Efficiency VS. Effectiveness

The Prius Effect is one of the most celebrated situations where information directly effects the actions of individuals. Prius owners can be highly effective in conserving energy since they have real-time data at their fingertips allowing them to change their actions to make the car perform at optimal levels. The green community has been screaming for this option for their households, the ability to monitor and receive real-time data for the consumption of energy within their home. Is this the silver bullet that everyone has been looking for?

Well let’s take a look at the Prius. Prius owners and many throughout the green industry have praised Toyota’s efforts to make drivers more effective in their driving habits. This want and need for real-time data has trickled down into the housing market where homeowners want to have the same real-time interaction with their homes as they would with a Prius. This is a very important goal and will be coming in the future. J .ust look at the data feeds that we’ve set up with Seattle City Lights and some of the other energy providers with Microsoft Hohm. However are we jumping ahead of ourselves, are we looking for instant gratification rather than addressing the real issues?

So here is where the question lies. Even through the Prius effect makes the driver very effective, is the car itself as efficient as it could be? Are homeowners wanting real-time monitoring for instant gratification rather than taking the time and money to make their home as efficient as possible? A person can be effective as much as they want, but if they’re not efficient, it becomes a self-defeating process. For example if I have a house that isn’t insulated, has poor windows and doors, and I haven’t changed the lights out to more efficient lights, no matter how effective I am, my home will not be running at optimal levels. Environmental education should address the need for the balance of efficiency and effectiveness. Alone, neither one is a silver bullet,: however if homeowners, car manufactures, agriculture and much more could find this balance within their ecosystem, we could see massive changes in how we consume energy.

So take another look at Microsoft hohm and ask the question: Is my house as efficient as it can be? So when the time comes where the Prius effect enters your home, you’ve already made sure that your efforts to be effective is not being held back by your home;s efficiency.