Dive summary:

• Distributed energy generation (read: "not big central power plants") is one of the fastest-growing trends in the U.S., the Energy Department says, and the chief sustainability officer for Fort Collins, Colo., predicts that will leads to "smart" buildings needing their own operating systems to manage their capabilities.
• Much like your computer needs an operating system within which all its applications can run, buildings that can adjust their energy consumption and may even have windows that can be energy generators will need a framework.
• The buildings will be able to report continuously on their own conditions, and users will be able to alter conditions remotely, Bruce Hendee told the Net Zero Cities Symposium.

From the article:

The Net Zero Cities Symposium held in Colorado included a discussion about how energy use in buildings will change. ...