Smart Home Energy Monitoring Equipment
With the cost of electricity likely to rise these are some great resources,
Smart Home Energy Monitoring Equipment
Residential consumers' home energy use is changing. New smart home energy monitoring equipment can provide a near real-time snapshot of energy usage. With this information in hand, consumers are altering their energy-using behavior and becoming more energy efficient. Studies have shown that savings range from 10% to 20% when consumers are able to monitor electricity usage in real time.
Most home energy monitoring equipment consist of two parts: 1) a transmitting device that attaches to the circuit breaker panel or the electrical meter and measures energy usage, and 2) a display unit (some can be plugged into any outlet in the home). One popular model is TED, short for The Energy Detective. The idea behind TED is that if you can measure energy usage, you can manage energy usage. TED measures whole-house electrical usage that is updated every second and is displayed on an easy-to-read LCD screen. It's sensitive to 10 watts, so if you open your refrigerator, you will immediately see the slight spike of the 20-watt bulb. There is additional software that allows you to log your electricity usage on your computer for graphing, charting, seeing trends, load-profiling and much more. Other manufacturers of moment-to-moment electrical energy monitoring equipment include the PowerCost Monitor, Kill-A-Watt and PowerWatch. Prices range from $50 to $120.
Home energy monitors are a component of a much larger green effort: turning our energy grid into a smart grid that streamlines energy costs and provides incentives for consumers to lower costs. Another component of this large project is the smart meter. Smart meters replace existing electrical meters and do not require monthly onsite inspections. Utility companies are installing smart meters to better analyze how consumers use energy. Unfortunately, many of these smart meters don't display information to the consumer. In response, Google has launched the PowerMeter. The PowerMeter is a free software program that works in concert with smart meters and allows consumers to track their electricity usage, at home or remotely, on any computer through a Google widget. For more information about smart meters and the deployment of smart grid technology, residents can contact their utility company.
Julie Chroust, Senior Mortgage Consultant
Prospect Mortgage, 6601 Owens Drive, Suite 155, Pleasanton, CA 94588
Office: 925-516-5809 * Cell: 925-381-1481 * Fax: 925-516-7555
Email: Julie.Chroust@ProspectMtg.com
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