The Smart Grid has been getting a lot of press lately, thanks in part to the current stimulus package debate—the current draft of which earmarks $4.4 billion for smart-grid technologies. I’ve already discussed how the smart grid and onsite power can coexist, but those discussions have focused primarily on demand management at a large, centralized level. Under the smart grid scenario, a utility can balance supply and demand based on the data it collects from users.
But what about allowing the data to run both ways? Google has just introduced a new product that can bridge the gap between energy supplier and energy user. Google’s PowerMeter, now in prototype, is designed to work with smart meters to provide users with data on their home energy consumption. This takes power management to a whole new—micro—level. Imagine the possibilities of onsite energy management.
How would this work? Instead of getting a monthly bill, a user (currently imagined as a single household) could review “real-time information” about current energy consumption. The hope is that access to real-time data could influence behavior and, as a result, lead to a more efficient use of energy. In its current incarnation, Google’s PowerMeter (which will be available on the iGoogle home page) will measure overall household usage, allowing hour-by-hour and day-to-day comparison. In the future, the hope is that the PowerMeter will be able to differentiate between different areas in a household and even between specific appliances, allowing users to micromanage their energy consumption.
Imagine the possibilities if the PowerMeter, or something like it, could be designed for large energy users—hospitals, hotels, and other commercial and industrial complexes. With the ability to scrutinize and fine tune power use and demand in minute detail, the PowerMeter promises to transform energy efficiency by changing it into an onsite process.