Smart Grid news you can use (finally)

January 8, 2010 · Posted by in Environment 

You’ve probably heard about the smart grid — and Xcel Energy’s bid to make Boulder the country’s first SmartGridCity.

But have you wondered what that really means for you? Like, when will you finally be able to tap into the power of the grid? (And, will it make you smarter?)

Well Xcel finally announced Thursday that their customer Web portal is up and running. Meaning, you can check your home energy use online. And if you’re one of the folks with a smart meter (and 24,000 of the houses in Boulder have one of these thingamabobs) then you can see your electricity use updated every 15 minutes.

From the Camera:

The site, at xcelenergy.com, is a major component of the SmartGrid technology being piloted in Boulder.

By answering a short survey about their home, and using data provided by smart meters or monthly utility bills, the program will also allow all Xcel customers to estimate their energy cost and carbon footprint. Advanced features can display billing information and historic energy-use patterns, so customers can see when they tend to use more energy.

Boulder City Councilman Ken Wilson said the ability to monitor power use inside homes is a giant leap for understanding how and when energy is consumed.

“That’s one of the things we’ve been waiting for,” Wilson said. “What I’ll do is start looking at (the Web site) every day to see what stays on late at night that I could maybe turn off, or just try things like turning off a computer.”

Read the full story in the Camera, or check out your energy use at xcelenergy.com and click on “my account site trial.”

 

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