24.10.2007 - Electricity consumption at home can soon be monitored from Internet portal
English pages of Finnish Environment InstituteA large flat panel TV can consume surprisingly large amounts of electricity. The same is true for many other consumer electronic devices, including computers. Soon it will be possible to monitor electricity consumption and its changes by using a home computer. HEAT (Household Energy Awareness Technologies), a joint project of a consortium of energy, environment and technology organizations, is developing a new method to measure electricity consumption and new user services for households to improve their energy efficiency.
During this autumn, some ten households in the Helsinki region test a new real-time system for measuring electricity consumption. The electricity meters of the test households have been equipped with a device that sends electricity use information to a central server system. The consumers can monitor their own electricity use in real time from a Web page as a graphic representation.
- It is easier to save energy if one can monitor the consumption as accurately and quickly as possible. Consumers need information that helps them to make more sensible use of energy. If we can save energy, we can see the benefit directly as lower energy bills, and more money will be available for other purposes. Moreover, we will slow down the climate changes, says Ari Nissinen, senior researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute.
The HEAT project will be carried out during this year. The objective is to test the system in practice and get user experience from the households. The results are expected to provide valuable additional information about the use of advanced measurement techniques in order to reach better energy efficiency.
The project is coordinated by the Finnish Environment Institute. The other partners are BaseN Corporation, Motiva Ltd, Helsinki University of Technology (Laboratory of Power Systems and High Voltage Engineering), Vantaa Energia Ltd, and Vantaa Energy Electricity Networks Ltd. The funding for the project is mainly provided by Sitra and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
More information on the HEAT project:
Mr. Ari Nissinen, Senior researcher, project coordinator, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), phone + 358 400 148 813, ari.nissinen@ymparisto.fi, www.ymparisto.fi
Ms Ulla Sonck, information officer, SYKE, phone + 358 40 740 2186, ulla.sonck@ymparisto.fi
Mr Pertti Koski, senior consultant, Motiva Oy, + 358 40 5253 979, pertti.koski@motiva.fi
Ms Sari Lehikoinen, communications manager, BaseN Corporation, phone + 358 50 555 5979, sari.lehikoinen@basen.net