Digital Tools Help Users Save Energy, Study Finds. SOKETS.com provides the solution
| January 10, 2008 |  View for printing |
Giving people the means to closely monitor and adjust their electricity use lowers their monthly bills and could significantly reduce the need to build new power plants, according to a yearlong government study.
The results of the research project by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory of the Energy Department, released Wednesday, suggest that if households have digital tools to set temperature and price preferences, the peak loads on utility grids could be trimmed by up to 15 percent a year.
Over a 20-year period, this could save $70 billion on spending for power plants and infrastructure, and avoid the need to build the equivalent of 30 large coal-fired plants, say scientists at the federal laboratory.
STEVE LOHR
Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/te ... oref=slogin
“What they did in Washington is a great proof of concept, but you’re not likely to see this kind of technology widely used anytime soon,” said Rick Nicholson, an energy technology analyst at IDC, a research firm.
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'Honey, I'll be home soon — but you've got the thermostat too high!'
SOKETS has the answer.
Eeco's http://sokets.com/ first product, due out this spring, will provide that same sort of interaction with home appliances. A wireless system monitors the thermostat, water heater and other big-ticket items. The info is transmitted to a Web interface accessible by computer or cell phone. The user will be able to see how much energy is being used (and how much CO2 is being dumped into the atmosphere as a result) and turn down the thermostat if they wish, from wherever they are.
Oakley Brooks
Full Story: http://www.oregonbusiness.com/.docs/ ... 22/pg/10002
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Helena, Montana -based Policy Institute proposes state-wide energy conservation office http://matr.net/article-27216.html
Act now on global warming, says University of Montana professor Steve Running. http://matr.net/article-27215.html
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