QP5I94SMtUb/tBKR6hTwstQBYAG1Ihm/GEAa9TIAOqpKQTG kcgcQXABsgBrlQto5SuVcAAgwQwAauSKS25pHA+IIgTPzN3JtggGCQRgAxn7ACQbKQYNACYyn/wT yBRSP2ldM5tk5NynapSbkJzSOE44gBpxYzAHJIhC9lomlXDZG4n4cZDEnKdq6slOBNlyn818ZjSF x805nHAJwWvYOMU5hyRE1IRjaBsAo7IAG0bgKe5cAioR2QQEGLMsAyQmAArqo0OqpnOv/ewKO6PW lZPWJKVBORWTLrBE48AUN86UgxkWSoa2CUCaE5gGBLomhgLMZ6JDqOiecqcBQmV0XQyYkc8MGII5 zlALOALAA2gGBQc8oB0D+F4aDuCTB3A1Xm0l6xMGgAAA3MwUsOhAACxQmWMJYK/f4kIFLBAADgQ2 CuSiXg6dc7yUOHYLBzgIAxCAlQGoUa2PzewVdOpTzXo2C82xDwMa+9nSOqQBSLTKW03L2iUEAQA7 ------=_NextPart_000_0327_01C9AC81.3A2FF570 Content-Type: image/gif; name="bullet_arrow_bg.gif" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Location: http://www.greentechmedia.com/img/bullet_arrow_bg.gif R0lGODlhBgALAMQAAE+NqqTE01mUr1iTrhtrkR5tkvj6/L3U3xVojmGZs83f5+Xu8l2Wsfv8/U6M ql+Xssba5EeIpoexxfn7/PH2+FKPrABahP///wAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAA AAAALAAAAAAGAAsAAAUj4CWO10Je0kFWiDImFgGJj2UVImM7omANE1EEYBgFKKQGKQQAOw== ------=_NextPart_000_0327_01C9AC81.3A2FF570--