If These Walls Could Think

Large commercial and residential buildings represent a tremendous opportunity to achieve a level of system efficiency that far exceeds that of today's grid. Technology exists to make this vision a reality; however, the policy and business processes in place today have not been able to keep up with the available opportunities. Technology is evolving, and the smart grid needs to take advantage of advancements ranging from information technology to newly available energy efficiency improvements. The only way to truly maximize the benefits of the smart grid is to coordinate efforts among buildings, technology firms, energy curtailment providers, and other vendors. None of this will be possible without increased access to data for customers. We believe that the information is key, and that access to data in real time is the first step in establishing this critical linkage.