According to a tech article from Forbes, cheap battery storage technology will prove as disruptive to the energy industry as the cellphone has been in telecommunications.

“I would bet that there’s not a single person in this entire audience who does not have a cellphone in their pocket,” said Susan Kennedy, CEO of Advanced Microgrid Solutions during the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. ”If you think about it, the entire grid from the ground up was designed around the concept that energy cannot be stored. And so the whole grid is going to change dramatically because of one thing: battery storage.”

This is very important to note. The nation’s power grid is designed to always be connected, a technological philosophy that seems antiquated when compared to the rest of today’s technology. With battery storage in most of our electronic devices, and cloud and Wi-Fi technology to wirelessly connect us, being physically connected by our power grid can’t last forever. In fact, you can go to your local hardware store and find generators that use a battery. The technology is readily available, and experts think we are right on the verge of a big shift.

Think about the advantages: you wouldn’t have to worry nearly as much about power outages because you could have a significant battery backup to wait them out. One case study example of the possibilities is the home of Josh and Susan Fried. The Frieds put $50,000 worth of investment into battery and other energy technology to allow them to stockpile clean energy. The Frieds home can run off the energy grid (using only energy they have produced themselves) for at least three days without too much worry.

The way that the winds are blowing, it appears that the energy industry is going to experience some big changes in the relative near future. With battery technology ripe for disruption and exciting change in the energy industry, some have even speculated that the next home you own might even be battery powered!

Looking to learn more about energy efficiency, or to get updates on the latest energy industry news? Check out the rest of our Bright Insights blog!

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Fall is quickly approaching, which means that in some parts of the country the camping season is coming to a conclusion. Thankfully, there is at least one more perfect opportunity to get your camp on in 2015—Labor Day weekend!

When you are camping, you may want to bring a few creature comforts of home along while you’re out in the wilds. Fortunately, there are gadgets and camping gear on the market that are eco-friendly and can help you have a great camping experience. Check out this round up of the best eco-friendly and energy efficient camping supplies and gadgets before you head for the hills.

Essentials

Tents and sleeping bags

Your tent and sleeping bags will naturally depend on the climate where you’ll be camping. If you are looking for a one-stop shop for all of your tent needs, check out Big Agnes. This site has a wide variety of both tents and sleeping bags, with different options based on what your needs are as well as some very helpful FAQs and tips in case you don’t know where to start.

For a simple and eco-friendly tent, check out the Seedhouse SL2. This lightweight tent boasts a simple design, with its pole system being constructed using the eco-friendly anodizing process. This tent should be a nice addition to your next camping trip!

When it comes to sleeping bags, a great choice is the Sierra Designs 20°F Deja Vu Sleeping Bag. This sleeping bag is composed of 95% recycled materials, and keeps you insulated (as the name implies) at temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This popular product is currently sold out from the distributor, though you can still find some on Amazon while more are produced.

Backpacks

Your backpack choice is important, especially if you will be doing any hiking on your camping trip. When it comes to a lightweight hiking pack, none can hold a candle to the Water Dog Hydration Pack. This pack comes equipped with a 2000 ml bladder with a handy straw that feeds out through one of the pack’s straps, allowing you to easily stay hydrated while on the move. The pack’s design has a surprising amount of storage for being such a lightweight bag. The best part—it’s made with recycled plastic water bottles!

Tech

Earl Tablet

The Earl Tablet is an incredibly helpful device that helps keep you connected on your backcountry excursions. This solar-powered tablet will prove very beneficial if you plan to hike during your camping trip. It provides precise GPS coordinates, as well as data about weather patterns (temperature, humidity, barometric pressure), a compass, and thousands of trail maps via everytrail.com.

It also has radio secure text and voice message technology in case you get lost or want to send information to other friends with compatible devices. For all of the benefits that this tablet will provide you, it really lives up to the price of $299.

BioLite CampStove

BioLite CampStove is another camping option that cannot be ignored. This cool camping stove serves two purposes: it is an eco-friendly stove that can cook meals and boil water in minutes, while it doubles as an energy source to charge devices via USB. The BioLite CampStove makes this possible by burning twigs and pinecones as fuel. The heat generated by the unit is converted into electricity that you can use to charge your gadgets. Not only does this keep you from having to lug around another source of fuel, but it provides another eco-friendly option. This product is a real game changer, especially at the retail price of $129.95.

Looking to invest in some fancy new renewable camping gadgets? Purchase them through our Star Energy Rewards app to receive cashback on your purchases! Download the app on Android or iOS to learn more!

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When it comes to energy efficiency, information is key. To begin saving energy in your home, you’ll need to have a plan of attack for lowering those energy prices—and that means relevant data. But don’t worry: you don’t need to collect all that data by hand! These apps can give you information about how much energy you use, where you can purchase the best energy, and much more—plus most of them are free to download!

JouleBug

JouleBug makes energy efficiency fun by gamifying the process. The app has hundreds of unique achievements to discover and compare with your friends, all of which are related to increasing the energy efficiency in your home. JouleBug is free to download and is available on iOS and Android.

Power Cost Calculator

Power Cost Calculator helps determine how much energy your appliances and other devices consume when they are in standby mode—in other words, when they’re being “energy vampires.” This app breaks down this information based on the type of appliance and calculates how much energy you could save by simply unplugging your appliances when they aren’t in use. It is available to download on the Android Marketplace.

Wiser Home

Wiser Home is an intricate app that puts everything together into one convenient place. With Wiser Home, you can track your energy usage, as well as other circumstances that can influence that usage. Perhaps most importantly, this app also integrates a budget feature that allows you to compare all of its results with your energy budget. You can download Wiser Home on iOS and Android.

Energy Tracker

For accurately tracking your energy usage, Energy Tracker is one of the best. Energy Tracker makes it easy to track how much energy you are consuming in your household, and compare that with your energy bills to see where you can reasonably cut costs.

Two of the more useful features on Energy Tracker are the alarm reminders and export functionality. The alarm will keep you honest about inputting data each day, and the export functionality will allow you to export your data to an actual computer for easy analysis.

Energy Tracker is available on iOS for $0.99

GasBuddy

The GasBuddy app, free on iOS, allows you to search for the cheapest gas prices in your area. Getting the cheapest gasoline is a simple way to increase your energy efficiency!

Here’s one more app we think you’ll like…Star Rewards! Through the Star Rewards loyalty program, you can earn cashback on many online purchases. Download the app on iOS or Android to learn more!

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