Technology developers participate in Green Button by creating compelling customer engagement solutions for the utilities. By connecting customer interests with analytic insights, applications (apps) can build a bridge between smart meter data, customer engagement, and action.
As of June 2012, 36 technology companies publicly supported the Green Button initiative. By developing ways to integrate Green Button data into their existing products, technology companies open up operational efficiencies and new business opportunities.
CASE STUDY: SNUGG HOME
Snugg Home has created a tool that assists contractors with the home energy audit process. By using a web-based auditing tool, contractors can reduce the time needed to perform an audit, while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of home energy efficiency recommendations.
The accuracy of Snugg Home's auditing tool is highly dependent on input of historical energy usage data, which Green Button provides. Without historical energy data, Snugg Home users must either make assumptions about energy consumption or manually enter utility bills into the system.
Green Button data can help contractors using Snugg Home develop an accurate preliminary energy assessment, increase participation in home audits and upgrades, and help track the results of energy efficiency upgrades.
In just one year, Green Button has received commitments from 20 utilities representing 36 million residential customers and has motivated the development of 68 applications. Such standardization of energy data increases the potential market size for all energy software, attracting more developers and more investment.
Green Button is an impressive first step towards standardization of electricity usage data. With so many utilities and technology companies already committed to the initiative, the crucial link becomes the customer. To engage customers, three elements are critical:
1. A push towards the automation of data transfer.
2. The establishment of frameworks for third party authorization.
3. A go-to marketplace for Green Button applications
Once customers are on board, Green Button could become the tipping point that unleashes the innovation cycle for energy usage data.
FULL ARTICLE: GREEN BUTTON: ONE YEAR LATER
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