(Source: Business Wire)Today in the first keynote address to the Apogee INNOVATIONS 2009 conference in Atlanta, KEMA senior vice president Rob Wilhite reported smart grid investments are expected to increase more than five times current levels over the next two decades, according to research conducted by the global energy and utility consulting firm KEMA, Inc. KEMA represents some of the largest global AMI clients and smart grid efforts in the world.

Apogee Interactive hosts INNOVATIONS each year for utility professionals to deliver the latest industry news, online energy efficiency applications and Web-based utility customer communications initiatives. Wilhite set the stage with his analysis of the industry opportunities and barriers for full scale deployment of the smart grid, and the need for smarter messaging to consumers.

J.D. Power and Associates' Jeff Conklin followed Wilhite in the second keynote with a look at the drivers behind the utility industry's jump in customer satisfaction this year, according to J.D. Power's 2009 customer satisfaction study. One of the key findings of the study was that utilities providing energy conservation information and online bill payment to consumers through their websites earned higher satisfaction scores.

Control4's strategic development vice president Paul Nagel explored how utilities can bring smart grid information into consumer homes and prompt energy efficiency actions with Home Area Network technology. Apogee is one of Control4's technology partners for the energy analytics within Control4's home energy management systems.

Joel Gilbert, chief software architect and co-founder of Apogee, offered Innovations participants a preview of Apogee's new Version 5 AuditMation Energy Analysis System and online HomeEnergyCalculator. "Consumers want consistent, accurate information about their energy use," Gilbert said. "If it's not accurate and it's not presented in an engaging fashion, we're not going to achieve the results we're after." He noted how Apogee's HomeEnergyCalculator interface underwent extensive third-party usability studies during product development.

Other speakers today at the conference included William Rodgers, chief executive officer of GoodCents Holdings, highlighting a customer-centric philosophy of presenting portfolios of energy efficiency programs; Penni-McLean Conner, vice president of customer care and energy efficiency for Massachusetts' largest investor-owned utility NSTAR, presenting the value proposition of energy efficiency for utilities and their customers; and Chandler von Schrader of the EPA who outlined the components of the Home Performance with Energy Star program for home energy auditing and retrofit installations.

Day two of Innovations will focus on the detailed rating of North American energy utility websites as measured in E Source's Annual Utility Website Benchmark Study and presented by Andrew Heath, customer satisfaction services director for E Source. Other speakers will include serial energy entrepreneur Bob Boscamp, highlighting how fundamental business and life principles, often overlooked, lead to success in general business and especially in energy efficiency programs; highly effective energy efficiency utility case studies from PSE&G and Puget Sound Energy; and Web 2.0 and social media strategies by Apogee's own website experts.

Apogee Interactive Inc.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Apogee is a leading provider of online energy analysis applications for the utility industry. More than 400 investor-owned, cooperative and public power systems currently use Apogee's customer- and company-facing energy-use analysis tools, call center programs, Web content modules, website development and hosting services. The company's customers span a wide range of energy utilities including Southern Company Services (NYSE: SO), American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), FPL (NYSE: FPL), Westar Energy (NYSE: WR), CPS Energy, TVA, Jackson EMC, and NOVEC.

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