By Scott Schnelle // Scott Schnelle is part of the EnergyLink team that is centered in Columbia, MO. They help homeowners improve their energy efficiency through HVAC, Retrofit lighting and insulation installations.
You and I understand that importance of energy conservation -- we’re reading a blog about it right now. But part of the problem in implementing energy efficiency on a larger scale is that not everyone is as concerned about energy usage and the health of the planet.
Because of this, Opower, an energy information software specialty firm, and Facebook have teamed up to create a smartphone app to make energy efficiency a social activity.
The application lets people keep track of their home energy use by connecting with their local power companies on Facebook. They then can monitor their usage, share conservation goals and trade tips on how to keep their numbers down. It was released on April 3rd and will reach about 20 million U.S. households. Already, 16 energy companies have signed up for the program, and many more are predicted to join.
You can download the application at social.opower.com, and it is already receiving a positive response. "The enthusiasm we're seeing from people who are excited about getting better context about their energy use, and share or even brag about their energy efficiency within their social networks is inspiring," said Opower chief executive Dan Yates.
Using smart grid capabilities of the energy companies, you can find your friends and challenge them to lower their scores, as well as compare you and your friends' energy consumption to national averages.
Similar apps have had mixed success in the past. Google PowerMeter, for example, initially showed great promise in allowing people to track their energy usage over time, at a low cost and in a convenient way. It didn’t take off as people had anticipated, and was later abandoned by Google. Microsoft Hohm was another promising energy efficiency application for homeowners, until Microsoft shifted gears much like Google and moved the product away from home energy monitoring.
In such a landscape, it will be interesting to see if all of the pieces of the puzzle are such that they create and atmosphere in which Opower's promising new app can take off, which we'll certainly hope it does.
In the mean time, if you are truly serious about cutting down on the energy of your home, consider hiring a home energy auditor to look at your whole house and identify areas where you may be wasting energy. You might be surprised what you find.
Comments
Ah, thanks for the catch Eric! The Energy Circle group is a pretty cool idea actually, we'll look into it!
Posted by Will on Apr 27, 2012 3:05pm