John Doerr, a partner at KPCB, was quoted in an April article in Fast Company magazine. He says that the “green tech” boom is the “mother of all markets,” and energy in particular is “the biggest business in the world.” Much of the buildings industry subscribes to the same idea. The problem is that many automation companies and system integrators don’t know where to start.
Demand response (DR) is the green and intelligent place to start. The current environment creates the perfect justification for much-needed capital upgrades and a major infusion of intelligence to all buildings. The emphasis with DR, though, is the opportunity for system integration and building automation. This is about higher energy prices, but it is about the dramatic cost increases we are poised to see for electricity as well.