Google’s ‘PowerMeter’ provides customers with data on their personal electricity usage right on their own iGoogle homepage. It does this by receiving information from smart meters and energy management devices, calculating a customer’s energy consumption, and allowing each individual the ability to see what wastes the most energy in their homes. On Google’s ‘Powermeter’ website, the company claims that the application “offers more useful and actionable feedback than complicated monthly paper bills that provide little detail on consumption or how to save energy.”
Not surprisingly, the NGU summit was the perfect place to introduce ‘Powermeter’ to the European market. Google’s Jens Redmer, Director of Business Development for Europe, described how ‘Powermeter’ helps consumers make the right decisions on their energy usage. Redmer’s presentation sparked the interest of utility heads including João Torres, President of EDP Distribuição, Frank Borchardt, Head of Smart Metering at E.ON, Corne Meeuwis, CEO of CASC-CWE, Odd Håkon Holsæter, Chairmanof Nordpool and CEO of Statnett Norway, and Inge Pierre, Head of European Affairs at Svenskenergi. The innovative product was a mere catalyst for this esteemed group to discuss new ways to develop global energy supply with technology leaders from Siemens, Oracle, Alcatel-Lucent, SAP and Navita.
It is not very often that influential companies like Google take the time to develop innovative tools with the ability to aid in the reduction of energy waste and although Google are happy to admit that: “the Google PowerMeter is just a start”, their hope is that this new application will make a significant contribution to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. “Studies show that access to your household's personal energy information is likely to save you 5–15% on your monthly bill. Even greater savings are possible if you use this information to see the value of retiring your old refrigerator, installing a new air conditioner or insulating your home. The potential impact of large numbers of people achieving similar efficiencies is even more exciting. For every six households that save 10% on electricity, for instance, we reduce carbon emissions as much as taking one conventional car off the road,” they explain.
Google are testing the tool in the US, India & Canada, with the hopes of expanding later in the year.
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