Google is teaming up with eight electric companies to provide home energy monitoring software.  The companies would install smart home meters that would then allow people to log into the secure Google PowerMeter and monitor electricity use from their computers.

Google is working with federal and state governments to make sure that energy consumers will have easy real-time access to their own energy usage.  As part of the company’s PowerMeter plan,  Google has teamed up with eight electric companies, two of which are outside the U.S., to provide consumers with the knowledge to smartly alter their own energy usage.

One of the international energy providers is Reliance Energy in India and the other is Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited in Canada. The six US providers are: Glasgow EPB in Kentucky; TXU Energy in Texas; San Diego Gas & Electric in California; White River Valley Electric Cooperative in Missouri;JEA in Florida; and Wisconsin Public Service in Wisconsin.

The smart meters that the power companies will use will send information to consumers online using Google PowerMeter.  In his testimony, Edward Lu, a Program Manager in Advanced Projects at Google, cited studies that show that real-time access to energy usage information, can change people’s habits. Lu said:

Studies show that when consumers can see in real time how much energy they are using, they save 5 to 15 percent on their electricity use with simple behavioral changes, and even more with investments in energy efficiency. The average U.S. residential customer spends about $1,200 a year on electricity, so savings simply based on a real-time feedback monitor could amount to $60 to $180 per year. In fact, if just half of American households cut their demand by 10 percent, the CO2 emissions avoided would be equal to taking approximately eight million cars off the road.

The PowerMeter is currently being tested and is of course, free to utilities and to their customers.

Hopefully, smart meters connected to Google PowerMeter will be in every new home and every home renovation.  That way we can all learn to use our energy more wisely.

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Entry was posted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 4:21 pm under Google, Green Technology.

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