Energy Social Media and the Smart Grid

While Facebook and LinkedIn may be the social media platforms to beat, there’s an even more powerful social networking force that promises to be in all American homes one day. A growing number of startups are applying the principles of social media home energy management, and bringing social media to the smart grid… could we coin the term “energy social media?” In the process, these companies are revolutionizing people’s understanding of their energy use, building successful companies and helping to lessen the impact of each individual on the environment.

The smart grid refers to the overlay of digital communications technology on our existing electrical infrastructure. It lets houses and utilities to “talk” to each other through web-enabled energy meters and appliances. Connected devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners or TVs broadcast data about their energy consumption over a secure network and, when necessary, electrical utilities can remotely shut them off to avoid overloading the grid and causing rolling blackouts. The smart grid promises to deliver cost savings, environmental benefits and transform the way customers interact with electrical utilities. Because social networking is built upon interaction and communication, social media and the smart grid are a natural fit; ergo energy social media (get it?).

What’s so fascinating about smart grid is that there is so much that can cascade off it. There are profound opportunities to use less energy and achieve the same quality of living, and the social media platform will prove to be really beneficial in those efforts.

OPower is the industry leader in combining energy social media communication methods with smart grid technology. Its energy monitoring services run on desktop computers and smart phones, and help customers to collaboratively save money on their energy bill each month. OPower creates a demographic profile based on energy consumption data from its smart meters, and groups similar households into communities. OPower then allows these groups to compare their energy usage against each other and compete head-to-head to see who can reduce energy consumption the most. OPower research has shown time and again that when people hear from their friends and peers about how to be more energy efficient, the adoption rate is much higher. Online communities are a very valuable way to share this information, hence the power of energy social media.

Silver Spring and OPower, among others, are all built around the premise that smart meters and that energy social media can help customers save on their electricity bills. But there are even more ways that online communities can change energy consumption habits without all the fancy equipment. Chosen as the “Best Idea for the Millennial” in the GE Ecomagination Challenge, startup Welectricity works when users plug information from their monthly energy bills into the site’s graphing tool. Welectricity then creates a readout of consumption habits matched against different types of appliances found in the home, generates stats and charts on usage trends, and offers suggestions on how to cut power bills. Welectricity also makes it easy for users to include their friends in the process through their online portal.

While bringing the world closer together, social media, particularly energy social media, will foster greater energy conservation and improve life in general.