January-February 2004

From: Size Does Matter, but Bigger Isn't Always Better

A Distributed Energy Technology Leader

DTE Energy Technologies Inc. describes itself as a technology leader in the field of distributed-energy generation.

The firm is a sister company to Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in southeastern Michigan; and MichCon, a natural-gas utility serving 1.2 million Michigan customers. All are subsidiaries of Detroit-based DTE Energy, a diversified public company with energy-related businesses and services nationwide and beyond. Its stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

Formed in 1998 as an unregulated subsidiary of DTE Energy, DTE Energy Technologies now has a staff of 150 in 18 offices around North America and has distributors in Canada, Europe, South Korea, and Turkey.

"Initially we did residential standby systems, and we still do in southeastern Michigan," says Mark Fallek, DTE Energy Technologies' chief marketing officer. "Now we do distributed-energy and standby projects throughout North America. Since our inception in the distributed-energy business in the year 2000, we've done close to 2,000 jobs."

Fallek says his firm is happy to work with third-party energy consultants and resellers or to offer directly to the end user a comprehensive program that involves all aspects:

• Early economic analysis

• Selecting and supplying the right equipment for distributed-energy generating applications ranging in size from 75 kW to 1 MW

• Installing the system on a turnkey basis

• Remote monitoring

• Ongoing maintenance to keep the system running smoothly
  

The firm says its unregulated status also allows it to "pursue other opportunities for energy|now, such as energy information systems that operate over the Internet and investments in telecommunications infrastructure and construction." Depending on how a given project is structured, DTE Energy Technologies might sell or lease the equipment to the end user or to a third party.