Our selection points not only to the recognition of energy auditing software as a winning cleantech category, but to the ascension of start-ups focusing on the intersection of energy efficiency and IT.   As energy generators grapple with the implications of the drop in natural gas prices – and  hardware providers focusing on energy efficiency struggle to combat competitors receiving government subsidization overseas,   the investment community has ratcheted up its support of energy management software and SaaS providers to capitalize on the intensifying market traction and potential returns associated with this space.

Much to the delight of all of us at kWhOURS, Greenstart purports to make cleantech “sexy enough to attract investors”.   Whether any of this karma rubs off on our executive team is a subject of open debate. But we are indeed confident that our leaders will undoubtedly enjoy the weekly “red-eye” back to Boston for the next few months.  Fortified by Jet Blue snacks and the sound sleep afforded by those comfy reclining economy seats,  the team looks forward to accelerating the realization of its mission to make energy audits faster, more accurate, and more cost efficient through tablet-based technology and software-enabled improvements to audit processes.

Harness the Heat

With the larger companies such as Intel and SAP coming into the energy efficiency fold, the industry is poised to grow. The question is, who is going to win? Our view is that the company striking key partnerships will be in a position to deliver continuous and sustained benefit to the facility owners, ultimately saving millions of dollars in energy, operations, and capital expenses.

Stay tuned for more information as we keep our ears to the ground.

Feel free to sign-up for a demo and we are more than happy to walk through it.  We have some amazing things worked up for a summer release so if you are debating to get it now or wait…it may be smart to lock it in now and let the updates roll down!

Our kW-Field software tool is designed for the commercial/industrial energy field professional.  Our database of questions appeals not only to the experienced professional but can also guide a junior engineer in the field.  If you would like to learn more about our summer release, feel free to give us a ring.  Commercial energy auditing software is what we know best.  Find out more at www.kwhours.com.  We really are changing the energy efficiency industry.  Don’t you want to find out how?

In the meantime, we were able to draw some major insights from our customers as to some of the major pains that they face.  I thought it may be helpful to share those pains with you all.  Perhaps you agree?

• Building audits and assessments are usually done in teams (many times you have multiple people looking at lighting and mechanicals…depending on how detailed you want to get, you could throw in there building envelope also)…it is important to be able to share information on-site, so SaaS models are tough if not thought through well
• Many people are used to working with templates that they have been using for YEARS!  (Don’t worry, we are already addressing this and will be included in our Version 3.0 later this summer)
• We have seen a range of our customers get floorplans/mechanical or electrical diagrams ahead of time (never to 75% of the time)…still haven’t found one person who always gets them
• Our larger customers face problems of collecting consistent information across various sub-contractors.  Think about it.  If I am trying to compare two projects based off of a different data set and methodology in that data, how comparable can it be?
• Every auditor conducts an assessment their own way (and it is right!).  Being flexible is the secret sauce…
• There is an unbelievable need for auditors, but there is a massive shortage.  Training is a valuable piece of this industry and we are looking for ways that we can help our customers.
• Most of our customers are our customers because they see our software as a way for them to spend the majority of their time on the parts of the assessment that matters: the analysis.

While we certainly appreciate that our great customer have a tremendous amount of experience, but so do we.  As a matter of fact, we have amazing engineering AND software talent.  Our commercial energy auditing software is truly one-of-a-kind.  kW-Field is the gateway to data consistency, training, flexibility and overall efficiency within your organization.  Stay tuned for kW-Connect…we will be unveiling it soon…

Skill Set Desired for Senior Developer: You don’t have to be an expert on all of these, but here are a few things we are
looking for:
* Experience leading small projects and teams 3+ years
* Experience using Java 5+ years
* Experience working with SQL Databases (as a developer not a db admin) 3+ years
* AJAX frameworks such as jQuery
* Experience with Adobe Air 2.0 and Flex 3.5/4 a big plus but not necessary

Skill Set Desired for Junior Developer:
* Experience working in a small team 1-2 years
* Experience using Java 3-5 years
* Experience working with SQL Databases (as a developer not a db admin) 3-5 years
* AJAX frameworks such as jQuery
* Experience with Adobe Air 2.0 and Flex 3.5/4 a big plus but not necessary

Compensation will be a mix of equity and cash. Both will be commensurate with experience and contribution level.

Please send me your resume or if you want to chat more about my company and the position send me and email shobin@kwhours.com.

Our commercial energy auditing software was a hit with many of the energy service firms who were present. We are still working through follow-ups, so please be patient while we get to you!

We started off presenting at the New Technologies Breakfast where we viewed some great new technologies coming out.  We may have been one of the youngest companies there, but you would never have been able to tell given the amount of traffic our booth generated.  We received interest from major Fortune 500 companies (ESCOs and Utilities), small consultancies, engineering firms, lighting contractors, and even other software analysis companies.  Which one are you?

Here are a few quotes that we took the liberty of writing down:

• “I keep walking around and everyone keeps telling me that I need to go to your booth”
• “You are solving a tremendous pain point”
• “This would be a great Christmas present for our office”
• “We have been looking for something like this for years”

We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but if you missed us at the WEEC, please feel free to hop on our website (www.kwhours.com) and download a free trial.  We are more than happy to walk you through a demo and see if our software is the right fit for you.

Facilitating building assessments. http://mitvcconference.com/showcase.htm

• Architecture: Building design and orientation, structures, special structures, construction, systems, weather, daylight, mechanical & electrical equipment, people, circulation, relationships and synergy between components and codes.
• Urban Planning: Macro-architecture, may create or assist “heat islands”, micro-climates, wind tunnels, etc.
• Landscape Design: Building landscapes, solar access, shading, wind control, natural cooling etc.
• Interior Design: Interior finishes, surfaces and colors. Significant ramifications in psychology and medical science as well as fire safety.
• Fire Science:  Increasing energy efficiency may drastically decrease fire safety.  Little to do with fire code compliance. Fire engineering focuses on safety in case of a fire. It is better to decrease the likelihood and severity of fire by building design as well as increase escape time for occupants.
• Transportation Systems: Transportation is a significant energy consumer and GHG producer.  Addressing internal as well as external transportation is critical in some cases.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

• Environmental Science: The implication of resource use.  Pollution is the measure of how well resources are utilized.  Pollution prevention is achieved by increasing efficiency, changing operations and finding new ways to utilize resources. Thus increasing efficiency integrates all aspects of a facility’s operations.
• Energy Data Analysis: Many audits fail to make even a rudimentary attempt at analysis.  Many erroneously conclude that there are no significant findings.  It is not uncommon to identify cost reductions in related areas greater than the energy bill.  Any audit that fails to include a full data analysis as a first step has not done a complete job and will miss many potential savings.
• Renewable Energy Technology: Must maximize the use of renewable energy sources.  Begins with good solar design and includes technologies for energy creation that can replace non-renewable sources.
• Greenhouse Emissions: Largely produced by energy consumption (about 70% in 1995).   Any audit must address it in its entirety.
• Greenhouse Emission Trading: World agreements worked out in Buenos Aires in November 1998. May be a significant source of funding for energy management programs.

CONSTRUCTION ISSUES

• Construction Technology: Embodied energy of buildings may be more than the lifetime operational energy.  The materials, systems and construction impact on energy consumption.
• Historic Preservation: Energy performance renovations to historically significant buildings require knowledge and sensitivity to the historic structure.
• Material Science: Material performance and durability affect energy performance.  Forensic architecture studies building failures resulting from poor design, equipment and material decisions.  Thus recommendations for renovations need to be made with a background in that field.

ENGINEERING ISSUES

• Mechanical Engineering: Principles, design and application of mechanical equipment ie, boilers, chillers, ductwork, etc. Grew out of architecture as mechanical equipment replaced natural processes.
• Electrical Engineering: Principles, design and application of electrical equipment ie. Electrical distribution, lighting, motors, etc. Also from architecture.
• Chemical Engineering: Principles and application of chemistry.   Generally applicable to fuels, combustion and some manufacturing processes.

BUSINESS ISSUES

• Leadership/Policy: Vision and commitment can be the greatest preventor of waste. Increasing energy efficiency and reducing wastes and costs must begin with a commitment from management to integrate efficient and effective policy into the corporate vision.
• Management: Employees directly and indirectly affect the consumption of energy.   Thus best practice in energy management requires the proper management of people.  Tom Peters, “ In Search of Excellence” discusses the qualities of excellent management in US companies. A basic tenant is the respect employees are given, and how that affects their morale and involvement in company productivity. “The One Hundred Best Companies to Work for in America” (Robert Levering, Milton Hoskowitz and Michael Katz, Addison -Wesley, 1984), describes companies who provide working environments employees most cherish.  Mostly the same companies Peters notes as examples of excellent management.
• Personnel: The employees, like the customers are volunteers.  With the proper relationship, employees make recommendations for improvements.  In “Lean and Clean Management” (Joseph J. Romm, Kodansha International, 1994) Joe Romm documents many cases where improvements in environmental performance, increased productivity and staff morale were inter-linked. “In 1985 (Canon) employees submitted almost 900,000 improvement suggestions,…. Canon received 78 suggestions per employee.  One employee submitted 2,600.  Canon paid out $2.2 million in prizes, but saved over $200 million as a direct result of the suggestions.”

Don’t be too impressed by Canon- twelve other Japanese companies outperformed it.” (p53)

• Occupational Health & Safety: The health and safety of workers must take priority over energy, but in some cases the more efficient system will be the better on all counts and an integrated approach will be require tofind it.
• Management Systems: Business systems can assist a company to work more efficiently. Appropriate standards and procedures should be created to improve resource efficiency.

SOCIAL ISSUES

• Psychology: We mistake temperatures for comfort.  People can be “comfortable” at widely varying temperatures if other cues are right.
• Education: Probably the most cost effective measure which can be made.   Much misinformation exists and many well educated and well intentioned people are doing the wrong thing while trying to do the right thing.
• Medical Science: Significant relationships between energy consumption and medical and social problems outside of OH & S.  There are opportunities for improving inhabitants well being, while maximizing energy efficiency. There are also dangers of causing problems if one is ignorant of these relationships.
• Economics: Payback is an inappropriate concept.  Twice the “payback” time doubles the original capital.  Capital doubles when interest rate times time in years equals 72; ie 10% for 7.2 years.  Thus a one-year payback equals a two year “doubling time” and is equivalent to a 36% compounded interest rate. See “Doubling Time” (C. Haines, AIE Journal, 5/97)
• Accounting Accounting systems reflect and frequently determine values.  Environmental accounting, such as triple bottom line is critical for companies to recognize the true costs of externalities in their operations

OPERATIONAL ISSUES

• Productivity: Energy use and productivity share common elements.  Issues of morale, attitude, teamwork, etc. are relevant to both efficient energy usage and productivity. Many well documented cases where increased productivity was worth eight to ten times the energy saving.
• Industrial Technology: Every facility has specialized operations with special equipment or specialized uses of equipment. The broad approach maximizes opportunities for cross fertilization between industries thus maximizing creativity and opportunities for improvements.
• Maintenance: Poorly designed but well maintained equipment will generally operate more efficiently than well-designed but poorly maintained equipment. Maintenance here refers to the whole range of operations from files, schedules and purchasing to cleaning and preventative or predictive maintenance programs with actual repairs only needed occasionally.   Building maintenance services have documented energy cost improvements of well over 20% solely from proper maintenance programs.

-Christopher Haines, VP of Engineering – kWhOURS, Inc.