Press Releases, News & Technical Documents

Consortium of Texas Universities and Water Utilities Launch Data-intensive R&D Effort Focused on Water Conservation Technologies
With the state’s population growing rapidly and another year of forecast drought, a newly-formed consortium of Texas universities and water providers announced today that it is launching a statewide research and development effort focused on water conservation technologies. The effort includes a commercialization lab focused on promising emerging technologies, a water technologies incubator and a statewide research testbed involving hundreds of Texas households.

A busy few weeks for Pecan Street’s water research team

Gas or Electric? How You Heat Your Home and Water Can Make a Big Difference on Your Wallet and Your Grid Impact

Is This the World’s Most Innovative Neighborhood?
So what’s the point of Pecan Street? The anonymized data is collated by Pecan Street using what it calls, “the world’s preeminent research network of energy and water customers.” This is then analyzed by academics all over the world, giving them a detailed insight into trends in energy usage and how new, innovative technology affects existing infrastructure.

Startup Goes Public With Its Energy Disaggregation Results
Pecan Street’s Haskell noted that large-scale industrial and commercial power users have been using energy data for diagnostic and analysis uses for years. “The kind of work we’re doing is really focused at lowering the hurdle for people to utilize this capability to the point where a mobile app can use this data to save you money in your house, without you having to do much of anything,” he said.

Mueller: Community of the Future
As a solution, Lt. Gen. Eickmann pinpointed Austin’s own Pecan Street Inc., which manages the nation’s largest residential energy research network, calling it the “community of the future.” Eickmann cited Pecan Street’s lessons in microgrid functionality and highlighted how, just like Pecan Street’s home base Mueller neighborhood, a military base is a community.

Pecan Street Launches “Check Engine Light” Service for Solar Panel Owners
Free iOS and Android App for Solar Panel Owners with eGauge Systems Launched After Pecan Street Finds Maintenance Issues Usually Go Undetected and Unaddressed for Weeks or Months

How Do You Know Your Solar Panels Are Working Correctly? You Probably Don’t
A new study from Pecan Street has found that most solar PV systems only experience minor issues and that solar PV is largely maintenance-free. But the minor issues can often impede power production for days, weeks or even longer. In most cases, the homeowners had no idea there was a problem. “It’s a minor issue. But by not detecting it, it becomes an issue where you’re losing value on your solar panel even though it’s a $5 issue to fix,” said McCracken, CEO of Pecan Street.

Join us January 28 for the University Municipal Water Consortium Conference
Pecan Street is excited to announce the agenda for the university municipal water consortium’s winter technical workshop to be held January 28, 2015 on The University of Texas campus in Austin.