With the global climate summit in Copenhagen in full swing, smart grids and software joined smokestacks on center stage with a “call to action” on the need for real-time information on home energy use. GE, Google, The Climate Group and the Natural Resources Defense Council were among those that issued the call — which pointed to energy savings of up to 15 percent that can result if consumers have basic information about their energy use. Quoting famed scientist and engineer Lord Kelvin, the organizers said: “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.”

GE’s Steve Fludder met U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Laurie Fulton and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke during a tour of the GE booth at the Bright Green Expo.
Thinking green: GE’s Steve Fludder met U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Laurie Fulton and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke during a tour of the GE booth at the Bright Green Expo.

In the audio clip below, Steve — who’s pictured above and heads GE’s ecomagination business — explains the work that he and the team have been doing at the climate summit this week:

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In today’s call to action, the coalition said the goal was to empower citizens with information and tools for managing energy, so that we can “harness the power of hundreds of millions of people to fight climate change –- and save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in the process.” Smart meters and home energy monitors could deliver the information, which would direct appliances to use less power during peak times.

As Steve told tech blogger Marc Gunther: “This simple but bold call to action makes common sense… We ultimately have a vision of a zero net-energy home” that will combine smart technologies with small scale solar panels and wind turbines. Google’s Dan Reicher added: “‘A smart meter in every home’ makes sense, even if it doesn’t have quite the resonance of ‘a chicken in every pot’ or ‘a car in every garage.’”

If all developed countries achieved the 15 percent reduction in home energy use by 2020, it would be the equivalent of shutting down 124 large coal power plants or taking more than 200 million cars off the road in the European Union, the coalition said.

Elsewhere at the climate summit, GE’s also been in the news for its ecomagination business strategy to develop more energy-efficient technologies. GE just announced that in the first three quarters of 2009, ecomagination revenues in China reached $656 million — a 50 percent year-on-year increase from 2008. Read the announcement.

During the summit, GE also confirmed that four projects it filed under a European Commission initiative for cities are among the first projects to be awarded the “Benchmark of Excellence” — which goes to a city initiative that represents a world-class successful implementation of sustainable energy technologies. The recognition was for cleaner energy projects in France and Italy and efficient lighting projects in Spain and Hungary. Read the announcement.

GE also announced that its ecomagination initiative will be supporting Phase 2 of Europe’s biggest initiative to reduce urban greenhouse gas emissions. Known as EUCO2 80/50, the goal is to reduce emissions by 80 percent by 2050. GE is supporting the initiative financially and contributing its technology expertise. Read the announcement.

GE’s display at the Bright Green Expo, which is part of the climate summit in Copenhagen, showcases a range of cleaner technologies -- from GE Jenbacher engines that burn landfill gas to cleaner coal technologies to waste water treatment innovations.
In the spotlight: GE’s display at the Bright Green Expo, which is part of the climate summit in Copenhagen, showcases a range of cleaner technologies — from GE Jenbacher engines that burn landfill gas to cleaner coal technologies to waste water treatment innovations.

* Read the full text of “Consumer Energy Information: A Call to Action”
* Read Marc Gunther’s blog coverage
* Read coverage on earth2tech.com
* Read coverage on CNET.com