Wouldn’t knowing how much energy you’re using on a daily basis help you conserve it? At least you’d know where to cut back, what to turn off, and how to do it. That is the idea behind Google’s latest energy-saving innovation: the Google PowerMeter.

The Google PowerMeter will track, in close to real time, your home’s energy usage. And they’ll do it all for free. Not only that, the program will tell you which appliances are making all the difference (hair dryer, dishwasher, etc.) at any given time.

According to Google, something as simple as access to information on household energy consumption will likely save 5-15% on your monthly power bill. Now imagine that every household in America had that information in real time, the positive (as in negative) effect on energy consumption would be staggering.

There has been a lot of talk about a “smart grid,” and Google’s PowerMeter looks like a strong first step. But it will take some work. It cannot simply start reading your energy usage simply because you logged in with Google. The program requires a Google-compatible smart meter or other electricity monitoring device at your home.

But don’t think that Google is way ahead of its time, in all likelihood the not-so-distant future, we will see utilities installing such devices en masse. The possible impact of this technology has to be appealing to utilities trying to meet energy standards, and reducing energy consumption is equally important to increasing renewable energy production.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Posted on March 6th in Solar News by Dan.