Home energy monitor

A home energy monitor is a device that provides information about a personal electrical energy usage to a consumer of electricity. Devices may display the amount of electricity used, plus the cost of energy used and estimates of greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of such devices is to assist in the management of power consumption. Several initiatives have been launched to increase the usage of home energy monitors. Studies have shown a reduction of home energy when the devices are used.

Description

A home energy monitor provides information about electrical energy usage to electricity consumers (e.g., homeowners).. In addition to the amount of electrical usage, devices may display other information, including the cost of energy used and estimates of greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of such devices is to assist in the management of power consumption.{{Cite web |title=Energy monitors |url=https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/energy-monitors/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=Centre for Sustainable Energy |language=en-GB}}

Home energy monitors consist of a measuring component and a display component. Electricity use is measured with an inductive clamp placed around the electric main, through an optical port on the electric meter, by sensing the meter's actions, communicating with a smart meter, or via a direct connection to the electrical system. Some plug-in units can store their readings when not connected.

The display portion may be remote from the measurement component, communicating with the sensor via cable, network, power line communications, or radio. Online displays are also available, which allow the user to use an internet connected display to show near real-time consumption.

Initiatives

= Australia =

In January 2009 the government of the state of Queensland, Australia began offering wireless energy monitors as part of its ClimateSmart Home Service program. y August 2009, nearly 100,000 homes had signed up for the service, and by August 2010, the number had increased to 200,000 homes.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Kate |date=August 11, 2009 |title=Nearly 100,000 Homes Sign up to Evict 'No One' and Save on Bills |url=http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=65667 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311205601/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=65667 |archive-date=2012-03-11 |access-date=2011-03-20}}{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Kate |date=August 4, 2010 |title=200,000 QLD Homes Get Climatesmart and Save Millions |url=http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=70926 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311205609/http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=70926 |archive-date=2012-03-11 |access-date=2011-03-20}}

In mid-2013 the government of the state of Victoria, Australia enabled Zigbee-based In-Home Displays to be connected to Victorian Smart Meter. From September 2019, the Victorian households are eligible to avail rebates for home energy monitor installation under the Victorian Energy Upgrades Program.{{Cite report|url=https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/In-home%20Display%20%28IHD%29%20Product%20Application%20Guide%20-%20V1.0%20-%2020181128.pdf|page=1|title=In-Home Display Unit Product Application Guide|publisher=Essential Services Commission|date=10 December 2018|id=C/18/29531}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-13 |title=Inclusion of app-based in-home display units |url=https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/victorian-energy-upgrades/updates-reports-reviews-and-data/updates-veu-program/inclusion-app-based-home-display-units/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005071320/https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/victorian-energy-upgrades/updates-reports-reviews-and-data/updates-veu-program/inclusion-app-based-home-display-units |archive-date=2021-10-05 |access-date=2021-10-05 |work=Essential Services Commission |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |date=2021-05-04 |title=In-home Display (IHD) Electricity Monitor (Free In Victoria) |url=https://www.ecofinsolution.com.au/service/in-home-display/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005064514/https://www.ecofinsolution.com.au/service/in-home-display/ |archive-date=2021-10-05 |access-date=2021-10-05 |work=Ecofin Solutions |language=en-AU}}

= Google PowerMeter =

Google PowerMeter was a software project of Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org, to help consumers track their home electricity usage{{Cite news |author=Verne Kopytoff |author2=Ryan Kim |date=2009-02-22 |title=Google plans meter to detail home energy use |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/10/BULM15RHFH.DTL&type=tech |accessdate=2009-02-11}} that ran from October 5, 2009 to September 16, 2011.{{cite web |date=2011-09-16 |title=Google PowerMeter - Save Energy. Save Money. Make a Difference |url=http://www.google.com/support/powermeter/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1340969 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902135516/http://www.google.com/support/powermeter/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1340969 |archivedate=September 2, 2011 |accessdate=2013-06-16 }}

Studies

Various studies have shown a reduction in home energy use of 4-15% through use of home energy display.{{cite report| url = http://www.idc.com/EI/getdoc.jsp?containerId=EI211079 |

title = In-Home Display Units: An Evolving Market, Part 1 | author = Jan Borstein, Karen Blackmore | date = March 2008}}

A study by Hydro One using the PowerCost Monitor deployed in 500 Ontario homes showed an average 6.5% drop in total electricity use when compared with a similarly sized control group. Based on these results, Hydro One subsequently offered power monitors to 30,000 customers for $8.99 shipping and handling.{{Cite web |date=January 2007 |title=Hydro One offers free electricity monitors to 30,000 customers |url=http://www.energetics.com/madri/pdfs/ChartwellHydroOneMonitoringProgram.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318231959/http://www.energetics.com/madri/pdfs/ChartwellHydroOneMonitoringProgram.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-18 |access-date=2009-02-12}}

A study in the city of Sabadell, Spain in 2009 using the Efergy e2 in 29 households during a six-month period found a drop of 11.8% in weekly consumption between the first and last weeks of the campaign. On a monthly basis, the savings were 14.3%. Expected annual {{CO2}} emissions for all households were estimated to reduce by 4.1 tonnes; projected emissions savings for 2020 were 180.6 tonnes.{{Cite web |url=http://www.managenergy.net/resources/1416 |title=ManagEnergy - Supporting local and regional sustainable actions |access-date=2011-10-25 |archive-date=2016-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312163212/http://managenergy.net/resources/1416 |url-status=dead }}

References

External links

[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121015000000/http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Energyandwatersaving/Energyandwaterefficiencyinyourhome/DG_172540 gov.uk Saving electricity with a home energy monitor]

Category:Electric power

Category:Electricity meters