A3WeLovePeaches

A3WeLovePeaches

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Please answer the following questions about the article: what did you find interesting? what did you find not find interesting? what did you not understand? what did you learn (if anything) reading the article?

One of the most interesting aspects of this article is the fact that people can all agree on certain ways to maintain energy costs; such as unplugging one's TV rather than just keep it on standby. It is also interesting that Boulder was one of the first cities to try out the 'smart grid' system, utilizing the 'green' mindset that many people in Boulder have come to know. The article was pretty straight forward in informing the reader that computer systems can be used as a way to monitor energy use in one's own home. By creating a system where a person can see the usage of their energy, people can budget their power usage, hopefully making a smaller carbon footprint in the long run. It was also quite interesting except Boulder was the first city that is chosen as Smart Grid city. Seeing the collaboration of XCEL and the community is a very positive change for the future. Member Kim participated a project about Smart Grid in the past and was very familiar with energy consumption. Also learning about the Boulder dorms who competed and actively participated in their energy consumption was very interesting. The most useful part of the article was the nomenclature and the terms used in it. Learning about E-Sim, E-Collab, and E-Warehouse helps in the understanding of the goals by the authors. We think that you could apply the terms and concepts of this article to many more applications besides Smart Grid education and technology.

Based on an exploration of the web, scientific articles, newspaper stories, ….. ? Write a Short Essay (about 1 page) about an interesting question / website related to one or more of the themes: Energy Sustainability, Smart Meters, Smart Grid

There will come a time in the future when our energy consumption will be effected by global supply. There could also be a positive future in which every consumer in large markets actively participates in their own energy savings. In order for this to work though we need to look towards technology. Many major companies, like IBM, are researching Smart Grid infrastructures to improve the inefficient design of power grids today. It's a really great idea, but the it goes to a question "is Smart Grid really going to help reducing the cost and use energy efficiently?" The problem is, we're in an energy crisis now, and we need solutions that can make sense as soon as possible. Smart Grids are a major challenge that won't be solved anytime soon. As a part of the technology though, it is a more feasible design if Smart Meters are added to individual homes. This would make the collaboration and sharing of power by the community easier and smarter. Some see a Smart Grid as just "arming? every appliance in the house and building with a sensor and radio to go along with a controller, an in-home display (IHD) and an internet gateway (that in some cases connects to your smart meter in cooperation with your utility).  This will allow you to monitor and shut off your appliances remotely." (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Consumer-Facing-Smart-Grid-Too-Many-Gadgets/) The cost of these smart machines and the accessibility of getting them inside fo homes is a huge uphill endeavor. People know energy is important, but not many know we have limited resource, energy. People are aware of what they see with their own eyes, but ignore what they don't see.  People are educated and raised along with the big beneficial side of energy, and now some people are too scared to give up the comforts. Education is key to getting any real savings of our energy resources. "The consumer has to be educated" by Wang, who " the CEO and founder of "still in stealth" People Power, a startup focused on energy efficiency" is very true. Developing perfect smart grid system is important, but it is more important to change consumer's mindset about energy. No matter how good the smart grid system is, the user will be the consumers. If they don't understand how to use smart grid, and how important that is. Smart Grid will be just waste of money. Smart Meters are easier to integrate into our lives because of the way people now days are able to multitask through their computers with e-mail, Twitter, online bill pay, etc. Nowadays, it is not unheard of for the average individual to use their computer for to check balances, bills, and important notifications. To think if there were a limited amount of power a home could use before being billed for extra consumption, the home owner could check their Smart Meter and keep their power usage to a minimum. If a person sees how close they might be to spending more money from overuse, they might start to develop their own energy saving plan. Turning off and unplugging the worst of their electronics and appliances based on their consumption is based on research and diligence in today's meters, but in the future with a smart meter, finding the worst offender of energy consumption is possible. Site like  www.centerpointenergy.com  teach consumers how using a Smart Meter will help a household save some money on on their power usage. Smart Meters are low in cost; on average, the usage of a Smart Meter will cost the consumer under four dollars, where as the monthly savings on the meter can save hundreds of dollars annually. So although one can see the conceptual benefit for smart grid technology, the benefits don't look to be realized as fast as smart meters. Cities like Boulder, CO and Austin, TX have installed power meters, and that technology is largly more accessible that that of a grid of interconnected machines. It will be a long way off before the feasibility of smart grids can be realized. Smart Meters are here today though, and their success has been documented, it is best we adopt this baby step, as it will be decades before we can make a larger step.

Smart Meters: http://www.centerpointenergy.com/services/electricity/residential/smartmeters/ SmartMeter- See Your Power: http://www.pge.com/smartmeter/

Briefly describe your own interests, experiences, actions, changes in your behavior (if any) related to “energy awareness”!

Some members of our team really just try to avoid driving more, and turn off all electric devices before we leave the house. Unplugging our electronics when unused would be ideal, but with roommate for many of us, energy is used even when we're not in our homes. Member Gibson, being a homeowner definitely has room for improvement as he can't use all the electronics in each room at once; but again, most of us have roommates.. He has adopted better bulb technology and wonders why it hasn't taken over as the only bulbs offered in America. Member Kim has participated in energy studies, and tried biking and education, but the social ramifications in today's energy society make such a thing harder than necessary. All of us could do better as a group, whether it be unplugging our electronics, turning off the lights, or maintaining our appliances. It's a cultural change as much as anything, and I'm sure we'll get it.