Partnerships are essential in today’s world, as one can no longer do everything – not even Microsoft. They joined a partnership with Blue Line Innovations, a company who sells electricity meters with WiFi network capabilities. These meters will connect to Microsoft’s Hohm, a free online service telling the users how much electricity they consume and when.
The hardware monitor costs $249 and can be purchased through Amazon, Optimum Energy Products, Smarthome, New Egg, Frye’s and Microsoft’s own shops. “Now everyone can get real-time information about energy use through the home,” said Troy Batterberry, product manager for Microsoft Hohm. “You can see how turning off lights has a real impact. This real-time feedback makes it easier to save money.”
If you purchase this energy monitor, you’ll be able to regulate your air conditioning and lights so that you can really save money and reduce your carbon footprint (up to the point where you’re so obsessed about this task that you won’t turn on a light bulb… again!). Kidding.
Also, Microsoft wants to improve their services in this area by providing the users the power of remotely turning stuff on and off in their house, while they’re maybe at work, and connect more and more appliances to the Microsoft cloud.
Even though I like the idea that I’ll be able to control my devices at home, it’s not so thrilling knowing that Microsoft will control my home in some fashion. But that’s a personal preference and another story…
The Energy Detectives have a similar device out there (http://www.theenergydetective.com/) for $50 less than the Blue Line folks. It also uses Google’s Powermeter page (http://www.google.com/powermeter/about/index.html) to parse out the data…
So MS isn’t the only one playing in this field… either way though it should help with learning more about energy usage.