While people scramble to become “greener” in almost every aspect of their lives, from solar power to hybrid vehicles, it’s easy to forget the easiest alternative; use the least amount of power possible.  By monitoring and analyzing power consumption from various sources around your home, you can identify the hot spots and formulate a plan to ease the load. 

Home automation companies are slowly introducing products that can help monitor all of the power-sucking devices we keep piling into our homes.  The typical American household has 27 devices that are continuously on, according to the Electric Power Research Institute, which means that even though you’re adjusting your thermostat to save energy, and getting rid of all of your incandescent light bulbs, watching that new L.C.D. TV might wipe out all the gains.

Some analysts expect this so-called “smart metering” to boom nationwide, according to the New York Times.  With such a network, you can turn on your TV and see what your energy use has been like over the last few months, or compare your behavior and usage to other people in your area.  Consumers can also receive automated tips on how to save money on energy, based on their prior energy use and historical weather patterns. Then, by clicking a button on a screen either on a TV or a computer, they can act on those tips. 

Power companies don’t even have a good understanding of the overall footprint of each individual household.  With such a network in place using simple technology, communities can create a “smart” power grid that the companies and consumers alike can use to monitor home usage.  Smart meters also would allow for tiered pricing, in which customers would pay more for power during high-use times and less during off-peak hours.

With so many concerns on energy use now a days, a network like this would obviously be a huge step forward.  If it didn’t involve such a massive undertaking and infrastructure changes, it would have most likely happened a long time ago.  As a good example, Southern California Edison developed a plan for smart meters that would have made them loose a billion dollars on the project overall.  That was back in 2005.  Today, under a proposal on which the California Public Utilities Commission is expected to rule in August, Edison thinks it will at least break even on smart meters.  That’s the quick evolution of the need for smarter energy conservation and the need to use technology to accomplish it.

Related:

Can Dell’s new Hybrid PCs compete with PS3 and Xbox 360 for the living room?

The Everex "green" gPC isn’t so green

Windspire is the affordable home wind turbine

Wireless Internet users more web savvy according to recent U.S. survey

Home automation the key to keeping seniors independent and in their homes

Entry was posted on Sunday, July 27th, 2008 at 11:41 pm under Green Technology, Technology.  Print This Post

Read more entries by Justin Montgomery.
Stumble It!