Information Technology and Energy Efficiency

BY: DOMENIC ARMANO, PE

The convergence of IT and Energy Markets is seemingly inevitable. With the advances in smart metering and various pricing structures, putting the power of choice in the hands of the consumer has become a market opportunity for many hardware and software manufacturers. Two industry behemoths, Google and Microsoft have their own products and several smaller players like Lucid Design Group have entered the market with novel ways to monitor real time energy usage at the residential level. Google’s Power Meter and Microsoft Hohm are two examples of software products that are aimed squarely at the consumer and represent a step in the right direction for the historically sluggish energy industry.

Following is a link to an article published by CNET that highlights many new Home Energy Management Products introduced at this years Consumer Electronics Show. Perhaps this is a foreshadowing of what’s to come for our industry.

http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10426301-269.html