CleanTech OC Daily - 7/17/12

Utilities embracing smart thermostats to help manage grids
Some recent announcements indicate that American utilities are beginning to embrace smart thermostats to help manage the energy consumption of their customers. EnergyHub, Nest and EcoFactor have all announced recent partnerships with utilities. Also benefiting from these relationships are the customers who can use the smart thermostats to reduce their energy consumption and save as much as 30 to 50 percent on their energy bills.

California: Ground Zero for Battery-Backed Solar

Greensmith Energy Management Systems, Bethesda, Md.-based startup, is working on integrating solar into the grid and will be taking on a megawatt scale soon. The company will provide the management software and is in charge of sourcing the batteries and other systems for a project by SD&E which will focus on managing solar power fluctuations.

Apple backs down: Macs will stay EPEAT certified

Apple recently made the decision to forgo EPEAT certification because the rankings clashed with some of their future “design directions.” This decision was obviously a mistake (SVP of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield even indicated so via a letter posted on Apple’s website) and in order to appease the outcry from environmentalists and customers, Apple is reversing its decision to walk away from EPEAT certification.