Large commercial buildings are the fastest-growing energy consumers in the U.S. Why? Because most of them are not very energy-aware.

Utilities and city planners understand this problem and have targeted the commercial building sector by providing rebates for retrofits, deploying smart meters and establishing stricter building codes. But the ability to gather actionable insights into how buildings are performing are only now emerging.

In this podcast, we’ll talk with FirstFuel CEO Swapnil Shah about how data analytics can change the building efficiency paradigm. We’ll also talk about the company’s partnership with Opower, which will help the startup expand to more utilities.

Later in the show, we’ll discuss the viability and economics of Tesla’s Giga factory and discuss the opening of America’s largest cellulosic ethanol refinery.

This podcast is brought to you by SMA, the world's leading solar inverter manufacturer. With more than 850 service experts, 90 service hubs, 30-plus gigawatts installed globally and thousands of commercial and utility projects completed worldwide, SMA is the partner of choice for your PV projects.

The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.