Press release:

IBM and Vodafone Advance Smarter Home Initiative

Cloud enables control of "Internet of Things" in the home to manage heating, lighting, laundry via Vodafone's Mobile Wireless Network

Tab navigation

• News release
• Related XML feeds

• Contact(s) information

BERLIN - 31 Aug 2012: IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Vodafone today announced a collaboration to combine mobile communications and cloud computing for the remote management of ‘smart home’ appliances.

At the IFA consumer electronics event in Berlin this week, Vodafone and IBM will demonstrate the mobile management of a washing machine and other smart home devices that are connected by Vodafone’s Global M2M Platform running on IBM’s new SmartCloud Service Delivery Platform.

Machine-to-Machine (M2M) technology makes home appliances more intelligent by connecting them wirelessly to the internet. This enables them to feed useful data back to the service provider or manufacturer to achieve a better customer experience through new functionality and enhanced services.

"The smart home market is now a reality and Vodafone is committed to delivering to it,” said Marc Tastayre, Vodafone M2M Global Business Development Manager. “Security is the first important step for connecting devices to the internet and the collaboration between IBM and Vodafone is putting in place an open, efficient and scalable solution for the consumer electronics industry that will enable it to successfully progress the creation of the ‘Internet of Things’.”

IBM and Vodafone anticipate that this M2M initiative could allow consumers to use their smartphones for a variety of remote activities including viewing their home's utility consumption; controlling security, heating and lighting systems; and activating home appliances such as washing machines. Additionally the initiative will enable manufacturers and service providers to collect data from appliances that can be used to inform product development and maintenance and provide better services to consumers.

"This collaboration is a great example of how cloud computing can be used for business innovation versus solely for IT efficiency purposes,” said IBM Telecommunications Industry General Manager Scott Stainken. “Cloud will increasingly be used in new ways that will provide enhanced consumer-centric experiences -- especially when combined with mobile communications.”

The IBM SmartCloud Service Delivery Platform provides a fully integrated, scalable cloud-based platform to give manufacturers a cost-effective and scalable way to manage appliances and to rapidly introduce related new consumer services. Vodafone’s Global M2M Platform offers appliance manufacturers the ability to easily and rapidly deploy managed and secure wireless connectivity to home gateways. By combining the platforms, the two companies will also provide the consumer electronics industry with an example of a truly global, open standards-based approach for Smarter Home connectivity and solutions.

To read more about IBM’s news at IFA, visit this Smarter Planet blog post

About IBM Cloud Computing
IBM has helped thousands of clients adopt cloud models and manages millions of cloud based transactions every day. IBM assists clients in areas as diverse as banking, communications, healthcare and government to build their own clouds or securely tap into IBM cloud-based business and infrastructure services. IBM is unique in bringing together key cloud technologies, deep process knowledge, a broad portfolio of cloud solutions, and a network of global delivery centers. For more information about IBM cloud solutions, visitwww.ibm.com/smartcloud. Follow us on Twitter @cloudchat and on our blog atwww.thoughtsoncloud.com.

About Vodafone
Vodafone is one of the world's largest mobile communications companies by revenue with approximately 406 million customers in its controlled and jointly controlled markets as of 30 June 2012. Vodafone currently has equity interests in over 30 countries across five continents and more than 40 partner networks worldwide. For more information, please visitwww.vodafone.com.

About Vodafone Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications
Vodafone Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connects previously isolated machines or devices wirelessly to the internet, delivering new functionality and enhanced services without the need for human intervention. Supported by over 20 years’ experience and 200 dedicated staff, Vodafone’s global M2M platform makes it easy for global businesses to centrally manage M2M deployments across multiple territories, with greater control and at a lower cost than previously possible.

Please visit: http://m2m.vodafone.com/home/

Follow us on twitter @Vodafone_M2M 

HVAC Efficiency Controls Could Mean Significant Savings

From DOE blog:

HVAC Efficiency Controls Could Mean Significant Savings

April 27, 2012

April Saylor

New Media Specialist, Office of Public Affairs

What does this mean for me?

• Commercial building owners could save an average 38% on their heating & cooling bills just by installing a few new controls onto their HVAC systems.

According to a new report from Pacific Northwest National Lab, commercial building owners could save an average 38 percent on their heating and cooling bills just by installing a few new controls onto their HVAC systems.

These findings mean significant potential savings for building owners who use commercial rooftop systems – but there’s just one problem: the controls aren’t currently commercially available.

Srinivas Katipamula, the PNNL engineer leading the study, says the report makes “a convincing case for manufacturers to produce more advanced HVAC controllers and for building owners to adopt these energy-saving methods.” The PNNL team hopes the report will encourage manufacturers to begin producing the four different control methods. Three companies currently manufacture HVAC controllers, but only one company offers a product with all the control options that resemble the team’s simulations. To help the manufacturer's better understand their market, PNNL's report examines potential pricing options for the controllers and how long it would take for building owners to recoup that cost. Since packaged HVACs regulate more than 60 percent of the commercial building floor space in the United States, the potential savings from retrofitting advanced controls on these systems is enormous.

The following four different control methods were considered by Katipamula and his PNNL colleagues:

• Air-side economizers cool outside air to chill the building instead of creating cool air with the HVAC compressor.
• Supply fan speed controls slow or speed up the ventilation fan that circulates the building’s air based on whether or not a desired temperature or amount of fresh air has been reached instead of continually running the fan at full speed.
• Cooling capacity controls run the HVAC compressor at different speeds based on need.
• Demand-controlled ventilation slows or speeds up fans and air intake based on carbon dioxide levels inside the building instead of running ventilation fans at a constant rate.

In general, the researchers found that installing a multi-speed fan control had the greatest impact on energy savings in hotter cities (think Miami), and demand-controlled ventilation created the best possible energy savings in colder cities like Chicago or Seattle.

For more information about the study, read the full report.

Post from Dept. of Energy Blog

Taking a Tour of Wilmington's Energy-Efficient Spaces

February 28, 2012 - 11:30am

Roya Stanley (left) on a tour of the Snipes Academy of Arts and Design with the building's architect -- Thomas Hughes. Through interactive real-time energy data tools, Snipes students incorporate energy use data in their classroom projects and studies. | Photo Courtesy of the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance.

Roya Stanley

Director, Policy and Technical Assistance

I
n Wilmington, North Carolina, local institutions are leading the way in building efficiency and sustainability. From the WAVE Transit Forden Station to the Wilmington Convention Center to the city’s street sweeper complex, Wilmington is saving money by saving energy and supporting job growth in energy efficiency technologies. 
 


Last week, I experienced first-hand how Wilmington public buildings are leveraging energy efficiency and clean energy technologies to save money and reduce energy waste. I joined Representative Mike McIntyre, Mayor Bill Saffo and Joy Allen, executive director of the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance, on a tour of the city’s energy efficient buildings. 
 


At the Forden Station -- the first LEED Gold registered public building to break ground in the state of North Carolina -- on-site geothermal heating and cooling systems have helped reduce energy consumption by 45 percent. Snipes Academy of Arts and Design utilizes a water source heat pump system and outside air system for the school’s heating and cooling. Through interactive real-time energy data tools, Snipes students incorporate energy use data in their classroom projects and studies. 
 


Reducing energy waste in buildings is an important element for a sustainable energy future. In the United States, buildings consume about 40 percent of all U.S. energy, contributing a significant amount to overall energy costs. In Wilmington, the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance is helping train local energy auditors and building analysts to conduct energy efficiency upgrades and capture the savings. 
 


Nationally, through the Better Buildings Challenge, more than 60 companies, cities, universities, hospitals and other partners have committed to upgrading more than 1.6 billion square feet of building space across the country -- which will jobs, eliminate waste and help make our commercial and industrial buildings 20 percent more efficient by 2020. 



Check out more on the Better Buildings Challenge HERE.

News Release from the DOE - Energy Efficiency Training Centers

President Highlights Smart Energy Training at U. of Miami

February 24, 2012 

 President Barack Obama tours the University of Miami Industrial Assessment Center in Miami, Florida, Feb. 23, 2012. The IAC is where students learn how to become industrial energy-efficiency experts as they help small to mid-sized manufacturers reduce their energy costs. | Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy.

Ginny Simmons

Managing Editor for Energy.gov, Office of Public Affairs

What have IACs accomplished to date?

• 15,000 energy assessments have helped save enough energy to power 5.5 million American homes.
• Participating manufacturers have saved more than $5.6 billion in energy costs.
• 3,000 students have graduated -- with more than 60 percent going on to careers in the energy industry.

During his visit to Florida, yesterday, President Obama highlighted the University of Miami's Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) as a smart and important piece of the administration's "all-of-the-above" approach to domestic energy sources.

In September of last year, the Energy Department gave 24 universities a total of $30M in grants to help train the next generation of industrial energy-efficiency experts. Each school will receive $200,000 to $300,000 per year for up to 5 years to train students on core energy management concepts. The teams conduct energy assessments in a broad range of manufacturing facilities, which prepare students to compete in today's economy while helping local companies and factories reduce energy waste, save money, and become more competitive.

As President Obama said yesterday, "We're taking a step that will make it easier for companies to save money by investing in energy solutions that have been proven here at the University of Miami -- new lighting systems; advanced heating and cooling systems that can lower a company's energy bills and make them more competitive."

Since the Industrial Assessment Center program began in 1976, university teams have conducted more than 15,000 energy assessments at U.S. manufacturing plants nationwide. To date, more than 3,000 students have graduated from the Industrial Assessment Center program, with more than 60 percent going on to careers in the energy industry. Critically, these assessments have helped save over 530 trillion BTUs of energy -- enough to meet the energy needs of 5.5 million American homes -- and have helped participating manufacturers save more than $5.6 billion in energy costs.

If you'd like to apply for an assessment, you can contact one of the 24 schools across the country that currently participate in the IAC Program.

Oh, the (Energy-Related) Stories I Have Heard...

From the Energy Savers blog of the U.S. Dept. of Energy:


I don't have an interesting tidbit, video, or page to link to today, so I thought I would share a few things I've heard people say about saving energy. I'd call them "stories," except I'm paraphrasing and summarizing so much that it's more like random advice that I've heard people give. I think they're kind of fun reminders that, well, we are all pretty energy-savvy here, but there's still a lot of education that needs to be done.
Let's get this started!

Once upon a time, I knew someone who was sure that it would cost less to use a gas fireplace to heat their living room than it would to let the central heating run. They figured the fireplace could heat a small area better than the central air, which would have to heat the whole house.

Is that true? It depends! You need to check your utilities to know that, because they charge you differently for gas than for electricity. But to do that, you need to know how much gas your fireplace actually uses. (And that's useful information. I wonder if my apartment could tell me that much about my fireplace?) For me, though? Gas is kind of pricy. If I had a wood and pellet-burning fireplace I could at least look that up on Energy Savers.

I once knew someone who thought they could turn the heat off and use a space heater instead. This would only be the case if you had a space heater that used less energy while it was on than your central heating did. So! Look into how much energy your space heater uses. Learn about your space heater. I can assure you that every single one of the cheap-o brands I've bought were so grossly inefficient that they couldn't be used as my primary heating source.

...Of course, there's another reason to not try to heat your entire house with a space heater. And that's because most of you live in a place where it will freeze, and you can't decide to just turn your heat off to save money.

Because, you see, I also knew someone who thought it was fine to just turn the heat off all winter and rely on blankets and sweaters instead. Think of your pipes before you do that!

And, finally, here's a weird one. I knew someone who had heard the truism that running the oven heats up your kitchen. That's true! This person decided that, consequentially, this meant that running the oven with nothing in it was a good way to heat a kitchen. And... yeah, don't do that. If you want to heat your house, do it with something that's designed for heating. If you try to be creative about it you might burn down your house.

I think the lesson is this: If you're serious about saving energy, you have to do a little research. Yes, yes, "research" is a word that makes some people cringe. Sorry. But you have to know how much energy you use to know how to cut back in the right places.

Figure out where you're wasting energy. Read your utility bill. Know how much you have to pay for electricity or gas. Know how much it costs to run your appliances. (If you want to do the math, you can estimate your energy use with this handy formula) Then you can decide what you should heat your home with and for how long.

Elizabeth Spencer is a communicator at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its websites.

With USDA's Help, a Midwest Grocer Cuts his Energy Bill

From USDA blog:

Posted by Adam Czech USDA Public Affairs Specialist, on February 6, 2012 at 10:33 AM

Pat Longmire has owned a grocery store in Spring Grove, Minn., for 22 years. He knows customers want fresh produce, quality meats and weekly deals that save a buck here and there.

But he wasn’t sure how customers would react after he put glass doors on the coolers in the store. Longmire didn’t have to worry for long, however. “The response was overwhelmingly positive,” he said.

Longmire used a grant from USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program(REAP) to purchase and install the doors. The doors resulted in a savings of about $500 per month on heating, cooling and electricity bills.

“It’s the smartest thing we could have done,” he said. “You get return on your investment back quickly.”

With energy costs rising and the grocery industry trying to become more energy efficient, Longmire knew the time was now to make the upgrade.

He originally considered replacing all the coolers in the store, but decided using the REAP program to install doors on the existing coolers was a better option. The entire project was completed for what it would have cost to replace just one cooler.

Using funding provided through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program, a Minnesota grocer installed doors on coolers and cut his energy bill by $500 a month

Longmire set the thermostat inside the store to 72 degrees when he had open coolers. Since the doors have been added, he sets the temperature to 68 degrees and the store actually feels warmer than it did at 72.

“We were just wasting energy before,” Longmire said. “If every store across the country did what we did, the impact would be dramatic. It’s just one little thing, but it’s making everything more efficient.”

Without the REAP program, Longmire’s energy costs would have kept going up. Instead, he was able to do something about it and use the money he saves to improve his business and contribute to the local economy.

“This program really helps businesses like mine do projects like this and stay competitive,” Longmire said. “It’s great.”

USDA is currently accepting applications for funding through the REAP program.  For more information click here.

JPMorgan Chase Achieves LEED Platinum Certification

New release from JPMorgan Chase:

January 18, 2012

JPMorgan Chase Achieves LEED^® Platinum Green Building Certification for Newly Renovated Global Headquarters in New York City

World's largest LEED Platinum renovation to date Will cut electric consumption by 50% and save more than 1 million gallons of water a year

NEW YORK – Jan. 18, 2012 – JPMorgan Chase announced today that it has achieved the highest possible rating, LEED® Platinum, from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the renovation of its global headquarters at 270 Park Avenue in Manhattan, making it the world's largest renovation project to achieve Platinum status.

In the United States, existing buildings contribute 50 to 80 percent of urban greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Building Owners and Managers Association. The renovation will allow the 50-story building to cut its electricity consumption in half compared to pre-renovation levels. In addition, the building will save more than 1 million gallons of water a year by installing new, highly efficient systems and an innovative draining and filtering system.

"This was the largest 'green' renovation of a headquarters building in the world, and we completed it while operating in the building," said Frank Bisignano, JPMorgan Chase's Chief Administrative Officer and CEO of Mortgage Banking. "We are extremely proud of the improvements made at 270 Park, which will substantially cut consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving LEED Platinum status is not just a source of pride, it is very sound business."

Earning the Platinum rating meant upgrading and modernizing every system and feature in the 50-year-old building – from heating, air conditioning and lighting, to insulation, plumbing fixtures, flooring and outside views – all while the building remained occupied. To minimize disruptions, an average of 400 construction workers a day completed the renovation in phases, working on up to 10 floors at a time. "With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC's vision of a sustainable built environment for everyone within a generation," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "The work of innovative, forward-thinking building projects such the Park Avenue headquarters of JPMorgan Chase is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement." LEED Platinum certification of JPMorgan Chase's global headquarters was based on a number of green design and construction features, including:

• New systems to improve energy efficiency, including: heating and air conditioning equipment; lighting with occupancy sensors and daylight dimming controls; Energy Star kitchen appliances, computers and monitors; new building insulation and window tint to reduce glare, heat gain and air conditioning load.
   
• A 54,000 gallon tank in the cellar that collects rain water from drains on the roof and plaza, which is stored and filtered, and then used in landscaping and to flush toilets in the lower part of the building – saving more than 1 million gallons of water a year. Combined with other plumbing upgrades the building will use half as much water as pre-renovation.

• Nearly 16,500 square feet of new landscaping, including green roofs, that feature low-maintenance plants to help lower building temperatures in the summer while reducing stress on the city's sewer system on rainy days. Soil in the planters acts as a filter to remove pollutants from rainwater. In addition, an herb garden was planted on the 11th floor roof to provide fresh herbs and vegetables for client dining.

• Reusing over 99 percent of the original building and recycling more than 85 percent of construction waste including 990,000 square feet of carpeting. Over 12,000 tons of construction waste was diverted from landfills.

• New floor designs and layout to give 85 percent of employees natural daylight at their desks, with more than 92 percent having exterior views.

• 266 bicycle racks to encourage employee well being and greener commutes.

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.2 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers, small business and commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management and private equity. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 79 local affiliates, nearly 16,000 member organizations, and more than 174,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. GDP from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. Visit usgbc.org to learn more.

LEED

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 44,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED rating systems, comprising over 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries.In addition, nearly 15,000 homes have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, with more than 65,000 more homes registered. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
For more information, visit www.usgbc.org