Google has become the utility of the digital age, something we click on as much as we flick on a light switch or turn on the water tap. Now the search giant is literally getting into the utility business with the development of smart grid software that gives consumers real-time information on their electricity consumption.
Called the PowerMeter, the prototype online dashboard is designed to download data from smart meters and display current electricity use and show how much power your refrigerator, big-screen television and other appliances are using at any point in time.
“We believe that by building a ‘smarter’ electricity grid, we can use the synergies of information and technology to give consumers better tools to track and reduce their energy use and, by doing so, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” wrote engineering executive Bill Coughran and Dan Reicher, Google.org’s director of climate change and energy initiatives, in a filing Monday with the California Public Utilities Commission. “Down the road, consumers should have access to additional information such as the source and mix of their power.”
The Google (GOOG) executives urged California regulators to adopt policies to give consumers direct access to their real-time electricity usage in an open-source format. “The goal is to foster a thriving ecosystem of partners where third-parties develop and provide products to help consumers decrease and manage their energy demand and save money,” Coughran and Reicher wrote. “For example, a third-party could offer a service that analyzes a household’s electricity usage data, identifies inefficient appliances or practices in the home, and offers tips on how to reduce energy or provides special discounts on efficient appliances or electronic equipment.”
Utilities across the country are rolling out so-called smart meters that allow the real-time monitoring of electricity use, letting them charge variable rates depending on demand. The idea promoted by Google and other smart grid proponents is that once people become aware of how much electricity their various appliances and gadgets consume – and how much it costs them – they’ll start, say, running the dishwasher at night when electricity demand and rates are lower. That will help utilities cut their costs and over the long run avoid building new carbon-spewing power plants to meet peak demand.
Google’s move comes as the Obama administration pushes to upgrade the nation’s aging analog electricity grid, including $11 billion in the stimulus package for smart grid-related initiatives.
Google says PowerMeter, now being tested among Google employees, will be a free, open source application. “Google tool is only one of many ways to provide consumers with this information,” the company stated in its utilities commission filing. “Our primary goal is for consumers to get this information, whether through our tool or another source.”
It remains to be seen how the Google initiative affects the fortunes of startups like Tendril, Greenbox and others developing software and services for utilities to let their customers monitor their electricity consumption.
Google says it’s currently working with utilities and device makers. Green Wombat is waiting to hear back from Google on which ones, but a good bet would be General Electric (GE), which struck a partnership last year with the search giant to develop smart grid technology. Also likely on the list is PG&E (PCG), which has been collaborating with Google on plug-in hybrid electric car and vehicle-to-grid research.
Then there’s IBM (IBM), which has become the leading player integrating smart grid technology for utilities and managing the data produced by a digital power grid. (Big Blue last week announced it is building the world’s first nationwide smart grid for the Mediterranean island nation of Malta.)
So will Google PowerMeter save consumers money while saving the planet? That’s the early word from Google employees – not exactly the most neutral of sources – who’ve been testing the smart grid app, according to testimonials Google posted online.
“By monitoring my energy use, I figured out that the bulk of my electricity was caused by my two 20-year-old fridges, my incandescent lights and my pool pump, which was set to be on all the time,” wrote “Russ, hardware engineer.” “By replacing the refrigerators with new energy-efficient models, the lights with CFLs and setting the pool pump to only run at specified intervals, I’ve saved $3,000 in the past year and I am on track to save even more this year!”
Green Wombat 
Using the same approach, we could have standby storage and generation for homes and businesses. Hybrid cars could communicate with utility applications to buy compression (natural gas), generate and charge or discharge batteries. Car manufacturers and dealers could defray the cost of high inventory, selling power and keeping their battery systems maintained. Why not have the system at schools and businesses? Congress has been advised of the benefits in these areas and for emergency situations.
How will running appliances at night help those of us with meters that only record Kw and not time? How will the power Co’s know when we use the power? Power Co’s will need to equip homes with smart meters so useage can be recorded basd on time, cheaper/different rate periods. What will that cost?
I started using the WattsUP Pro and watching my meter several years ago due to rising rates. I have cut my consumption by over 10% per year with different approaches, including Energy Star appliances, CFL’s, and behavior modification (turn the stupid light off if no one needs it). I think I’m getting close to a base so additional savings will be more difficult. They installed a smart meter at my house last year. This year a “fee” approved by the PUC in Texas showed up on my bill. Bummer –
This quote says it best:
“Today the tyrant rules not by club or fist, but disguised as a market researcher, he shepherds his flocks in the ways of utility and comfort.”- Marshall McLuhan
I can’t help but think of ‘Die Hard with a Vengeance. Making a grid that easily accessible will have to implement preventive measures to keep terrorists from being able to control these grids. Is that too paranoid? I feel like that was too paranoid, but I had to say it.
Go Google!
This technology is much further along than most understand. A business combination including Google, Echelon and IBM/Cisco/GE/Siemens will truly wow the world once it gets rolling. The energy savings will be immense and the multiplier from it will be truly remarkable — like the biggest tax cut in mankind’s history.
Oh, BTW — how does Russ save $3,000 per year from acheiving efficiencies with a couple of refrigerators, lights and a pool pump? He must have an amazing pool or thousands of lights.
This is the right direction and an excellent strategic investment in our infrastructure. Benefits of reduced consumption are not being discussed on the national stage – but they should be.
Sounds great in the beginning for everyone, but as we use less power, and the utility providers are selling fewer KW hours, the billing rates will likely increase to support the infrastructure overhead. We will pollute less in theory, and be more effecient in our useage, but the headroom we create makes way for more expansion. In the end, we will each pay more per KW used.
Here locally, due to severe drought in the last 2 years in neighboring Durham, significant water restrictions were imposed. The result? 20% less water was used, but the utility declared a revenue shortfall and increased the rates per gallon used to compensate and ensure funding for the fixed overhead of the distribution infrastructure. The consumer conserved and now pays more per unit. Why do we believe it will be different with power?
While it’s hard to argue against progress and in favor of reckless consumption which is unsustainable, how do we develop a balanced solution that keeps rates low while encouraging effeciency?
Please be aware that Google and IBM are far, far behind the curve with regards to smart meters and appliances, etc. Echelon, a san jose based company has been forming the basis for the Smart Grid for twenty years…Legacy meter companies are also far behind. Echelon supplied ENEL of Italy with the technology to supply 27 million homes with Smart Meters 5 years ago,(worlds larges installation) and now in USA has Jim Rodgers,CEO of Duke using their meters for roll out thru out their grids. Please do not overlook the real leader in all Smart Things…Echelon..meters, appliances, buildings, trains, mining, streetlighting and industrial uses.
Did the Google employee really need a computer application to tell him that 20 year old fridges and incandescent lights are inefficient? Or that running a pump 24/7 costs money? I thought Google hired the best and brightest….
And if he saved $3000 in the past year, that’s $250 per month. I rarely ever have an electric bill that’s over $200, so what’s his bill now?
http://www.effor.com/blog/
Mark,
Think of it like this; the consumer uses 20% less and pays 10% more per unit. Everyone wins. But this kind of common sense is threatening to some special interests and their lobbyists. They’ve got to spin it into something much more sinister to maintain the stauts quo. And that is how sh*t happens (or doesn’t in this case). of
To Dan S.:
Do not confuse Power with Energy. A watt (energy) already has the unit of time built in. One watt equals one joule per second. A Kw is one thousand watts, or one thousand joules per second. Power is the rate which energy is consumed (or produced). A 100 watt light bulb turned on for 10 hours = 1000 watt-hours (or 1KwH). Physics is Phun!
My electric bill isn’t the problem. Its easy to know whats going on with that bill. Natural gas is making me bonkers…I wish someone would have a service like this for gas. Maybe because this is my first year ever with a gas bill but I can’t figure it.
Paul W.
You’ve got it backwards. A watt is a unit of power. Energy per time. A watt-hour is a unit of energy (convertible to joules).
Paul W.,
A watt is a unit of power, a watt-hour is a unit of energy. Power is energy/time, so energy/time*time is energy; therefore a KwH has the same unit as joules (energy). Your answer is backwards.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on this. Just recently had a Solar PV system installed. I had gone through most of the conservation items over the past few years, seeing a steady decline in my usage, but still faced a rising bill. The company which installed my system SolarCity is currently beginning to roll out some ‘smart’ metering where they don’t just measure production, but also give you a view into consumption. I think the two combined can really give folks a better insight in how to truly conserve, while still enjoying all the electronic goodies.
http://socal-solar.blogspot.com
-paul
this is just so utility companies can spy on you. in particular, if you happen to have HID lamps on in the area…they will find you.
Brock G, Paul W, Peter…
In your exuberance to let all of us know that you’ve passed high school physics (or not) you didn’t interpret or answer Dan S’s question correctly.
The question restated is:
How does the power company charge different rates for different times of day (peak/non-peak) if they don’t know when i’m actually using the electricity?
The answer is, if they charge different rates based on time of day then they ARE monitoring when the power is used. In your bill they may have a total kwh and an proportional rate based on how much you used in the different rate periods. Your power company just isn’t breaking the bill down to the the subcomponents. Now, this may vary from utility to utility and state to state based on reporting and provision standards but i’m sure if you called your utility they’d be able to tell you exactly how they determine when you use your power or IF they do it at all.
Look up “electricity meter” on wikipedia for a little more insight…
This story does not discuss the obvious privacy issues. Patterns in usage could, for example, indicate when you are outside the home for work or vacation.
Nice to read that other people also see through the Google charades on their political endeavors to save the world. Even at 15 cent/kWh, Russ would have to reduce his energy usage by 20,000 kWh/yr – not likely! Electric load management has been around for over 30 yrs; smart metering for over 10 yrs. But people either have to want to conserve energy or be forced into it by a penalizing rate structure. What Google & others claim with smart grid savings is likely a lot more political hype than factual knowledge.
It’s nice to see the world’s largest consumer of energy trying to have efficent energy grids put in place for our benefit….
The next generation grid exists in bits and pieces. Some utilities can monitor usage every fifteen minutes via line signals. The goal is to minimize peak power requirements, contrary to the propaganda from some utility representatives stating we need to add capacity. Currently, nightime peak needs are 50% or less than work week, daytime needs; hence the desire to shift loads to the nightime. Nightime would be defined as 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM. The user would control some load timing and some utilities offer financial incentives to control some loads such as electric water heaters and air-conditioners. Very little need to be paranoid! With lighting efficiency conversion to led lights, super-efficient building construction, appropriate load scheduling and renewable energy integration, the need for additional nuclear and/or coal fired electrical generation is a myth!
I tink this will help people alot at BEING FREAKIN’ LAZY!!! i mean lets just let everyone just sit there on their ass and look at our energy use while we waste more energy to look at it on our computers that use more electricity!
i think that Google should stay out of people’s damn life!
I think this is an excellent idea. Yes, the technology has been around for years but unless someone decides to use it effectively it adds no value. With the current economic situation you’ll be glad to know what appliances are consuming the most energy. Remember energy is money and energy conservation is money in your chip ass pocket. Hell you may even decide to actually turn off that computer. This world (starting with this country) needs to do something about our natural resources and conservation. Lazy is sitting on your ass and doing nothing or worrying about what privacy issues this technology may have.
I’ve been working with smart metering technology for 3 years now (systems integration work). Yes it has existed in the past, but that was AMR (Automated Meter Reading), not the true benefit of the newer generations (Advanced Metering Infrastructure). The ENEL meter was AMR, not AMI (And IBM worked on that project in Italy). Also, any “big brother” concerns are just uninformed paranoia. These systems have a wide array of benefits, none designed to catch pot growers or spy on people.
“Even at 15 cent/kWh, Russ would have to reduce his energy usage by 20,000 kWh/yr – not likely! ”
Um…that’s only 2200w an hour…That’s high, but not unreasonable (especially if he had a pump and 2 refrigerators running at the same time).
Also, Google is NOT the highest energy consumer in the world. It’s amazing what a chain email can do (each search costs 7 grams of carbon or whatever…bwahahaha…I’m not going to buy P&G products either since they carry the mark of the devil).