ABB has signed up startup Verdigris to augment its smart building offering, using Verdigris’ machine learning expertise to create a system that will predict unplanned energy consumption spikes, and then let ABB act accordingly. This could be a big win for the Silicon Valley firm, as ABB’s industrial reach is extensive. Verdigris came to the fore through ABB’s Open Innovation program, a strategic plan to engage with accelerator programs and incubators. ABB uses the program to find potential partners that it could incorporate into its portfolio, as do many of its rivals and other large enterprises. For ABB in particular, it is looking to expand its ‘digital energy’ offering, and so is looking for anyone interested in the smart grid…