Council Lead Partner National Grid is rolling out a new energy management platform to some of its gas and electric customers in the northeastern United States, helping them to cut their energy costs and helping the utility better manage the load during times of peak demand.
The Smart Energy Solutions Program, built by CEIVA Energy, brings together a variety of technologies, including smart plugs and thermostats, smartphones and even digital picture frames into a single platform.
One of the more innovative developments is the steps the program takes to educate people about their energy use. CEIVA Homeview takes information from customers’ smart meters and presents it to them on a variety of devices, including digital picture frames. CEIVA says by displaying energy consumption information along with customer photos, it hopes to raise awareness and inspire customers to take action. Usage information is also available on a website and smartphone apps.
Customers also receive CEIVA HANS-on, an iPhone app and hardware that lets customers manage their smart thermostats and devices connected to smart plugs from anywhere. The platform also allows the utility to run demand response programs.
The program is launching with about 15,000 of National Grid’s customers in Worcester, Mass. National Grid serves about 3.3 million electric customers in Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island, and 3.4 million natural gas customers in those same states.
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