Energy management using Google

‘PowerMeter’ is an internet-based tool that has been designed by Google to help consumers make better decisions on their energy usage by directly providing them with data on their personal electricity consumption on their own iGoogle homepage. This information is derived from smart meters and energy management devices that are located in homes and on the grid, calculating energy consumption and enabling consumers to see the energy being consumed by specific devices.

The service is currently being tested in the US, India, Germany and Canada, but Google intends to expand the tests into other countries later this year.

Google explains that the tool will highlight such things as how much it costs to leave a TV on all day, the impact of turning air conditioning down one degree, whether a dishwasher or washing machine uses more power every month and how energy efficient a household is compared to its neighbours.

Google states that studies show that access to a household’s personal energy information is likely to save 5–15% on a monthly bill. Even greater savings are possible if this information highlights the value of retiring old refrigerators, installing more modern air conditioning or where to improve the insulation in a home. The potential impact of whole communities achieving these efficiencies is even more impressive. Google claims that every six households saving 10% on electricity has the equivalent carbon emissions reduction effect of taking one conventional car off the road.

Google believes PowerMeter offers more useful and actionable feedback than utility bills that provide just a little information on consumption or how to save energy. But PowerMeter is just a start; it will take a lot of different groups working together to deliver a sizeable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Path to smarter power consumption

Google cites studies that show that being able to see electricity use through a smart meter or consumer-owned electricity management device makes it easier to reduce it. Many of today’s smart meters, however, don’t display information to the consumer. Google believes that detailed data on personal energy use should be available in a standard, non-proprietary format and is working with several governments around the world to ensure energy policies encourage consumer information.

Currently, there are an estimated 50 million smart meters in use worldwide, with reports of plans to add hundreds of millions more in the next few years. But Google states that smart meters need to be coupled with a strategy like the PowerMeter concept to provide customers with easy access to detailed information on their energy usage to realise any energy-saving potential.

PowerMeter works by receiving electricity usage information that is securely transmitted to Google over the internet, from a variety of sources (utility companies, in-home devices, end users, etc) and stores this data securely within Google’s data centres. Customers can view their own data and make the necessary decisions on where they can curb their consumption. They cannot view anyone else’s information, nor can any utility companies view consumers’ private data.