The intro of the GE Ecomagination challenge states "Welcome to the GE Ecomagination Challenge, a $200 million innovation experiment where businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators and students share their best ideas on how to build the next-generation power grid – and just might get funded." There are three different categories that different ideas will be competing in:
- Renewable Energy (Create)
- Grid Efficiency (Connect)
- EcoHomes/EcoBuildings (Use)
We've decided to submit the Mapawatt idea in the Use - EcoHomes/Ecobuidings category!
GE's description of this category is :
Energy consumption is growing so quickly that it’s creating an imbalance between demand and supply. This mismatch short-circuits power production and distribution, leading to higher energy costs for consumers and businesses. We need to change how, and when, we use energy.
We’re looking at many promising technologies to help power companies and their customers share information and manage their energy use better.
At GE, we are already working on a wide range of promising technologies, including smart meters and appliances that let consumers’ appliances “talk” to their power utility; wireless AMI; home area networks; renewable integration tools; demand response systems; home energy use monitoring; time-of-use pricing; plug-in hybrid electric vehicle integration; and neighborhood micro grids.
What new technologies, processes or business models can help consumers use energy more wisely and improve our energy balance?
If you've been following the Mapawatt Blog for awhile you know that the blog is just one facet of our vision for Mapawatt. Our goal is to build a community (register for our fledgeling community here) where people can learn how they consume energy and water, see how similar homes use these resources, collaborate on how to reduce consumption, and compete to see who can reduce the most. We will be the internet’s number one resource on the topic of residential energy and water conservation. We hope to achieve this by building powerful, web-based tools that leverage the latest internet and social media technologies to make learning and collaboration on energy and water usage effective and fun.
Based on GE's description of their EcoHomes/EcoBuildings category, I can't envision an idea that is better suited for success than Mapawatt, but of course I'm biased.
If you have been following us then you know we've been giving solid advice and have been working our hardest to help readers conserve energy and water. Please help us by voting for Mapawatt in the GE Ecomagination challenge!
Post new comment