Since
Google can't be the only multibillion-dollar technology company having all the home energy monitoring fun, Microsoft's jumping in with "Hohm" -- like a portmanteau of "Home" and "Ohm," get it? We're not entirely sure just how it works yet, but according to the company, using both user input / feedback and analytics licensed from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the US Department of Energy, the program provides suggestions for energy conservation. However, it's the future uses we're more excited about -- eventually, you'll be able to upload energy usage data into the system automatically, provided you're getting voltage from one of the partner companies. First West Coast utilities to join up include Puget Sound Energy, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Seattle City Light, and Xcel Energy, and nope, none of those overlap with
PowerMeter's first enlistees. The sign-up page for the beta is now live, so hit up the read link if you want a chance to participate.
[Via
Yahoo! Tech]
posted Jun 24th 2009 8:49PM
Why does Microsoft feel the need to me-too everything Google does? They should focus on improving the things they already do (poorly)
Uhh if you read details about this on CNET, this project has been in the works for at least 2 years which means they are not reacting to Google's entry in this space which made its plan public only this year. Also, the approaches are different.
Honestly it seems like a strange place for either company... but I guess they do this stuff to their datacenters already.
you think Microsoft saw the May headline about the Google version and created a beta in a month?
theyre both great companies that think alike and both have likely been working on this for a while now.
Wait... are you actually complaining that you're being given a choice?
When one of the choices is Microsoft, then yes.
home?
All it does is track your energy usage but it's still more exciting than Playstation Home.
*slaps richard* Bad boy! Bad boy! I laughed, but that was low! :P.
Maybe this is a stupid question, but why aren't the electric companies who provide us with the power in the first place giving us detailed usage data like this?
Some do.
Cost most likely. In most places they estimate a lot also.
Auto companies buy up all of the incredible automobile innovations and patents and then shelve them just to be sure that they don't get outsold. It would reduce their profits to have that much innovation freely available!
In the same sense energy companies care more about profit than the environment, and so will keep any energy innovations as far away from the consumer as possible.
Maybe because they are too busy doing more important things ...like generating electricity. If you want to freak out, screaming 'omg omg omg I forgot to turn off the light when I left the room!' that's your business. Don't expect anyone else to do it for you.
They make money from inefficient usage patterns.
Personally, I have choosen to install solar shingles and not worry about conservation. Why bother, when the sun is free (after you install a system). For lazy people like me I prefer to tackle the problem at the root.
Well, I would have to disagree with you. Electric utilities companies benefit from customers conserving energy and having better methods of predicting how much their customers use.
Because they are in the business to provide energy, but to also make money. We have some of the worlds lowest energy prices with some of the worlds most advanced infrastructures. That equates to a moderately low margin for the energy companies. And you want them to make the margin even lower by giving you something else for free?
What our energy companies should do is triple the cost of our energy. You will then take ownership of your own energy consumption rather than asking someone else to do it for you. And we will all lower our environmental footprint and the energy companies will then have a lot more money to try to incorporate some of the novel energy concepts into the grid that was designed in the early 20th century. It's about all they can do now to simply keep what we've got operating. But typical American attitude thinking we are entitled to more for less. Sorry, I misspoke. The typical Walmart attitude. "I don't care what harm it does, just give me my stuff cheap or free."
..Shouldn't it be called "Hwat"? As in.. Home and Watt? :P
HWAT?
YEAHHHHH!!
how about TWATs for the lack of originality in the name which sounds much like PlayStation's Own Virtual ummm.....Home er Hohm
The problem with all this nonsense is that my electric bill is such a tiny portion of my budget, I really don't care that much beyond doing the obvious of turning lights off in rooms when not there and keeping the a/c at 78. My wife saves far more money by couponing and tracking grocery sales than anything to do with electricity, natural gas and automotive gas (all three of which are still much less than my rent, let alone groceries.)
well here @ around 6 bucks a gal, you gotta save money everywhere. Heck now I just leave the water boiler off until an hour before I need it. saves 200 bucks a month. why waste electricity and money to keep water hot that you're not using? seems pointless to me
Straight from Bing, the unfortunate choice of name is evident in the first result.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=homh&FORM=BMMENO
Learn to spell numbnuts.
Bing "Hohm."
If you got it right Bing wouldn't have sent you to the HOme for the Mentally Handicapped.
Chandler?
Yeah, Hohm, pronounced: "Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm." Anywho, I hope PG&E gets going with either this or PowerMeter, as I want, I want.
What I'm curious about is what their revenue models are. I haven't implemented the google model because I don't really want various companies buying the data I produce for my own use and then using it against me.
Hahaha... "hohm".
it's probably tell you that you're using too much electricity with your computer switched on all the time and that you should turn it off
I wonder how much energy is needed to run this. lol
Hohm: resistance is futile!
Just to be clear on the name - "Hohm" means Clever and arogant in yidish/hebrew. May be due to Israeli source of development.
Here's a 23 minute walkthrough of what it does and explanation of what and how it analyzes it: http://www.on10.net/blogs/nic/Introducing-Microsoft-Hohm-Save-Energy--Money/
Aw, come on! I can't be the only one who thought it was kinda clever? "Hohm." lol.
I bet you didnt say that for the google one huh
wrong comment sorry
Too early, no one will use it.
homo
homogeneous
homey
fail
geeze... is no one seeing the obvious origin of the name? Home + Ohm = Hohm
Ohm being a unit of electrical resistance.
I use a TED (The Energy Detective) to monitor my power usage real time. Its changed the way I use power and my usage has been 30% lower since installing it.
http://www.theenergydetective.com