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Google and Energy Inc. lay the groundwork for energy-efficient homes
Image source: google.com
Google has recently announced its partnership with Energy Inc. to help address one major issue we are all facing – climate change. Both companies are developing convenient means to monitor electricity consumption and at the same time make this information accessible to individual consumers in real time.
Extensive studies have shown that keeping consumers adequately informed on the rate of their energy consumption is an effective approach to make them understand that individual responsibility can play a significant role in energy conservation.
PowerMeter is a home energy software developed by Google.org; this free web-based program illustrates power usage through charts and graphs. It allows consumers to monitor their home energy use from any web-enabled device such as laptops and mobile phones.
Energy Inc.’s latest version of their electricity monitor called “Energy Detective 5000” can measure shifts in power down to a single watt. Concrete adjustments towards reducing energy consumption can be made immediately based on timely and detailed information provided by the Energy Detective device as opposed to monthly comparisons in a standard electric bill.
The Energy Detective 5000 is available for purchase at Energy Inc.’s website for approximately $200 per piece. This device should be properly installed by a professional since it contains a measuring unit that must be attached to a home’s main circuit breaker panel. The device’s gateway component can be plugged into any conventional outlet or directly into a router or modem to connect to the Internet and receive data from the measuring unit.
Although still in its initial stages, both Google and Energy Inc. are positive about their project and this joint venture is in fact a big step towards effective home energy management. Read the full article here
By Maria Belgado
Tags: Climate change, energy Inc., energy management, energy-efficient, google
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