Microsoft is moving into a new area, energy efficiency software!
Rob Bernard, Microsoft’s new Energy Czar (his official title is Chief Environmental Strategist), in a recent interview with Cnet’s Michael Kanellos, Rob said
“I am highly familiar with the massive opportunity for software and intelligence to optimize energy control systems,” he said. “I think that buildings account for something like 37 percent of greenhouse gases around the globe. If you look at the big sectors–transportation, buildings and building management, deforestation, electrical grid, and utilities–in every one of those we are looking at how software can enable innovation.”
As in other markets, Microsoft will rely heavily on third-party developers. The developers will come up with the applications, and these will run on MSFT platforms.
“We will build some applications ourselves and we will try to accelerate the entire market to address this problem,” he said.
It is good to see Microsoft realising the massive potential there is in the energy efficiency market. Energy efficiency programs within companies should be an opportunity to lower carbon footprint and reduce energy expenditure - a win-win.
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[…] especially in relation to computing and climate change. Just this week he’s written on Microsoft’s new initiative in the energy efficiency market, and on carbon accounting software. I first spoke with Tom last […]