Part 5: Cleantech/greentech software opportunities - enablers continued

In the previous post I started to discuss some of the enablers that will help software entrepreneurs and startups in cleantech/greentech. This post continues that discussion and gives a couple of examples of how enablers convert into opportunities.

Enablers

1. A common set of widely used API(s) for sensing and acting on cleantech/greentech hardware. For example, API(s) to measure and control temperature, pressure, velocity, etc.

2. Access to existing information. For example, the utility companies have huge amounts of data regarding electricity, gas and water consumption but this information is not available outside of their "walled gardens". Obviously privacy and security must be maintained but there is currently no way for a consumer to even indicate to the utility whether they allow access to third parties.

3. Consumer education and willingness. At the consumer level, without automation in place, individuals must be willing to manually enter data and act on the results. This is obviously problematic but there are specific instances where it happens today, e.g. people turning off lights and appliances.

4. Business education and willingness. Businesses could save a huge amount of electricity each year by simply creating energy saving policies (e.g. "turn off the lights and your computer when leaving for the day..." and asking their employees to comply. How many companies do you know that are doing that?

Opportunities

It's fairly obvious how API(s) and access to existing cleantech/greentech databases provide fertile ground for software entrepreneuring.

With regard to consumers and businesses I speculate that applications, especially community-based ones, that educate, track and promote provide opportunity as well. One hypothetical desktop application might remind and manually record compliance to an energy policy. (Naturally, these apps are subject to neglect and abuse.) Periodic reports show how well the employees en masse are doing. The company can show actual reductions in electricity bills to validate the results and then celebrate and reward their teams.

(Links to greentech/cleantech information sources at http://www.cleantechcomputing.com)