According to the Edison Report, the EMerge Alliance is starting development of a new standard for installing DC power in residential applications.  I believe that switching to DC power offers numerous benefits, as I explained about a year ago in my post “Residential Lighting Dream System“.

The Edison Report also mentions a very interesting regional investment organization called NextEnergy, which has created a DC-powered showcase house.  According to their website:

Who We Are
NextEnergy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2002 to drive advanced energy investment and job creation in Michigan. Located in Detroit, NextEnergy serves as a catalyst for advanced energy technology demonstration and commercialization. Since its inception, NextEnergy has helped to attract more than $1 billion of new investment.

What We Do
NextEnergy is a convener, collaborator, and service provider accelerating the development and growth of advanced energy companies, technologies, and industries. We utilize value added analytical tools to continually investigate “what’s next” in advanced energy – looking ahead toward the future to assess market trends, technology innovation, policy, and investment strategies.

Our Center
The NextEnergy Center is an epicenter of entrepreneurial activity and serves as a living laboratory for advanced energy technology development and demonstrations. Advanced energy innovation companies are engaged in collaborative projects at NextEnergy, leveraging our knowledge base, unique testing capabilities and laboratories in an independent and secure environment.

I wonder how much they facilitate interesting new lighting technologies or startup organizations?