The web-based technology is expected to deliver real-time information on electricity consumption, and engage and empower customers to cut electricity use. The six municipal light plants participating are Braintree, Danvers, Hingham, North Attleboro, Wakefield and Wellesley and the Gloucester-based company is GroundedPower.
GroundedPower’s Customer Engagement System couples real-time energy monitoring and home area networks with internet-based tools to guide consumers toward energy savings.
The program will seek to reduce average monthly electricity use and peak demand among participants by an average of 10% or more. Some 300 homes, 50 in each town, along with municipal buildings, will be provided with GroundedPower’s software linked either to the company’s building monitor or to a smart meter.
John Tzimorangas, general manager of Hingham Municipal Light Plant, said: “What attracted us to GroundedPower’s technology is that it goes well beyond other home monitoring and in-house display systems, many of which we’ve tried in the past.
“We think GroundedPower’s customer engagement system will achieve significant energy savings as customers set goals, discover opportunities for savings and are recognized for results. This benefits both our customers and our communities as we look to reduce energy and environmental impacts.”
The home area networks will include wireless monitors and a wireless gateway that uploads real-time data to web-enabled software. This system will be installed in each participating home and building, with the exception of Danvers where smart meters are being piloted and will be used in place of the GroundedPower monitor.
Participants receive real-time information on how much electricity is being used and how much it costs. By using a task selection tool, the homeowner can select from some 150 actions and see how much each action will contribute to their energy savings.
In addition, customers will participate in a web-enabled communications network to share energy savings experiences and to help achieve individual and collective energy savings goals.
Paul Cole, CEO and founder of GroundedPower, said: “Goals, tasks to achieve goals, timely and relevant feedback, rewards, and the ability to measure one’s progress against others are all important factors. Our system pulls these elements together and presents them in a very systematic, easy-to-use way to achieve deeper, more sustainable savings.”
The pilot program will begin in November with installation of wireless energy monitors in homes and municipal buildings and will run for at least a year.
