August 15, 2011

Seattle CEO sees wave of acquisitions about to hit energy efficiency sector

Big players want in, investors want out

By Denis Du Bois

The energy management sector is ripe for consolidation, says Michael Butler, chairman and CEO of Cascadia Capital in Seattle, WA. The next six months could bring a wave of acquisitions, triggered by Schneider Electric's purchase of Summit Energy Services.

"When Schneider made their move and paid a premium for Summit Energy, it opened the floodgates," Butler says. "Every company with a legitimate, real-time energy-management product has been approached by potential buyers."

Summit Energy Services is an energy management service provider with real-time software that commercial and industrial facilities use to save money on energy. Schneider acquired Summit for US $268 million, or approximately four times Summit's revenue.

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About Denis Du Bois

Denis Du Bois is editor of Seattle-based Energy Priorities magazine and hosts the popular Energy Minute podcast series. He has organized events on renewable energy, the smart grid, biofuels and green buildings, for audiences of 150 to 400 executives. He serves on the board of the MIT Enterprise Forum Northwest and is a long-standing member of WSA, a prominent industry alliance in Washington. In 1994 he founded an online community based on the environmentalist concept of green bonding. Denis holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University, and a Certificate of International Management also from ASU. He studied French at the University of Paris, and his continuing education includes advanced programs on energy, marketing, management and technology.