Google's PowerMeter Will Help Reduce Energy Consumption (Video)

(Physorg.com) -- Google.org has announced "PowerMeter", a platform that will help users track their home electricity usage in real-time on their home computer. This platform will receive data from "smart meters" and other electricity management devices that will collect detailed data on energy consumption.

The data collected from these smart devices is displayed on a graph and shows the amount of power used and which device is using it at any given period of time. This will allow people to make smart decisions on how to better manage their energy consumption.

Video: Google PowerMeter Video Clip

With this new platform and smart meters, all of us will have a better understanding of our own energy usage. This is a huge opportunity for us all to save money and fight global warming by reducing our power usage.

Studies show that with access to your homes personal energy information, it's likely to save you between 5-15% on your monthly electric bill. For every six households that save 10% on electricity, carbon emissions would be reduce by the equivalent of taking one conventional car off the road.

At this time Google's PowerMeter is in closed beta but hopes that it will eventually be distributed to anyone who has a smart meter. The information from utility companies' smart meters and energy management devices would be made available to anyone who signs up for access to their home electricity consumption on iGoogle's homepage.

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