15 startup companies pitched their energy saving and management innovations at the PG&E hosted Emerging Technology Open Forum on July 24, 2012.
I found three of them particularly interesting and useful to homeowners.
- Verdigris Technologies – Their product and service can tell you detail electric usage down to every single piece of appliance, including each light bulb or laptop. An even more interesting aspect is that by analyzing the change in electric usage pattern they can identify malfunctioning appliances. You will be alerted to repair or replace the equipment before it breaks down. You don’t have to scramble to deal with a failed air conditioner on a hot 100 deg F summer day. They focus on commercial for initial deployment and are considering entering the residential market.
- LEDwiser – They found a way to manufacture LED replacement bulbs at half the current cost. Part of the lower cost is attributed to using less aluminum which is often needed for heat removal. They have instead engineered better airflow to remove heat. A side benefit is that the products now weigh less. The products are expected to be on the market in a few months in major home stores. The LED industry is indeed moving forward fast. PG&E also plans to offer incentives for LED lamps at points of sale.
- Bidgely – Using data collected by the smart meters, this company can provide an analysis of the electric usage of a house as well as most individual household appliances. The product can be very easily installed by a homeowner without hiring an electrician. It does require the utility companies opening up the data interface. They are testing the product in Texas. Let’s hope that utilities in other states, including California, will allow the data access soon.
Changing canned lights to LED and replacing the heaviest usage appliances (pool pumps, refrigerators)in the home are what we recommend before getting solar. This, in combination with switching to a time of use rate, allows us to size a system 20-40% smaller – making the switch to solar an even greater savings.