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We-power Energy Coach - The future of energy efficiency by We-power

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Teerth Brahmbhatt

Aug 27, 2017
05:29

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In terms of the light bulb I think this is a really useful idea. What are some of the cost breakdowns for this product? 

  • Has an initial industrial design look been given to building this product? (https://smallbiztrends.com/2014/11/find-a-manufacturer-for-your-product.html)
  • Is the emissions caused by this production being factored into the total reduction in emissions? 
  • Potential partnerships with Utilities can be structured similar to Nest's thermostat based incentive programs (https://nest.com/legal/energy-partner/portland-general/)
  • How will prototyping for the lightbulb move forward? gaining access to residential customer data can be expensive (https://utilityapi.com/)
    • A possible suggestion around this would be providing free devices to as many early users as you can afford. 

 


Pia Jensen

Aug 29, 2017
12:11

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Interesting idea, but, I have concerns regarding the health consequences of smart-meters, the hackable nature of IoT technologies, and the fact that some countries are not utilizing smart-metering technology.


Aadhithya Sujith

Sep 2, 2017
11:42

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Thanks for your proposal, I like the approach of using complex data from electrical systems translated into simple and easy to understand language with visualizations that can encourage a behavioural change in the use of energy.

  • How will you distinguish your service from such existing services in the market right now, there are quite a many and what additional feature will you be offering?
  • The idea of lightbulb changing color is cool but sometimes users may not prefer to have bulbs that changes color by its own, how will you tackle this challenge, also what will be the cost of such a device?
  • Even if the entire nation is using fossil fuel energy as indicated from the bulb, this will create awareness but at the end I think users will get away with their daily tasks.
  • I think this concept should tap more into the modes where electrical energy is wasted. For example:- I have an additional very old refrigerator which consumes a lot of energy, the consumers should be able to pin point devices that eat away a large part of energy from the informational feedback provided by you.
  • Identifying top 5 devices that consume most energy in the house and making these devices smart with some additional hardware would be good but here again cost will play crucial role in the success.

 

Thanks & regards

Aadhithya


Ioana Dragos

Sep 5, 2017
05:04

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@Pia Jensen 

Thank you for your comment. It is a valid concern. Regarding hackable nature of IoT technologies, it is true that energy consumption data is highly sensitive information and the highest precautions should be taken regarding the handling of this information, therefore partnering with utility companies and municipalities is key. Regarding the countries that are not utilizing smart-metering technologies, our proposal focuses first on three countries that do use them. The intention is to leverage these existing devices in these countries and create motivation for other countries to implement smart-metering technology as well.


Ioana Dragos

Sep 5, 2017
05:48

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@Aadhithya Sujith

Thank you for your comments and questions. I will answer them in the order you wrote them: 

  1. Gamification and the direct evidence and interaction of the end-user with electrification projects in marginal communities. The end-user will be able to know exactly which projects and people they are helping with part of their savings. This, along with gamification, are expected to help maintain user engagement.

  2. This is a valid concern regarding the preferences of users. The light bulb program is a test phase to learn about the behavior of users regarding devices that provide information on energy. We want to find out if the end user will engage more with the platform through an external device that will ‘notify’ them indirectly of their energy consumption rather than just notification on their phones. We are still analysing the costs of the device.

  3. This is part of the hypothesis we are trying to test with the light bulb. We think that they don’t have the knowledge, time and resources to know where and when  to reduce their energy consumption in order to reduce their carbon footprint or save money.

  4. This is a great input for the features and recommendations that our system is seeking to provide. We will incorporate it into the proposal.

  5. This is a great input as well. Part of the recommendations of the platform might flag these devices and propose to substitute them with new top energy-efficient devices.


Ioana Dragos

Sep 5, 2017
05:10

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@Teerth Brahmbhatt

Thanks for your questions! To answer them:

  1. We are not fixed on the design and will consider the resources we have, especially the financial ones. It might be that we work with a manufacturer (thanks for the link) or simply build a basic one on our own from existing resources.

  2. Yes, emissions for the manufacturing of the light bulb test are considered and subtracted from the first-year climate impact reduction calculation. Nevertheless, considering the size of the test, these emissions are very small compared to the overall climate impact reduction of the whole project. Yet, they are accounted for.

  3. Thanks ! I will look over the link you attached. 

  4. We plan to leverage already installed smart meters (who are provided for no cost in Portugal). The user would then agree to us accessing the data. We wouldn’t even need an internet connection to develop the lightbulb and its functionality.

  5. This is the idea behind the test. To test consumer awareness and willingness to interact with a device that provides information on energy generation, these devices would be provided for free.


Drew Depriest

Nov 3, 2017
08:16

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@Ioana

RE: your point number 4 - can you share any links or more information about no-cost smart meters in Portugal?

I'd love to learn more about them. Curious if the model of that particular program could be recreated elsewhere.

 


Ioana Dragos

Nov 5, 2017
03:19

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Hi @Drew Depriest, here are some useful links you could read:

https://www.u-blox.com/en/press-release/portugal-presents-first-nb-iot-smart-meter

https://www.nos.pt/institucional/EN/media/Documents/2017%2007%2010%20%20Primeiro%20Smart%20Meter%20com%20ND_IoT_PR%20EN%20v1.pdf


Caroline Liu

Nov 24, 2017
12:03

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Thank you for submitting your contest proposal.

A Climate CoLab Impact Assessment Fellow who specializes in buildings has conducted an impact assessment of your proposal which you can find under the “IMPACT” tab. Please review the documentation and model parameters. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can contact Sharon Chou at cnorahs.

Regards,

Impact Assessment Fellows