News, Awards & Announcements

Our own International Sales director, Rachel Bennett, will be speaking at the World Future Energy Summit. The event, held in Abu Dhabi from 18-21 January, will cover the journey to engage consumers and how to help and encourage them to understand their energy usage. Smart energy management and home automation will also be covered.

• more information and registration

We attended the COP15 climate change summit to show how our products are at the forefront in ‘making energy visible’ to households and encouraging people to save energy. At the conference, we met and learned from many companies all working towards a green future. We were not only proud, but honoured to be part of such an historic event.

COP15 is about acting now before the climate issues become insurmountable. We fully support this course and would like to challenge governments across the world to legislate for energy displays to become mandatory.

‘The Energy Aware House’ is part of the Bright Green Expo to be opened in connection with the COP15 Climate Conference. The Energy Aware House displays four future scenarios of how consumers can save energy and contribute to the salvation of the planet. It will demonstrate climate-friendly technologies that respond to the energy-consuming challenges of our daily lives. Come and gain insight into the future possibilities. Try The Bright Green Energy Planner and learn how you can save on energy.

Read more:

• The Software Corridor
• Bright Green
• COP15

A lot of noise is being made about COP15 which is no doubt the most important climate change summit since Kyoto. We'll be there to drive home the message that action is needed on climate change before it's too late. Before smart meters are installed and before the smart grid is ‘built’ there is a window of opportunity for each of us to take responsibility for our own energy consumption.
 
We'll be there showing the COP 15 delegates that energy monitoring displays and controllers are a powerful way of engaging people in the energy-saving process. If we can make energy relevant and easy to understand, we can change behaviour. If we all change our behaviour, we can make a real difference.

...watch this space to find out how we got on at COP15!

October 6-8, 2009 - GEO was at the Metering Europe Conference in sunny Barcelona where we launched the new humm solo, our smart meter compatible real time energy display. As well as presenting live demos, we had solos on seven smart meter manufacturers’ stands showing a depth of product support and versatility. Also featured was a demo of our iPhone application, which controls electrical appliances using mobile technology.

Patrick Caiger-Smith, our CEO gave a keynote speech; Utility adoption of Real Time Energy Displays to reduce carbon emissions in their customer base. The co-speaker was Petter Allison from British Gas. The topics included:  

• Adopting Real Time Energy Displays to support Utility customers in learning about their energy consumption
• How RTD’s fit within the CERT legislation
• How new technology can access the general users of energy to educate, motivate and engage them to reduce their energy usage

Additional Resources:
-    Learn about our products
-    Contact us

With smart meters already rolling out in homes across the country, the government is currently being urged to require energy companies to supply displays to accompany these meters. Meters are often tucked away in closets and are hard to understand, and displays (like the ones we create) can make energy consumption much easier to understand—and control.

The Energy Savings Trust recently came out with a report detailing suggested minimum requirements for these displays, and used the minim (our entry level energy monitor) as one of the home energy displays studied in the research.

The EST findings indicate that the minim was not only universally liked among the participants, but also most closely matches the core specifications in the recommendation.

• Learn about the minim
• Read the report

September 13 – 16, 2009 – Probably the largest Smart Grid and Smart Meter Show in North America, Utilimetrics Autovation was host to 1,400 visitors from around the globe. The show included educational sessions, industry/vendor presentations and opening/closing presentations (sponsored by Echelon) from renowned experts such as Google’s Ed Lu (retired as a NASA astronaut on ‘07!). A conference survey indicated only 30% of visitors were actually from within the utilities industry, although 88% of those said they would do business with the 100+ exhibitors who took part.
 
We joined Echelon on their stand to underpin our commitment to our NES Systems partner relationship and present our ZigBee enabled Solo real-time energy display, along with our full range of real-time and in-home displays. Using ZigBee wireless protocols, we are able to communicate directly with the Echelon range of Smart Meters internationally. Moving forward, GEO is looking to work alongside US Energy suppliers once the industry deadlock around stimulus funding is lifted.

On October 5th, Swavesey Village College launched their Cut Your Carbon Swavesey Community Energy Project . Having spent a year monitoring the schools energy consumption in partnership with GEO, the youth Energy Explorers made the decision to push their experiences beyond the school gates and replicate their schools project at home.

The team worked hard on producing a funding application to East of England Development Agency with a view to purchase domestic energy monitoring devices to go into the homes of their surrounding community. The funding was won and 63 energy monitoring devices have now been distributed to the first terms' participants. The monitors will be moved from house to house on a termly basis so as many people as possible benefit from the 2 year project.

To get involved or to sign up please email the following addresses:

• gemma@greenenergyoptions.co.uk
• showard.chk@swavesyvc.cambs.sch.uk

Green Energy Options (GEO) today launches its innovative range of energy monitoring displays at Stand: 151 at the Metering Europe Conference in Barcelona. The GEO product range, which will be unveiled for the first time to a European audience, brings something completely unique to the energy monitoring industry.

GEO is leading the market with its state–of-the-art display technology and innovation, which enables energy users to understand and ultimately control their energy use.

The colour Real Time Displays (RTDs) are designed using a dashboard style display that can be programmed to communicate wirelessly to almost any type of energy meter or Smart Meter. These engaging lifestyle gadgets empower energy customers through the provision of easy to understand information in an analogue format so they can spot wastage and manage their expenditure.

Patrick Caiger-Smith GEO Chief Executive Officer says: ‘We believe that our RTDs can make a critical difference when it comes to enhancing the relationship between energy suppliers and their customers. With Smart Meter roll-outs becoming a certainty in many European countries, GEO’s product range has come to the market at exactly the right time and will help make the implementation of Smart Meters a more appealing experience for consumers.

Engaging people is about making things simple, attractive and valuable. We have worked hard at understanding what people want; it’s not just raw data that is needed but information people can understand and act on.”

GEO has the capability to customise its displays to create a unique product for energy companies to offer their customers. GEO have already proved that they can affect a very fast turn around in only 6 months from initial specification through to manufacture and delivery for bespoke products.

Alongside its other products on display at the show, GEO will showcase the Solo which is an intuitive colour RTD that connects wirelessly to a ZigBee Smart Meter (electricity/gas). Unique features include:

• Intuitive, colour, lifestyle display

• Available in bespoke design with recyclable colour casings

• SD Card will record data which can then be uploaded to a ‘my energy’ web portal

• Comparison of current usage against ‘normal’ or average consumption drives ‘tick’ and ‘cross’ icons to influence behaviour change

GEO is already collaborating with a number of companies including Develco, Echelon, EDMI, Itron, Elster, Iskra, Kamstrup, Ferranti, Sitronics, Milcom, REM to name a few...

Many smart meter manufacturers will be demonstrating the Solo product on their stands at the show, clearly demonstrating the ubiquitous nature of the product; amongst them will be Kamstrup and Iskraemeco.

Swavesey is a small village lying on the Greenwich Meridian in Cambridgeshire, England, with an approximate population of 2,480. The village motto is ‘Steadfast in Work and Play’, which seems most fitting as, working together, GEO, the local community and Swavesey Village College Secondary School, who this year celebrate their 50 year anniversary, have secured a fantastic £17,000 of EEDA funding. This is an incredible achievement for the 1,200 student school and will enable the new Swavesey Community Energy Explorers project to kick off in partnership with Communities in its surrounding villages. From working with GEO on this first-of-many school projects, the pupils are already becoming energy experts and will be extending their energy saving knowledge to the wider community very soon.  To read more about the project click here and to take part in this very exciting project please follow this link.
 
Swavesey Village College have been using GEO’s school hub for the past year and have managed to save thousands in pounds and energy, just through ‘making energy visible’ and then changing their behaviour. In the 1st quarter alone they saw a whopping 18% saving on their hefty energy bill!!! Imagine what extra stuff your school could do with nearly 20% of its own great energy bill!? Get in touch and sign your school up now – Just call our friendly team who will help you and work with you when become part of our collective energy club – together, we will all make a difference.
 

Green Energy Options secure full award for £1 million under the Government’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme. In order to fulfil a growing order book, GEO have successfully applied for the largest loan yet sanctioned through the EFG scheme. This has also allowed GEO to continue to recruit locally and invest into operational infrastructure.

Peter Ibbetson, Chairman, Business Banking at NatWest and RBS adds: “The structuring of this loan for Green Energy Options shows that good, commercially viable firms are able to raise funds that make a real difference to their business models.”

With probably the busiest stand at the show, GEO makes another huge impression with further live demonstrations of their range of energy monitors. Most interest was from the commercial and public sectors where the agendas of CSR and CRC were being discussed and addressed by the GEO staff and their products. If you want to arrange for a live demonstration simply CONTACT US.

This was the 1st Synergy conference by this name - bringing together key speakers and industry professionals to discuss the latest developments in the regions metering industry. There was a show case of real International experiences for discussion with an update on Smart Metering in the UK – The Government’s proposals, discussed by DECC.

The belief amongst the visitors we talked to was that the In Home Display would be an important part of their Smart Meter plans – probably becoming a consumer device that would evolve; much like the mobile phone did 25 years ago.

Day 1 there was actually a bottleneck around our stand, and people struggles to get past to visit our neighbour REM.  During the evening reception we truly did ‘make energy visible’ whilst we held audience to multiple interested parties as we demonstrated our range of good-looking displays. Day 2 was a little quieter first thing thanks to the London tube strike! But it soon picked up and we were the last stand to pack up and were still taking enquiries from America as we left!

An inspiring event (despite the Underground strike/London traffic) - we and many visitors to our stand were surprised however not to see Onzo exhibiting...?

We joined forces with our Danish friends Develco for this established and lively event - to present a range of our elegant In Home Displays to an eclectic mix of executives from European multi utilities. Key topics included further deregulation of the European market, environmental issues impacting European Utilities, servicing and smart meter rollout strategies and smart planning for smart metering.

GEO were delighted to see our displays featuring regularly throughout the event and were particularly proud to see an E.ON branded GEO Solo display in the opening presentation to a packed auditorium by Frank Borchardt of EFR.

The feedback from visitors to the stand was incredible – they were blown away by the Echelon/Develco/GEO Smart Metering offering. A great event in a beautiful city.

Odense, Denmark - Sponsored by the Danish Electricity Savings Trust (DESK) and hosted by The Z-Wave Alliance. It was a welcoming event, promoting energy efficiency as part of everyday life, technology in the household and the belief that visibility creates electricity savings – as backed up by Helle Wesselhoff Műller of Danish utility, SEAS- NVE.

The Conference and its exhibitors presented the latest in innovative intelligent home devices and energy saving solutions. From the Smart House by Milcom, to ‘My Home’ presented by DESK - a Danish internet based energy information platform for Z-Wave based wireless equipment for intelligent home control. There was real interest from DESK, Utilities and meter manufacturers such as Kamstrup to work with the stylish range of GEO displays that were demonstrated - see photos from the event at http://www.savingtrust.dk/partner/Partners/wireless-communication-and-my-home/photos-intelligent-home-conference

We came home from the Odense (home of Hans Christian Andersen) with some great opportunities and even bigger ideas!

Green Energy Options demonstrated their full product range at Eco-build in Earls Court this month. The products were all very warmly welcomed by the visitors to the stand of which many placed pre-orders for products which are due to be launched summer 2009. Several members from our growing team were at the event to provide a variety of information on the work GEO is doing. For further information on our company or products please feel free to send us an online enquiry form which can be found under CONTACT GEO.

GEO have teamed up with the Save It Project in Newcastle to help the Rhodes family gain a unique insight into how much they are spending on their energy.

A GEO team visited the family home in Monkseaton to install the Trio+ system, which will monitor the families appliances, electric circuits and heating. Over the coming months, the GEO system will provide an incredible wealth of information which will allow the family to attempt to become more efficient in their energy use.

The Journal will be reporting regular updates their progress. For the full story please click here. 

GEO have been working closely with Swavesey Village College (SVC) to install and monitor their energy usage. We have spent the last few months, together with the school, deciding on the best way to incorporate the system into the 2008/2009 curriculum. The school energy project will be run by the pupils with guidance from us at GEO and the staff at SVC.

‘Gadgets to go Green’ is a Carbon Connections event hosted by UEA to promote wider public interest and encourage people to change the habits of a lifetime.

GEO were invited by Carbon Connections and UEA, who we are working with on our trial starting end of summer 2008, to display our energy monitoring devices.

ICTs and Climate Change brought together the key names in Climate Change from around the world.

GEO exhibited at the event in the BT Centre, London demonstrating a live Trio+ system as well as the schools and business systems that have now been installed in the Cambridge area.

Daventry-based Green Energy Options was announced (October 10) as a winner in the Connect Midlands £5 Million Investment Challenge at the Kilworth House Hotel, Leicestershire.

The Challenge, sponsored by BT Business, offers up to £5 million in equity funding for high-growth and technology businesses. It is backed by Catapult Venture Managers Ltd, East Midlands Early Growth Fund (managed by E-Synergy) and supported by the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA), GINEM and Advantage Business Angels.

This is the second year Connect Midlands has run their Investment Challenge. Companies enter by completing the online assessment tool, “The Gauntlet”, developed by Doug Richard, formerly of Dragon´s Den. The Gauntlet acts like a virtual investor, seeking the crucial information that investors need and ensuring the business is investment ready.

This year 264 companies completed the assessment from which 40 were selected to present to a panel of experts. Thirteen companies were chosen as finalists and given the opportunity to present to a panel of investors and each fund nominated a winning company.

Catapult Venture Managers nominated GEO and offered to back us at point of full production.

GEO won a third award in six months at Shell´s “Springboard Competition” Southern Region Finals in London on 21st Feb. The competition which focuses on “small businesses with big ideas” produced 4 finalists, including GEO, all of whom won the maximum award available to enable them to take their concepts forward.

Simon Anderson from GEO said “We´re delighted to have won, this Shell Springboard award will enable us to continue our work with Hope Valley College - the kids are so excited, it means so much to them.”

Shell Springboard provides a finacial boost to a small number of businesses that submit the most compelling plan for a product or service which:

• Will lead to greenhouse gas reductions
• Is commercially viable
• Is innovative

Judging of the event was carried out by a panel of independent experts who were looking for ideas that not only had potential to break new ground but also had sound financial planning and market insight. The Shell Springboard programme hopes to encourage small and medium sized businesses to see that climate change is a huge opportunity.

James Smith, Chairman of Shell UK said, “Businesses, both large and small, can help tackle climate change, but sometimes a lack of funds for developing a great idea can be a problem for small businesses. That's why we set up Shell Springboard to encourage and reward companies with innovative ideas that are not only good for the environment but also good for business.”

GEO wish to thank Shell for their generous assistance through this award.