A smart grid is an integrated system of utilities, consumers, and distributed-energy resources that allows for two-way communications throughout the grid. The smart grid market is expected to surpass $400 billion worldwide by 2020. As a result, the expertise of HVAC contractors will only become more important with the ongoing development of smart homes, smart devices, and home automation systems integrated by the Internet of Things (IoT).

This panel discussion will cover a broad range of building industry topics and provide perspectives on cybersecurity, advancements in IoT, electric grid connected buildings and the advancements of distributed energy resources, and how interoperability is enabling new solutions and the associated risks.

This session will discuss building integration with the smart grid, DERs (Distributed Energy Resources), TES (Transactive Energy Systems), and DR (Demand Response) applications.

With the theme “Leveraging Innovation to Become an Energy Efficiency Superpower,” government and private sector officials discussed the technologies, policies, and business models the U.S. needs to pursue at the 2015 Energy Efficiency Forum, sponsored by Johnson Controls Inc. and the United States Energy Association.

Three more companies have joined the Association for Demand Response & Smart Grid (ADS). They come aboard as ADS gears up for its 12th annual National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid. The new members are EcoFactor, Tendril, and Cadmus.

Schneider Electric, Ryerson University, and the Ontario Ministry of Energy have unveiled the Schneider Electric Smart Grid Laboratory (SESG Lab) at Ryerson’s Centre for Urban Energy (CUE) in Toronto. The facility, Canada’s first university-based smart grid laboratory, is now available to partners and collaborators.