Belkin International, a manufacturer of computer hardware for connectivity devices, has introduced Conserve Gateway, a router system that connects to smart meter to provide insight about home energy use through a web interface.
Conserve Gateway uses ZigBee network interface for communicating with smart meters deployed with utility advanced metering infrastructure to manage home area network (HAN), monitoring and controlling in-home devices, appliances, and energy loads.
Wi-Fi/Ethernet network interface communicates with cloud-based device management system through user’s home broadband router and provides an alternate channel for utilities to communicate with the gateway, enabling users to track and reduce energy use.
Belkin aims to partner with utility companies to provide these in-home energy monitoring and conservation devices to its customers that also offers utilities the ability to push information to Conserve Gateway with advice or calls to action to help homeowners save on energy costs.
Conserve Gateway adds to Belkin’s portfolio of energy management systems, including Conserve Insight, Conserve Smart AV, Conserve Valet, Conserve Socket, Conserve Switch, and Conserve Surge, that are all designed to help people save energy without altering their lifestyles.
Belkin Conserve general manager Kevin Ashton said that the most successful smart meter implementations will be ones that drive compliance and encourage people to understand their energy use and feel motivated to conserve.
“Our strengths in understanding people’s needs and in user-centric design will help empower people to be smarter about how they consume,” Ashton said.