Google is constantly innovating; they have teamed with other websites and brands, have a great advertising program, etc. Recently I read an article in the NYTimes about Google partnering with electric companies to enable real time usage checks.
“The service, which will be called Google PowerMeter, will allow users to measure their energy use in real time. It one of many new consumer products that would be enabled by “smart grid” technologies, and it is one of Google’s many initiatives in the energy area… Google developed its prototype using an electricity measuring device that clamps onto a house’s main circuit breaker and sends the information back to Google’s servers, where it is charted. Google plans to enhance PowerMeter with “social” tools that will allow users to compare their electricity consumption with that of their neighbors or friends. And it plans to allow third parties to develop their own applications that would enhance its usefulness. A programmer, for instance, could create a tool that normalizes the data for variations in weather.”
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/googling-your-home-electricity-usage/?em
I think this idea is great. It is helping the environment and it enables people to self-monitor their electric usage. Another reference to the concept is on the Google blog seen here: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/power-to-people.html
I wonder though, where will this head next? While Google sounds well intentioned, it is a bit scary that such private information will be floating around on the Internet. Granted this information is available on the website of the electric provider also. So why don’t they just make an application that enables customers to monitor their usage real time in a user-friendly fashion? Either way, the application of technology in simple manners that makes significant impacts is nice to see.
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