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Google plugs in to track electricity use
Screen shot of Google PowerMeter
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Steve Chiotakis: Google's announced a deal to match up its Web-based energy-monitoring system, with a so-called "smart meter." It's going to track electricity usage down to the minute. From the Marketplace Entrepreneurship Desk at Oregon Public Broadcasting, Mitchell Hartman reports.
Mitchell Hartman: So, here's my electric bill... and wow it's high. Problem is, all it says is how much power I used last month -- total. No detail about what hogged the most energy. But if I log onto Google's free PowerMeter program and plunk down $200 for the Energy Detective smart meter...
TOM SLY: That will allow you to actually see, as you turn things on and off, in real time, what your usage pattern for the day has been.
Tom Sly is with Google.org -- Google's nonprofit arm. He says these tools can isolate a single appliance's footprint.
SLY: To know that your cable box is using 20 watts, constantly, or that your dishwasher is really, really inefficient.
RON PERNICK: Google figured out how to visualize the Internet, so perhaps they can help people map and visualize how they use electricity.
Energy consultant Ron Pernick says Google has the right credentials to move into the energy-monitoring market. But...
PERNICK: Google's not alone. There are a handful of companies and new ones emerging every day that are looking to get into this sector.
Including major software companies and big utilities developing their own smart-meter technology.
I'm Mitchell Hartman for Marketplace.
In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint we selected a green energy provider for our electricity. We then bought a used electric minivan and started offsetting our oil heat with the wood stove, (using bio-bricks.) Why be so concerned with the details of the electricity bill? It's the carbon, stupid.
Your microwave may be 1100 watts but how much power does it use when it is not "running" for the clock? I was told by my power company (Stearns Coop) that it uses up to 30% of the full load power to run the clock the rest of the time. Now there's a wall wart!
Maybe I'm too much of a geek, but I find this kind of concept to be great. If we just had enough $$ around to afford $200 on such a toy, I'd get it. Especially if installation was minimal enough I could take it off and install it at a different location (i.e.: my retired parent's house, my other retired parent's house, send it to my sister, etc.)...
(on the geek note: I'm _this_ close to installing a line voltage thermostat and a duct fan for a basement room instead of purchasing a separate space heater. Again, a $50 cost is slowing me down.)
Ever since I saw the Zanadu house in Wisonsin Dells back in the 80's; whole place run by an Apple IIe. Totally want to hook my house up, and there's at least some small amount of rationalization possible as justification.
On a "better yet" note: if the power companies' meters were internet readable, there would be no need for separate hardware and the whole thing could be more useful. (Any power companies have any interest in investigating?)
I'm not sure I understand all the excitement about the new electricity tracking software. These seem like nothing more than new toys, because they don't provide any information that I don't already have (or couldn't produce with some number crunching). Most devices already tell you how much power they use, both on the appliance and in the instruction manual. For example, the typical microwave uses 1100 watts and it's usually easy to find just by opening the door. Tracking my energy usage would be about as complicated as balancing my checkbook. But that's another thing, I haven't balanced my checkbook in 4 years, and I'll bet lots of people don't balance their checkbook. I'm not that concerned if the bank screws up on a few cents or dollars. Which is the root of my confusion about the electricity tracking software; I don't care which appliance is using a little more electricity than I expected. Even now, I'm pretty sure my refigerator could be more efficient. It runs frequently and makes just a little noise when it starts, but all my food is perfectly fine, so I'm not worried about it. I already turn out lights when I don't need them, and keep the heating thermostat low, so I don't think any new "toys" like this software will generate any big discoveries at my house. Although, it would be interesting to have my checkbook balance itself, but even then, I'd only pay attention to it a few times a year, if even that.
