There’s mint.com and other sites out there to help you get as much data as possible on your finances to help you save money. Now there’s a device that was just release by Microsoft Hohm that allows home owners to see how much energy they’re consuming in near-time (every 15 seconds). By enabling devise like the Blue Line Power Cost Monitor to connect to Hohm you will receive more detailed energy use information that you are currently getting on your monthly electric bill.

We all know that more information allows us to change our behaviors, if you can’t measure it you can’t improve it. And with Hohm’s east-to-use graphs, you can easily find out how to save the most energy and money. Check out the impact of hot weather and an air conditioning working overtime had on energy use in the graph below.

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When looking at your actions throughout the day, the graph really comes to life: Allowing home owners to see how their actions change their energy consumption.

• At about 9:00 a.m., the air conditioning was turned on and ran briefly.
• At about 11:00 a.m., the air conditioning was turned off.
• At about 1:00 p.m., the air conditioning was turned on again briefly, and then turned on for the rest of the day at about 3:00 p.m.
• At about 11:00 p.m., the air conditioning was turned off and dishwasher completed its cycle.

Hohm captured all this information in real time from the Blue Line monitor and made it easy to see and understand; and in the graph below you can see the corresponding impact this had on energy cost for the day (please note that to calculate energy cost we estimate energy costs regionally based on data we collect ).

Here’s a quick video I did setting up the the PCM wifi device that connects the Power Cost Monitor to your Microsoft Hohm account.

As you can see it’s really simple to set up the device in your home. I also shot another video with Joel Telling who went through the process himself as well. He had some interesting findings after he set up his PCM WiFi device to his house.

Overall for around $250 you can easily install and monitor your home energy consumption allowing you to save more energy and money. If you have any additional question on how to install the device or some of my additional findings using Hohm just let me know.

Elliott

Today we had a really exciting launch at Hohm today revealing a new site design and the ability to compare your home to 60 million others across the country.

Simply by entering an address, you’ll get a personalized page that’s filled with information on that home. This page includes the Hohm Score for that home, an estimate of how much that home could be saving annually on energy, a comparison chart that shows how this home’s energy use measures up to other homes in the area, and an energy-cost breakdown for the home. Want to see how your home compares to other homes? You can either use our drop down comparison tool that lets you compare to other homes in your zip, state, and nationally, or you can enter in another address to see how your home compares to that home. Want to see how much you could be saving every year on energy? We’ve got that for you as well.

You can fine-tune the accuracy of your Hohm Score and your personalized savings recommendations by creating a free Hohm account and entering some basic information about your home such as the type of appliances and systems you have. You can also update your home facts and enter your actual energy usage from your utility bills. This personal information will not be shared publicly unless you optionally and explicitly choose to do so.

We’ve also launched a widget that you can embed into your blog or share with other to check their Hohm score on your own site.

<div>

<iframe src=”www.microsoft-hohm.com/Widget.aspx” width=”300″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”></iframe>

</div>

You have to do nothing special for IE6. Our code above can determine whether the request is coming from ie6 and if so auto redirect to www.microsoft-hohm.com/StaticWidget.aspx.

Be aware that your customers on IE6 will see a static widget page.

Note: if you don’t want the dynamic behavior they can always use www.microsoft-hohm.com/StaticWidget.aspx.

If you have any other questions et me know – Elliott

EAVB_UYDCWGFYBF

On my plane ride over to San Francisco from Seattle for the Web 2.0 Expo I received an email from my mom that was in the Seattle Times stating “April ‘Earth Month’ our worst ever”. For the most part it was here are a few environmental distasters that happened last month.

• We began Earth Month by grounding a coal ship on the Great Barrier coral reef
• In between, Earth Month was one coal-mining disaster, refinery explosion and dead, garbage-filled whale after another.
• President Obama just a month ago announced he wanted to dramatically expand offshore oil drilling?
• We ended Earth Month by dumping an untold number of gallons of light sweet crude into the Gulf of Mexico, our worst ecological catastrophe since the Exxon Valdez in 1989.

Read the full article…

Going through this article it was pretty depressing seeing kids and politicians planting trees was dwarfed by these major environmental catastrophes. Moreover it leads a person like me to think are we really focusing on the right thins. Planting trees is nice but how come we’re not addressing the real issues? I posted an article on the Microsoft Hohm’s Facebook Page today about the oil spill asking “Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: The What, When and Where… and How You Can Help. How does this make your feel about clean/renewable energy sources when you see something like this?” and the responses helped shed some light on maybe why we had the worst Earth Month in history.

The truth of the matter is that we’re divided as a nation on this issue still. Even though we had some great progress with the go ahead of our first U.S. offshore wind farm that took nine years to implement and you can see the conversation around this topic still on my  previous post ”The First Offshore Wind Farm”. The debate here is not much different from the one today.

Between both of these debates and the article released today a couple questions come to mind and maybe you can help answer some of them.

• Why are people jaded on renewable energy sources? Lack of information? Availability? Or are people afraid to change?
• When do you think there will be a majority acceptance and approval of renewable energy sources?
• Who do you think will lead these efforts government? Corporate America?
• How can we help bridge this divide?

I don’t think there’s a silver bullet that will answer all of these questions but it’s a topic that needs to be pushed more into the limelight especially when we sit back and watch our ocean burn. Not mentioning that 40% of our seafood in America comes from the Gulf Cost and now we’re probably not going to be able to eat it anymore.

Working on some post for Microsoft Hohm and flying to San Francisco for the web 2.0 conference, I’ve been plagued with the thought this morning on how social technologies can better support the green movement. This thought process came about when I’ was posting an article from Planet Green about the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and how your can individuals can help with this 30 mile oil slick. All of the ways to help are kind of clunky and old school, just what social technologies help to better interface with these problems.

So a few questions -

In what ways do you see social technologies and marketing fostering interaction and help with environmental issues?

What social technologies are currently available to help take action on environmental issues?

Today Troy Batterberry, who leads the Microsoft Hohm team (the team I’m apart of) , will participate in a fireside chat session at GigaOm’s Green:Net 2010 event. The session will be shared via live webcast at 11:25 am PT on http://earth2tech.com/2010/04/29/greennet-watch-the-show-live/ - I encourage you to check it out!

The daylong event will focus on how IT and communication technology will help provide consumers and companies with the tools they need to address upcoming changes related to the smart grid, electric vehicles and home energy management solutions, among others.

I’ll update this post later with video of the discussion. 

A recent study showed that 42 percent of customers say they are likely to buy a hybrid or an electric vehicle in the next two years. And, clearly, increasing numbers of electric vehicles will have a significant impact on energy demand. Just consider that the addition of one electric vehicle to a household can double home energy consumption while the vehicle is charging.

Put another way, if you add an electric vehicle to a household, it becomes the single largest consumer of electricity in the home. Now imagine everyone coming home at 6 p.m. and immediately charging their cars – it would be like a traffic jam on our electrical grid. Addressing the challenge of how we manage that demand in a smart and affordable way —from energy utilities down to consumers—is going to be critical. We believe technology will be essential to support the entire energy ecosystem.

A future with electric cars is going to transform so much of our society—and it’s coming soon. Which is why I’m delighted to announce that Ford and Microsoft are teaming up to implement Hohm for Ford’s electric vehicles. Ford is the first automaker announcing the use of Hohm, starting with the Focus Electric next year. Hohm will help owners determine when to most efficiently and affordably recharge battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles. Our plan is to make electric vehicle ownership easier and more affordable for consumers and help utility companies manage the added demands of electric vehicles on the electric grid. Read More…

I would like to get your thoughts about this announcement and also the social efforts that we’re executing for Microsoft Hohm. We’re working hard on engaging the community and implementing their ideas into the product. I’m signing off right now but will have some fun updates as I’m heading to Moab Utah for the weekend form snowboarding and mountain biking.

Shaka – Elliott

Continuing the quest to give the tools to the community I manage at Microsoft Hohm we had a request to make a DIY video on How to insulate your water heater. This is a quick, inexpensive project that can help you save money and energy at home. If you have any suggestions or feedback let me know and I’ll do what I can to implement your thoughts into our next videos.

The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine posted articles on how Boulder, CO, a relatively progressive environmental city, is trying to stop their citizens from being armchair activists.

“Since 2006, Boulder has subsidized about 750 home energy audits. Even after the subsidy, the audits cost each homeowner up to $200, so only the most committed signed up. Still, follow-up surveys found half didn’t implement even the simplest recommendations, despite incentives such as discounts on energy-efficient bulbs and rebates for attic insulation.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Now taxpayers have supported a bill pushing a new program dubbed “Two Techs In A Truck” to literally go door to door, caulking windows, replacing light bulbs, and even installing low flow showerheads.

Which approach is better in reaching for energy efficiency – traditional tactics / door-to-door ‘do it for them’ or energy innovation? Top thinkers in this space, such as Thomas Friedman and Bill Gates are definitely pushing for innovation. “Why we need innovation, not just insulation” (Bill Gates) and “I’ve long believed there are two basic strategies for dealing with climate change — the “Earth Day” strategy and the “Earth Race” strategy… I leave here feeling more strongly than ever that America needs to focus on its own Earth Race strategy instead. Let me explain.” (Tom Friedman) Innovative thought needs to be applied to help Boulder hit their goals and help set a standard for other cities around the nation.

Personally I believe the real question is more about providing a platform for communities to decide what makes them motivate one another to take progressive action in saving energy. Transparency is the missing piece of the Boulder story. If used cleanly and simply, transparency and its simple psychology enable communities to hold each other accountable, and provide for some great motivation. While over-used by politicians these days, the word transparency has been parallel with the growth of the social computing revolution, and I’m sure will be synonymous with the smart grid.

Imagine walking down the street and knowing exactly how much energy each home or business is consuming? Or knowing that your home is consuming 3X as much as your neighbor (and that your neighbor knows you know). Could pulling back the curtain on this information enable communities to collaborate in new ways, support one another, and provide help when others are stumbling?

Google even announced that only a few thousand users after their big announcement with Google Powermeter. With the announcement of view energy consumption by zip code today by Microsoft Hohm could Microsoft be outwitting Google in the green race?

For many the holiday season is just around the corner
where eggnog and bad sweaters are just part of the rollercoaster.

Try giving it up, and maybe rethink,
most gifts end up in a landfill’s stink.

So remember it comes without ribbons, it comes without tags,
it comes without packages, boxes or bags.

Try to think of something you’ve hadn’t before, what if your presents don’t come from a store

what if you gave something that means a little bit more.

Replicating the story How The Grinch Stole Christmas through books, TV, and film,
the Grinch, a character created by Dr. Seuss has become one of the most recognized villains in the holiday season. Disliked by many and used as a symbol of anti holiday spirit, the Grinch might have something other than a grouchy attitude. During the holidays decorated Christmas trees, lights, landfill consuming presents, make Christmas one of most wasteful and energy consuming times of the year.

So did Grinch have something right when he was shaking his fist at Whoville? Watch the video below to see how people become caught up in the consumption of the holidays rather than the spirit.

Use Microsoft Hohm to monitor your energy consumption this year while receiving some suggests on what kind of lights will reduce your overall energy consumption along with saving your wallet. For additional green holiday tips click here and don’t forget to leave some of your own tips in the comments below.

Trying to come up with some blog topics around the holidays for Hohm I headed out to my parents who are always up for a cup of coffee and some strong debate early in the morning. Quickly the conversation tuned into the upcoming holiday and what is the possibility of households conserving energy by preparing food in one location while the community gathers in once place to eat. This idea was almost instantly rebutted by my dad stating that the conservation efforts within one location can easily be outweighed by the amount of energy used for transportation either for the food itself or in this instance the commuting people to come eat a one person’s house.

It might not be directly related to conserving energy in your home; however, the products and food that you buy play a major role into the overall consumption of energy. Your efforts to conserve energy and money at home can easily be mitigated by other actions that you take for instance the food that you purchase.

Did you know?
1. In 1866, 1,186 varieties of fruits and vegetables were produced in California. Today, California’s farms produce only 350 commercial crops.

2. Communities reap more economic benefits from the presence of small farms than they do from large ones. Studies have shown that small farms re-invest more money into local economies by purchasing feed, seed and other materials from local businesses, whereas large farms often order in bulk from distant companies.

2. A typical carrot has to travel 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table.

3.In the U.S., a wheat farmer can expect to receive about six cents of each dollar spent on a loaf of bread—approximately the cost of the wrapping.

4. Farmers’ markets enable farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

5. About 1/3 of all U.S. farms are located within metropolitan areas, comprising 18% of total U.S. farmland.

If this didn’t catch your attention take a look at Are You Hungry For Change, a film discussing some of the core environmental issues in American agriculture.

Even though Microsoft Hohm is a place to learn more on how to conserve energy and money within your home, we’re also going to host conversations on how to conserve energy throughout your daily life.

Sources
Meter, Ken. “Finding Food in California: local gains, systemic losses.” Crossroads Resource Center. January, 2005. p.8 (accessed online 8/17/08).

Flore, Jan L., Carol J. Hodne, Willis Goudy, David Osterberg, James Klienbenstein, Kendall M. Thu, and Shannon P. Marquez, “Social and Community Impacts,” in Iowa Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Air Quality Study: Final Report. Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, University of Iowa, 2003: 148.

Herriges, Joseph A., Silvia Secchi, and Bruce A. Babcock. “Living with Hogs in Iowa: The Impact of Livestock Facilities on Rural Residential Property Values.” Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University. Ames, Iowa, 2003.

Pirog, Rich, and Andrew Benjamin. “Checking the Food Odometer: Comparing Food Miles for Local Versus Conventional Produce Sales in Iowa Institutions.” Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, July 2003.

Pretty, Jules. “Some Benefits and Drawbacks of Local Food Systems.” Briefing Note for TVU/Sustain AgriFood Network, November 2, 2001.