energy monitor

Cutting energy use in buildings -- both commercial and residential -- is a hot market for a growing number of tech companies, from giants such as GE and Intel to Silicon Valley startups. And the federal government is an eager booster.

EMeter, which makes software that monitors energy use, is the latest smart-grid tech startup to garner significant investment -- $12.5 million worth. With old electricity grids being replaced with smart ones, investors -- and tech giants like Google and Cisco -- are surging into the sector.