A New Generation of Whole House Energy Monitors

Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by admin in Building Green

A New Generation of Energy Monitors For The Home

Energy monitoring tools currently on the market read the overall electricity usage of a home. A new monitor from PowerHouse Dynamics, eMonitor, combines hardware, software and service elements to provide a more detailed look at the electricity consumption with in the home. The details come from monitors that an electrician installs onto individual circuits going to a panel, from there the data is aggregated by the eMonitor hardware.

The monitor is connected to the internet supplied by the home owner and able to send the data to Powerhouse Dynamics. From there the homeowner can view how their energy is being used, from individual appliances to rooms. In the near future they are adding on smart outlets, thermostats, and a “ZigBee” antenna to get even more detailed information. A consumer who works with the system can save a estimated 5 to 20 percent in electricity costs. In addition to monitoring electric usage, it can monitor electricity generated from solar panels, wind turbines, etc. The system then provides recommendations on lowering costs by email, text, or through an iPhone application that is currently being built.

The single-unit system is available for pre-order for $799.00 and comes with five years of bundled monitoring service.

Below is a portion of “Ask This Old House” episode featuring eMonitor.