GABA's Mini-Grids Panel on September 30th

Based on the positive feedback from previous GABA smart grids events, Dirk Michels from K&L Gates in San Francisco hosted another panel discussion about so-called mini-grids on September, 30th. Moderator Olaf Groth did not only challenge the speaker´s presentations and corresponding insights but also successfully involved the audience during the interactive Q&A session.

The panelists team consisted of Prof. Dr. Burkhard Koch (Managing Director, IQ International Consulting, Germany), Sameer Kalra (Strategic Director of SmartSynch) and Tony Seba (Author “Solar Trillions”) and provided multi-facetted perspectives to the question how the trends for mini-grids evolve on a global as well as on a local scale.

Based on Olaf´s introduction and guidance, due to the high complexity of the topic, the distinguished speakers elaborated facts, figures and thoughts along the following key dimensions:

1) How can the trends in mini-grids be analyzed across the spectrum of highly centralized markets such as China on the one hand versus decentralized market landscapes, e.g. the U.S.?

2) How do mini-grids play out in the various parts of the energy value chain, especially in power generation, distribution and consumption?

3) How do mini-grids play out differently in OECD-countries versus in emerging markets (BRIC)?

4) How can we check our assumptions about the future of mini-grids in times of increasing global uncertainties with respect to the confluence of the need for energy efficiency and electricity reliability, as well as both demand and supply of feasible innovation?

Overall energy trend: a new architecture is potentially emerging that shows parallels to technical “revolutions” in the 1980s (PCs) and 1990s (internet). Today´s energy sector shares similar characteristics as the 80s IT sector, i.e. few big players in markets, those will be more democratic and scalable in future.

Across the energy value chain of generation, transmission, usage and storage, various opportunities will evolve for new ventures to enter diverse market segments; households will likely participate actively in the upstream energy market.

Mini-grids comprise a combination of technologies: diesel, complemented by hydro and/or solar technology depending on geography. An increasing portion of renewable technologies in the grids positively correlates with a quest for independence of the volatility of oil prices.

Mini-grids solutions will to large degree depend on advances in electricity storage technologies: All speakers agree that different technologies are at different stages of maturity: disruptive technologies in energy storage are expected.

Lessons learned for successful implementation of mini-grids: the involvement of the community as well as the empowerment and education of local populations is a key success factor as those consumers and businesses depend on the grids’ security and reliability – these are the top concerns as well for utility players and transmission operators, who have to ensure stability, as electricity has physical properties that are different from bits and bites in the internet. Imbalances in grids can lead to large-scale physical damage.

Mini-grids have an especially attractive value proposition for developing countries where they offer a feasible and less expensive alternative to centralized grids that are already well established in OECD countries. This could lead to leapfrogging that might be comparable to what we’ve seen with mobile phones vs. fixed land lines internationally.

Investment opportunities: besides direct investments in mini-grids, there is a window of opportunity for microfinance projects associated with mini-grids, due to lack of alternatives. Many traditional investors shy away from the large CAPEX investments for renewables and/or smart and mini-grids solutions.

In summary, mini-grids may evolve as a viable and profitable solution in a number of important markets around the world. However, complex local legacy systems as well as differing infrastructure and geographic conditions require customized grid solutions and have to be carefully evaluated on a case-by-case base. Furthermore, the right timing and sequence of future investment opportunities is key to develop the mini-grids trend into a sustainable future alternative for energy generation and supply, depending on local and regional policies, demand conditions, user acceptances, etc.

Finally, I would like to thank again Olaf Groth for an excellent moderation and the panelists Prof. Dr. Burkhard Koch, Sameer Kalra and Tony Seba for their presentations and enriching discussion. The GABA Clean Tech community is looking forward to meeting again in near future!

GABA's Smart Grids Panel on June 28th

On June 28th, I moderated GABA's first panel on the evolving "global smart (electricity) grids: actors, trends and issues," kindly hosted by Mark Radcliff of DLA Piper in Palo Alto.

The panelists were Harold Glacier (Head of Technology Transfer and Partnering at Sacramento State University's Smart Grids Center), Mozhi Habibi (Strategy Manager at IBM's Utility and Energy Practice), Stefan Heuser (President of the Siemens Technology to Business Incubator) and Ullas Naik (Managing Director at Globespan Capital).

Acknowledging the tremendous complexity of integrating a system of systems (overlaying ICT with electricity infrastructure) and geographic diversity of the grid evolution approaches across the US and the globe, we laid out a number of high-level themes and questions to frame the conversation:

(1) Centralized versus decentralized approaches: Are we focused primarily on smart utilities or a much more distributed generation and command & control approach?

(2) Are smart grids a predominantly localized or an *integrated* regional, national or even international phenomenon? Compare US, EU and Chinese approaches.

(3) Can and should electricity markets be truly deregulated to play by market forces? Compare California v. Germany v. New Zealand v. Chilean experiences.

(4) Clash of cultures: Integrating the utility/electricity with the ICT paradigm -- stability v. connectivity mindsets. Can these two worlds co-exist and function well? Will ICT savvy independent service providers run interference with end users?

(5) Locus of innovation: Software v. hardware v. services.

(6) Can renewables become a trusted supplier of a grid's base load?

(7) Does demand response have a future or will the empowered end-user and smart appliances replace its uses?

The subsequent lively panel dialogue and active audience Q&A focused on a number of key insights:

-- The key attribute of the smart grid is to be "adaptive:" adaptive to new renewables supplies with their respective scheduling requirements, adaptive to demand swings, and adaptive to disturbances.

-- There is no "one size fits all" deployment schema for smart grids. By way of example, in the US alone, there are 3,000+ utilities with varying models, ownership and market structures; 7+ Independent Service Operators (ISOs) and Regional Transmission Organization (RTOs), across 3 large interoperability regions. Add to that Europe's electricity market diversity and various degrees of regulation/deregulation across other global markets, and a very complex, heterogeneous picture emerges.

-- There will be a smart grids investment bubble, but as previous bubbles before it, key technological capabilities, solutions and actors will survive and thrive.

-- Grids developments in the US are driven primarily by energy security concerns v. China where it's about ensuring industrial growth via efficient distributions and use v. Europe where emissions and energy independence from Russia are motivators.

-- Smart meters are the starting point in the US v. smart transmission in China v. renewables integration in Europe (for Europe, also see the combination of the Desertec and the Super Smart Grid concepts.)

-- Utilities will continue to be the most important gatekeepers to the grid for new solutions.

-- Startups attempting to sell "smart" capabilities or renewables into utilities should expect a 24-36 month sales cycle.

-- Automated demand response (ADR), such as that provided by the likes of EnerNOC, is a critical function in the evolving grids today on the enterprise side. It remains to be seen if it will take a hold on the consumer side.

-- The concept of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is an important one: it captures the ability to save relatively miniscule electricity usage on a per-user basis over longer periods of time that in aggregate can constitute the same electricity capacity as a brand new power plant that would need to be constructed.

-- Potential hot spots for investment: VPPs, ADR, fuel cells, storage, business intelligence applications related to energy, smart building technologies and REITs, etc.

-- Smart grids could yield useful learnings for the larger integration of ICT with bricks-and-mortar infrastructure toward the eventual "internet of things." Hence, certain smart grids approaches, solutions, products might be scalable beyond smart grids.

-- China will likely become a key trendsetter for smart grids innovation longer term. The age of looking at China as a cheap labor outsourcing hub that merely copies western solutions is over. The country's scale, it's comparatively quick and centralized decision making in renewables and grids, and its centuries' old technological and craft capabilities combined with a large and well trained diaspora community, are likely going to propel it to the pole position of innovation leadership.

-- Western innovators will do well establishing themselves in China as quasi-local players who are there to stay. They will be required to take the long view, adjusting to some degree of IP infringement as a way of life with business models that work regardless.

-- In that sense, smart grids could become part of a long term mega trend fraught with all of the usual throwbacks, obstacles, bubbles and busts, but also one rich with opportunity to solve problems and to put our shared transatlantic and transpacific ingenuity to work.

Moderator's recommendations for further reading:

Atlantic Council -- 2009 US-EU Smart Grid Cooperation  Detica -- Securing smart meters: getting it right first time  DOE -- Study of Security Attributes of Smart Grid Systems -- Current  Cyber Security Issues  Echelon -- Making the Grid Smarter  EPRI -- Report to NIST on the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards  Roadmap  Fox-Penner, Peter; Smart Power ? Climate Change, the Smart Grid, and  the Future of Electric Utilities FERC -- Report to Congress on Competition in Wholesale and Retail  Markets for Electric Energy  FERC -- States Clash as Congress Debates New Federal Cyber Authority  Greentech Media -- Smart Grids 101  IBIS -- 2009 Smart Grid Technology & Trends  ISRCS -- North American Bulk Power System: Need for Resilient & Secure  Control Designs  NETL -- Smart Grid Principal Characteristics: Operates Resiliently  Against Attack and Natural Disaster  NIST -- Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability  Standards, Release 1.0 NIST -- Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy & Requirements  SAIC -- Smart Grid Security White Paper  SBI -- 2010 Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Manufacturing  www.gridwise.org www.smartgridnews.com 

Negotiating as Women: Nontraditional Settings and Successes

Women in Business celebrated its largest event to-date with over 80 attendees on June 9th, 2010 at Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley LLP in Redwood City.

Wendy Beecham, CEO of Forum for Women Entrepreneurs & Executives and Susan Handelman, Partner, Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley, joined Beata Lewis, consultant with Bridging Lives, to present tips and insights about mastering the art of negotiation.

Wendy and Sue shared examples from their personal and professional lives, illustrating the specific challenges women deal with in negotiation, and how to use these unique twists toward a successful outcome.

Key points from the presentation:

• Each person brings a certain point of view to the table
• Whether we do it consciously or unconsciously, we negotiate many times throughout the day
• When you want something differently than somebody else does, we negotiate
• It’s possible to “get in your own way” by feeling overconfident or making sure everyone is happy
• Practice, and focus on building trust
• Ask questions and don’t make assumptions (they may be incorrect)
• Trust your intuition, and seek advice if needed
• Treat people with respect (even if they don’t deserve it)

If you are a woman in business, what’s YOUR story about a negotiation?  Join us to continue the conversation in our email discussion group http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/GABA_WIB/


For more information on GABA Women in Business, visit www.gaba-network.org/womeninbusiness, and check out the photo gallery.

By Linda K. Cleary, Chair, GABA Women in Business

Building Innovation Bridges Between Silicon Valley and Europe

Conference in Palo Alto, May 13th, 2010 
www.innovationbridges.com

The European Commission, Innovation Directorate - DG Enterprise and Industry, wishes to express its gratitude to GABA, the Stanford University Mechanical Engineering and all conference participants as well as the European innovation support services for organizing this event that will help shape our common thinking and future action. 

This conference had a very particular focus: Building stronger innovation bridges between Silicon Valley and Europe through the European Expatriates. The purpose was to provide ideas and guidance for those that design and deliver innovation support in Europe or on behalf of European organisations in the Valley. The policy makers - and I am counting myself as one - simply don't know enough to provide the best enabling environment to make your innovations work in Europe. But we are interested to do better. 

I want to thank you already for your contributions, your ideas and advice. Personal experience and opinions on barriers for building better innovation bridges are as welcome as scientific insight and the practical framework for transatlantic venture capital investing. 

Looking forward to your feedback. 

Sven Schade
European Commission, Support to Innovation    

Click here for videos and pictures from the event.  

Related online articles in French:

Innovation et transfert de technologie
Le capital risque : la silicon Valley versus l'Europe
http://www.bulletins-electroniques.com/actualites/63412.htm

http://www.france-amerique.com/articles/2010/05/18/conference_building_innovation_bridges_between_silicon_valley_and_europe_1.html 

Make Social Media Work for You and Your Business

The perfect exercise in social media marketing, is to create and promote an event dedicated to it. 

On March 30th, over 50 women came to the Mindjet office in San Francisco to discuss how social media marketing can become a viral instrument to turn your unique experiences into a successful business.
           
It was our most marketed event yet— promoted on four different social media networks (along with our usual email channels), inspired the group’s first-ever real-time Tweets, and lots of email group activity about the topic.
 
Our speakers got the conversation started by sharing their personal and professional experiences about using social media for their start-up business, within larger organizations, and on behalf of their clients:

• Bettina Jetter – serial entrepreneur and founder of Coaching Sanctuary
• Chaszey-Sandhriel-Dejay - Executive Director of Pay It Forward Academy 
• Betsy Streeter - Cartoonist/Illustrator/Designer/Teaching Artist 
• Nicole Kidd - Rebmann Research U.S. Trend Scout & Analyst         

 Bettina, Linda and Nicole

The discussion explored how women excel at networking, business persona versus personal personas, and the social media business bottom line.  Comments about marketing techniques quickly turned to questions about how to market using social media, and the realization that social media more than just a marketing trend— it’s a business reality and a social imperative.

Some noteworthy sound bites:

• Social media has shot to the forefront of people's attention because it is fun.  Thanks to social media, it's easy to share your ideas, photos, videos, likes and dislikes, with the world at large - and find out what they think of them.  You can find friends, business contacts and become part of a community or a bunch of different communities.  Social media allows you to connect with people you have something in common with, and it helps to streamline the process who you meet.
• Set goals, be authentic, know your values before you create your profile.
• Make wise decision whether you want to give your product or services away for free.  However, generosity oftentimes pays off because it can raise awareness and catches someone’s interest.
• You may want to consider using software that helps you to manage your time, increase productivity and to stay focused.  Remember that it is easy to get lost.  Pace yourself and follow the 80/20 rule.

The full event presentation: http://www.gaba-network.org/download/EventFlyer/20100330_Presentation_WIBSocialMediaNicole%20Kidd.pdf
Photos from the event: http://www.gaba-network.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=569&Itemid=211
For more information about GABA Women in Business, visit: http://www.gaba-network.org/womeninbusiness
WIB email group: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/GABA_WIB

By Linda Kotzot Cleary, GABA Women in Business Chair