Google Jumps Into the Smart Meter Industry and Debate

Articles — By forcechange on February 10, 2009 8:59 am

Google has weighed-in on the debate regarding the proposal in the federal stimulus that all smart meters should be required to use open standards and protocols.  Not surprisingly, they have come out on the side in-favor of open standards, noting “open protocols and standards should serve as the cornerstone of smart grid projects, to spur innovation, drive competition, and bring more information to consumers as the smart grid evolves.”

Google has an interest in this debate since they are currently developing a free web service called PowerMeter that is a type of smart meter technology that can help consumers track energy use in their house or business.  The graphic above illustrates how the service works. 

Google notes that the current situation where consumers have no idea how much they are paying for electricity at different times is akin to “stick[ing] to a budget in a store with no prices.”  But that with smart meter technology, people “could find all sorts of ways to save energy and lower electricity bills.”  Google notes that studies estimate that this price savings could range from 5-15%.  However, once smart meter technologies are widely installed, utilities should be able to create tiered pricing based upon supply and demand, thereby further reducing electricity bills, as well as the burden on the entire grid.