Cutting your home’s energy use by 15% may be as easy as installing a new device from IBM. The company just concluded a pilot program in Fayetteville, North Carolina with Consert, a leader in clean and intelligent energy development. This resulted in significant savings for homeowners, including a 40% reduction in energy costs for some households.
Here’s how it works: The device is first installed on the home’s energy meter, HVAC unit and water heater. These three components are then controlled by an automatic monitor that works in conjunction with a programmable thermostat.
Here’s where it gets cool: Homeowners can then log in from an internet connection and monitor their home’s energy consumption and set their monthly target amount. The system can then be authorized to power down appliances when they are not being used, getting rid of those pesky “energy vampires” that are so difficult to track. Is Rosie the robot maid far away?
Credit: Yahoo! News article
