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Microsoft shuts down utility monitoring service, proves you can't go Hohm again
Is there anything more tragic than a broken Hohm? Microsoft announced this week that it will be shuttering its utility monitoring service at the close of May 2012, citing a lack of consumer adoption. The news comes a week after Google announced the closing of its competing PowerMeter service. Despite the shutdown, however, Microsoft assures us all that it's still in the business of developing energy solutions for cities with a wide-ranging list of partners. Hohm itself will continue to operate through the end of May 2012, at which point its users will be rendered Hohmless. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Ford bringing Microsoft Hohm energy management to Focus Electric next year
It won't be among the first devices to use Microsoft's cleverly-named Hohm energy management system, but Ford has just announced that it will be incorporating the technology into its upcoming Focus Electric car. That makes it the first automaker to hop on board, and Ford even goes so far as to call the move a "needed step in the development of the infrastructure that will make electric vehicles viable." As with other devices, the internet-based Hohm service promises to help car owners determine when and how to most efficiently recharge their vehicles, and help utility companies manage demand as a result -- if enough folks use it, that is. Ford hasn't yet announced any other vehicles that will use Hohm, but the Focus Electric is apparently just the first of more to come, and will be available sometime next year. Head on past the break to see Microsoft explain the partnership.
Microsoft Hohm SDK is available to third parties, first devices to hit this summer
There are already plenty of solutions for monitoring your power consumption, particularly with Google's relatively recent PowerMeter ecosystem, but if you want to do things the Microsoft way, Microsoft's Hohm is about to get third party device friendly. An SDK has been recently released to manufacturers, and we're supposed to expect the first compatible products by the summer. Interestingly, Microsoft has also mentioned that it "might" even get into the game of energy hardware at some point. The end game is to feed back information and control to utilities to be able to load balance energy demand (charging up that fancy electric car of yours overnight instead of at 7pm, for instance), though that sort advance might be as much as a decade out.
Microsoft unveils Hohm beta for overanalyzing your home energy usage
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]
