Agilewaves Inc, a California based IT company, has created the Resource Monitor (shown above) which displays a building’s performance. Their first client, Nueva School in Hillsborough, CA built green, incorporating such things as solar-electric panels and a living roof. When they wanted to measure the performance, they went to Agilewaves.

Keeping track of performance has long been an important practice in any management setting. It strikes me odd that we’re just barely getting building owners interested in moitoring their energy consumption. I liken it to a blazer I used to drive. This model had a monitor that showed me my mpg on an instant. Watching it go up and down affected the way I drove. Not only did I drive to conserve gas, but it resulted in safer practices that I still use today. I think the tech is pretty awesome and has the potential to instigate many changes. Agilewaves CEO, Peter Sharer, recently wrote “Conservation is the low-hanging fruit of resource sustainability. The only investment it requires is that we become more aware of the impact of our unconscious habits”. Obviously Sharer and Nueva School had a connection. C-Net reported “the school said the application will be valuable to facilities managers and to students as an educational tool.”

Look for this technology to be integrated in home network systems and power strips. There are already a few models out there from GE and P3 International.

via C-Net

Silicon Valley is gearing up for what many think will be an energy revolution. “This is the biggest market Silicon Valley has ever looked at… For entrepreneurs, energy is going to be cool for the next 30 years,” said T. J. Rogers of Cypress Semiconductor (CNET). However, questions regarding the validity of these statements are everywhere. Number one on the list is consumer behavior. Will consumers want to switch to solar energy? That could mean even throwing out the old water heaters for a solar heating system. It’s not like buying a computer and plugging it in. It’s a complicated system that has several large components. How will government actions influence consumer behavior? Federal tax breaks have, starting in 2009, been lost as they were not renewed in the latest Energy Act. Another question mark on the page involves reliability. Current systems are plenty durable, but the panels of the future are sure to be different. When we reach that cheap and efficient technology, will it be effective enough? Will they stand up to abuse and last? These and others are sure to be answered as investors are opening up their wallets to the idea of Solar Valley.

We all hope we can enter the solar age, where energy is as widely produced as information is shared today, and a solar infrastructure explodes as quickly as the internet. The fact of the matter is that this time the stakes are higher. Let’s hope the Silicon minds can find the Solar solution.