2012: The year your electric meter gets smart
August 01 2008 / by Antonio Manfredi
Category: Energy Year: 2012 Rating: 6 Hot
On July 30, 2008 Pacific Gas and Electric annnounced a plan to deploy smart meters and an enhanced electric grid by 2012. What does this mean for the future of power?
For over half a century our electricity usage has been accounted for in the most basic way. We flip on a switch, and our electric meter starts turning. Each time we use our electricity, we really have no idea how much electricity we are using at any given time. The wheel turns, and no one is home.
Suddenly there has been a convergence of technology and resources around that little round meter that you never really look at. Utilities want to know more about your power usage, and when you use it the most. They also want to inform you of the same information, so you can reduce your energy usage during times of peak energy demand. New forms of rate pricing will replace the dumb system we have now. Use less energy when those power companies are scambling to meet demand and you may be rewarded. Three advanced residential rate options on your bill will include hourly pricing, critical peak pricing and critical peak rebates, according to www.Metering.com. Basically you will be rewarded for how well you govern your consumption.
Realizing that it is difficult to watch your energy usage without the proper tools, technology companies such as Comverge are figuring out ways for you to remotely control the thermostat in your house. Other companies are working on technology that can inform you of a good time to do your laundry, such as off peak hours when it will be cheaper.
These technologies open up an exciting new world through virtual home networking where your appliances essentially could have two way communication with your electric company. So you will not be alone in this battle to save energy.
The opportunites are profound when you think of all the things in your house that use electricity communicating with your electric meter. The ability to log onto a computer and look at the power you use is also incredibly liberating. To save on electricity I would often imagine the electric meter running faster and faster every time I turned something on, and slowing down when I would shut something off. Now real time information will help us take control of our finances and also save the environment. They may also save us from having to put a nuclear power plant in our backyards.
Comment Thread (1 Response)
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I think this kind of consumer monitoring is important and could have a more than anticipated effect on energy usage as I think consumers really want to save energy. I scanned a recent article into to the future scanner about a company that is providing a plug-in-type gadget to help consumers monitor their energy use:
Posted by: Mielle Sullivan August 01, 2008
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