AutoGrid Systems CEO Amit Narayan to Address Big Data as a Solution to Global Energy Challenges at the World Economic Forum

REDWOOD SHORES, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 9, 2014) - AutoGrid Systems, a leader in Big Data analytics and cloud computing solutions for the energy industry, is pleased to announce that founder and CEO, Amit Narayan, will deliver an address at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2014 in Tianjin, China on how Big Data and software-based analytics can be leveraged to tackle some of the world's most pressing energy challenges.

AutoGrid has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Pioneer for 2015 for its breakthrough technologies that will help expand electric grids to provide affordable and efficient power to more people around the world.

Narayan will outline how energy poverty, emissions and the growth of renewables can be addressed by using software to optimize our existing infrastructure and replace expensive capital assets like power plants. Some of the challenges facing the industry include:

• Worldwide power generation is expected to rise by 93% to 39 trillion kilowatts by 2040, an increase that would require thousands of power plants without software.
• In 2011, nearly 1.3 billion people worldwide lacked access to electricity.
• The share of renewables in total power generation is projected to rise from 20 percent in 2011 to 31 percent in 2035.
• Air conditioning demand could rise by 72% as a result of climate change  by 2100, with most of the increase in AC use coming from regions with unstable grids.
• Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are projected to rise 20 percent to 2035, leaving the world on track for a long-term average temperature increase of 3.6 degrees Celsius.
• In Sub-Saharan African countries energy theft can be as high as 50 percent.

"Big Data and data analytics constitute a new form of energy. Software won't generate power but it will enable utilities, communities and individuals to use power more wisely," Narayan said. "By trimming losses and maximizing the value of capital investments, we can lower the cost of power, reduce emissions and ameliorate energy poverty."

The Cleanest, Cheapest Source of Power
AutoGrid's Energy Data Platform (EDP) leverages petabytes of data to accurately forecast near term power demand and thereby allow utilities, communities, business users and individuals to fine-tune power consumption and costs.

Utilities such as Oklahoma Gas & Electric, Austin Energy, E.ON and City of Palo Alto Utilities use AutoGrid's technology to improve the reliability and productivity of their operations. AutoGrid has also partnered with several world-leading organizations such as NTT DATA, Schneider Electric and Silver Spring Networks to expand the market for Big Data energy technology.

About AutoGrid Systems

AutoGrid is dedicated to bringing the power of Big Data, predictive analytics and Internet scale computational techniques to the production and consumption of electricity. Serving utilities of all sizes, grid operators, electricity retailers, ESCO services companies and end-users, AutoGrid develops and markets services that both help lower costs and improve reliability of the electricity supply chain. For more information, visit www.auto-grid.com.