Wonder widget saves energy

How much electricity is saved by setting your air conditioning one degree warmer? What uses more energy every month, your washing machine or your personal computer?

Google's PowerMeter software can answer those questions and more by enabling consumers to monitor electricity use on a home computer.

The search engine giant is now introducing the software to China and is looking for opportunities to cooperate with Chinese utilities.

"We've talked with some Chinese utilities and they showed interest in the product, but we are still at the very beginning stage," said Dan Reicher, Google's director of climate change and energy initiatives, at a recent energy seminar in Beijing.

The widget takes data from so-called "smart meters" and displays it on a graph showing the current day's electricity consumption compared to the day before or an historical view of peaks and troughs, Google said.

It can also analyze consumption information and help people see where they can cut back as much as 15 percent on electricity use.

Edward Lu, program manager for advanced projects at Google, said if half of America's households cut their energy demand by 10 percent, it would be the equivalent of taking eight million cars off the road.

"You should control who gets to see your data and you should be free to choose from a wide range of services to help you understand and benefit from it," he wrote on his blog.

Google is developing applications for the software into a new business model, but is not charging either the utility or the customer for PowerMeter data access, said Reicher.

"But customers may have to pay for installing the smart meter hardware," he said.

"The government needs to give a portion of the cost as a subsidy to install smart meters and customers also need to pay for installation if the model is to develop in China," said Zhang Jianhua, professor of North China Electric Power University.

"The best way could be for utilities to pay for the smart meter first and take the money back from how much customers save on their monthly bills," he said.

"You can then see how it beat your previous personal best and that will also help foster green awareness, even stimulate friendly competition between you and your friends," said Lu.

Google has already signed deals with eight power utilities in the US, Canada and India. Company information says it plans to expand the list of partners later this year.

Google also said its search for utilities willing to install the equipment in their customers' homes has proven successful. One of them, San Diego Gas & Electric, said its research revealed that when people know how much energy they are using, they cut back by 5 to 10 percent.

The approach is among several that Google promotes to develop renewable energy and efficiency. Reicher said the company is also looking for cooperative opportunities in plug-in hybrid cars and enhanced geothermal systems in China.

At Google's headquarters in California, a fleet of plug-in hybrid cars are available and free for employees to use, then recharged from solar panels in the parking lot.

Reicher also said the seminar in Beijing that enhanced geothermal is the most underserved resource with great potential.

(China Daily 06/08/2009 page3)