Google to Tackle Home Electricity
Google will use its software skills to help consumers track
their home energy usage and thereby lower demand and the global
warming emissions that come from producing electricity.
The move is part of Google's effort to pump hundreds of millions
of dollars into renewable energy, electricity-grid upgrades and
other measures that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The company has already invested in several fledgling solar,
wind and geothermal companies, as well as two "smart grid"
companies.
Smart grid describes a more efficient, less costly method of
moving electricity along long-distance transmission lines to local
power lines and end-users in homes and businesses.
On its official company blog, Google said it is developing a
smart grid tool called Google PowerMeter
that will show home energy consumption almost in real time on a
user's computer.
The company cited studies showing that access to home energy
information typically saves between 5 per cent and 15 per cent on
monthly electricity bills.
"It may not sound like much, but if half of America's households
cut their energy demand by 10 per cent, it would be the equivalent
of taking eight million cars off the road," Google said.
Google PowerMeter is currently being tested by employees and is
not yet available to the public.
The company hopes to develop partnerships with utilities so it
can roll PowerMeter out to consumers in the next few months,
spokeswoman Niki Fenwick said.
Google's investments in smart grid companies include Germantown,
Maryland-based Current Group and Redwood City, California-based
Silver Spring Networks.
(Source: Reuters)