OK …we’ve known for a long time now that Energy Monitoring is important and an attractive product during the process of automating your home. It should be one of the reasons to automate a home. It is and has been well documented that the human eye can not tell the difference of a light at 100% or 90% so why not have your automated system turn the lights on at 90% and save yourself some money. This is just the tip of the iceburg, but worth the quick read. [...CK]
Energy Monitoring for the Masses
Lowe’s Begins Selling DIY PowerCost Monitor.
April 18, 2011 | by Steven Castle
More energy monitoring is coming to the masses. Lowe’s hardware stores in several states today will begin selling Blue Line Innovations’ inexpensive PowerCost Monitor and its WiFi Gateway accessory in the stores’ energy centers. The PowerCost Monitor is a do-it-yourself energy monitoring system that can report a home’s total electricity consumption.
The WiFi Gateway enables real time energy feeds to the free on line applications Microsoft Hohm and Google PowerMeter.
The PowerCost Monitor works by attaching an optical sensor to the electricity meter outside the home. The sensor reads the data and transmits it wirelessly to a portable in-home monitor and through the WiFi Gateway and an in-home router to the cloud.
According to Peter Porteous, CEO of Blueline Innovations, energy monitoring in “the last few years have been fueled by early adopters, but we can see that families across the country are looking for simple, proven difference makers to combat their monthly electricity bill. Having product available just down the street is really important to accelerate the market.”
Porteous adds, “The free applications offered by Microsoft Hohm and Google PowerMeter have really brought new interest to the category. These are great tool kits for homeowners, offering the ability to see, chart and compare your real time electricity use combined with helpful tips and resources. We’re seeing some really positive results—homeowners have the potential to save 6 [percent], 12 percent or more off their monthly electricity bills.”
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