Area businesses both large and small are targeting utility bills as a way to cut costs. Cargill, the nation’s second-largest beef supplier, recently completed a $4.2 million lighting and boiler upgrade at its Schuyler processing plant. A new boiler, also part of the project that began last year, will improve the Schuyler plant’s steam efficiency nearly 11 percent, further reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, according to the company. Cargill received around $220,000 from the EnergyWise program, started in late 2008 as a way for Nebraska Public Power District and its wholesale and retail customers to provide incentives for energy-efficiency projects.

This program also helped Eye Physicians PC and Columbus Surgery Center revamp the HVAC system at its 16,500-square-foot building in May 2010. By updating its heating and cooling system, Eye Physicians PC saved 55 percent decrease in natural gas costs accompanied the 30 percent decline in the monthly electric bill.

http://columbustelegram.com/news/local/businesses-seek-energy-savings/article_62dd5b96-5329-11e1-a0fe-0019bb2963f4.html

Schneider Electric USA, Inc., Palatine, Ill., is being awarded $24,548,433 under a multiple award construction contract for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) for Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East, Japan.  The work to be performed provides for the design, purchase of equipment, installation of equipment and systems, build, documentation, and testing of an AMI system for the electricity, water, and steam metering. Work will be performed at Camp Shields/White Beach in Okinawa, Japan, Sasebo Japan, Yokosuka Japan, Naval Air Facility Atsugi Japan, and Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia. 

http://www.defense.gov/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=4727

This month the Department of Energy announced $12 million is available for projects that speed solar energy innovation. It is part of the government’s SunShot Incubator program designed to help startups and new business units in existing companies push forward on solar technology development. Batteries and grid energy storage R&D: U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced plans to launch a new Energy Innovation Hub for advanced research on batteries and energy storage with an investment of up to $120 million over five years. The hub, which will be funded at up to $20 million in fiscal year 2012, will focus on accelerating research and development of electrochemical energy storage for transportation and the electric grid.

http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/Projects_Demo_Pilots/DOE-finds-more-money-for-energy-innovation-lots-of-it-in-fact-4450.html/?fpt

The Heat is Power Association, dedicated to wide-scale development of a new market based on converting waste heat to power has ‘re-launched’ in an effort to educate decision makers and the public about the benefits of using waste heat generated in industrial applications. In the process, waste heat from industrial processes is captured and converted to power. “Waste heat is a perfect opportunity to stop pitting industry versus the environment – we have the ability to bolster both efforts by capturing heat and generating homegrown emission-free electricity. The group says the benefits of waste heat include its potential as an American economic driver and its ability to generate emissions-free electricity.

http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/End_Use_Efficiency/A-new-smart-grid-market-Waste-heat-to-power-4444.html

The Energy Collective reports, many were left with a renewed sense of what the future of the smart grid holds, and what it will need to fully actualize during the largest U.S.-based electric grid industry conference wrapped up in San Antonio, Texas. But the products that will drive the most innovation will be those that resolve issues that cause trouble rather than those that improve an existing situation, the media outlet stated. For example, the products that address security in energy distribution – a problem that has arisen as the smart grid has been linked to U.S. critical infrastructure – will be the focus of the government in the near future.

http://www.subnet.com/news-events/smart-grid/problem-solving-innovations-to-lead-smart-grid-rollout.aspx

According to the Korea Times, the smart grid revolution will save costs for utilities and increase the use of renewable energy sources. As more sources of energy come online they will need to be managed by large amounts of disparate technology to match electricity supply with demand in real time. South Korea has seen an especially impressive smart grid rollout. “Smart grids are being found everywhere. Governments and firms are busy investing more on them. The key point is that the market is growing and Korea is taking on a bigger role,” said Park Geun-min, a smart grid expert.

http://www.subnet.com/news-events/smart-grid/smart-grid-installations-gaining-momentum-around-the-world.aspx