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Home Energy Monitoring "The more you know the more you save". Robert Crowell Andrew Darmody Luke Fritts Josh Kamdjou. What's the Problem?. Average single family home electricity usage in 2010: 940 kWh/month @ .12$/kWh = $112.00/month x 12 = 1,350.00$ per year
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Home Energy Monitoring "The more you know the more you save" Robert Crowell Andrew Darmody Luke Fritts Josh Kamdjou
What's the Problem? Average single family home electricity usage in 2010: 940 kWh/month @ .12$/kWh = $112.00/month x 12 = 1,350.00$ per year Source: Energy Information Administration eia.gov
Vague -kWh -Peak hours -Unit charges No granularity -Total energy usage read once per month. Dull -Electric bill = yawn Image Courtesy Nstar.com
Where did my dollars go? Why did my usage spike this month? Who is using all this energy? What can I do to fix this!?
Verizon Home Monitoring - A "total" home monitoring system that aims to provide a user with complete control of home. - Accessible through personal website or mobile application. - A user can monitor their electricity usage for the entire house (through existing meter) or attach individual sensors to high load appliances.
- Doesn't always give the user a clear understanding of where their energy is being used. - Usage isn't always calculated in dollars, no incentive to lower consumption! - Verizon visualizes home energy usage to the through the use of many graphs, charts, and technical jargon.
Solution KISS • Keep • It • Simple • Stupid
Tasks • Thermostat • Save money • Monitor Energy Usage
Evolution - Iterative Design • Brainstorming • First Sketches through iteration • Interviews, Brainstorming • Altered sketches that changed little • User Testing(Observations), Brainstorming • Made Interactive Prototype that adjusted the design because of time, but mostly followed the sketches
User Testing Results • Easy to use • Easy to learn • Users who tested would actually use our product • Achieved success of our initial goals
Future Work • Add spin wheel for temperature change • Create better buttons • Have real backend • Have floor plan database • Create multiple styles • Gain control of lights and display lights in the room layout • Expand on the Schedule for more customizability • Add AC/Heater counter • Make items clearer that they can be clicked • Add more information
References I • Katie Fehrenbacher. (APR. 14, 2009). 10 Monitoring Tools Bringing Smart Energy Home. In gigaom. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://gigaom.com/2009/04/14/10-energy-dashboards-for-your-home/. • Ian Britton. (2008). Smart Electricity Meter. In FreeFoto.com. Retrieved 17Feb2013, fromhttp://www.freefoto.com/preview/810-15-6354/Smart-Electricity-Meter. • Grant Clauser. (April 25, 2012). Verizon Customers: Home Control System Full of Bugs. In CEPro. Retrieved 18Feb2013, fromhttp://www.cepro.com/article/verizon_customers_home_control_system_full_of_bugs/. • Alabama Power. (Unknown). Learn More About Your Bill. In Alabama Power. Retrieved 18Feb2013, fromhttp://www.alabamapower.com/residential/pricing-rates/new-bill.asp. • Verizon. (Unknown). Home Control Mobile App. In Verizon. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://www22.verizon.com/support/residential/homecontrol/home+monitoring+and+control/use/monitoring+devices/129870.htm. • Jon Edward Froehlich. (2011). Sensing and Feedback of Everyday Activities to Promote Environmental Behaviors. In Computer Science At University of Maryland. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://www.cs.umd.edu/~jonf/publications/Froehlich_SensingAndFeedbackOfEverydayActivitiesToPromoteEnvironmentalBehaviors_UWPhdDissertation2011.pdf. • Jon Edward Froehlich. (2010). Moving Beyond Line Graphs. Slide Share. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://www.slideshare.net/jonfroehlich/moving-beyond-line-graphs • Alice Clamp. (May 2010). Putting Home Energy Monitoring Systems to the Test. In Public Power. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://www.publicpower.org/Media/magazine/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=27548. • Brian Burke. (April 5, 2001). Utility Monitoring System . In Hyatt. Retrieved 12Feb2013, from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CIABEBYwBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.energystar.gov%2Fia%2F(This is a powerpoint download)
References II • Paul Hora/Sandhills Utility Services . (February 19, 2010). Utility monitoring system helps Fort Bragg conserve energy. In Army. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://www.army.mil/article/34717/utility-monitoring-system-helps-fort-bragg-conserve-energy/. • CaTec. (Unknown). RF Energy Transmitter – rl4602. In CaTec. Retrieved 17Feb2013, fromhttp://www.catec.nl/folders/Hanwell/HAN-iSense-Energy-rl4602.pdf. • Jaymi Heimbuch. (Sept 25, 2008). Agilewaves Shows Off User-Friendly Home Energy Monitoring System at WCG 2008 Showhouse. In Tree Hugger. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/agilewaves-shows-off-user-friendly-home-energy-monitoring-system-at-wcg-2008-showhouse.html. • Chris. (September 6th, 2010). DIY HOME ENERGY MONITORING SYSTEM. In Mapawatt. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://mapawatt.com/2010/09/06/diy-home-energy-monitoring-system/. • New Horizon Technologies. (Unknown). Products. In New Horizon Technologies. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://www.newhorizontech.com/products_desc.htm. • Verizon. (Unknown). Verizon Home Control. In AppBrain. Retrieved 18Feb2013, fromhttp://de.appbrain.com/app/verizon-home-control/com.verizon.ams.edison. • TheIMCGroupUK. (Sep 13, 2011). iSense Energy - Utility monitoring system. In YouTube. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKgWDvvpK_k.(Video) • Chris. (October 7th, 2009). LIST OF ENERGY MONITORING TOOLS : DEVICES, SOFTWARE AND HOME AUTOMATION. In Mapawatt. Retrieved 12Feb2013, fromhttp://mapawatt.com/2009/10/07/list-of-energy-monitoring-tools/.