PowerCost Monitor

[SmarthomeJohn]

Any idea of a release date?

I would have to say that the first run they plan to make is directed towards a major utility company in Q2. We are planning to supply then a "five-digit" quantity of Insteon PLM chips for the first run, which would cover .1 percent of that utilities' customer base.

The project is more "industrial-based" where the finished products are for the utility company, whom I suspect will offer to their customers.

For what I have observed, (not been told), there is serious $$ being offered by many utilities, state, and federal govt's to get consumers to...well, be less consuming.

I'm sure many of you know what I'm talking about. My utility offers rebates for dishwashers, new windows, T-stat, or just the promise you'll not leave the door open. This is an extension of those ideas.

Let me ask you this......Would you be willing to take a 10% reduction in your year-round electricity rates, it the utility company could turn off your [ insert appliance name here ] or dim your lights by 20% during peak usage? I think it is very exciting that HA technology is moving from a million enthusiast to every home.

 

[SmarthomeJohn]

Will it have a serial interface or some method of interfacing to a computer for logging & graphing?

Front what I have learned, the indoor unit will be more like a LCD display and not much bigger than a caller ID box.

I'll pass along the idea of a serial port, but I like the idea of a HA program and interface grabbing the data directly from the breaker box sensor unit. We have 16 million commands to use up; this could chew up a dozen more.

 

[Steve]

Let me ask you this......Would you be willing to take a 10% reduction in your year-round electricity rates, it the utility company could turn off your [ insert appliance name here ] or dim your lights by 20% during peak usage? I think it is very exciting that HA technology is moving from a million enthusiast to every home.

FPL already has a program that gives a monthly credit for control of the hot water heater, HVAC and pool pump. I would let them control those, but not sure I would give them inside appliances or lights. HVAC and hot water heater is no biggie if you lose 15 out of 60 minutes, but it would be ugly if they shut off the washer in the middle of a cycle or the fridge or oven, etc. And if I am doing something that requires full lighting, don't want them dimmed by an outside source. I usually keep them at around 50% anyway.

 

[b_weijenberg]

The RFXPower from www.rfxcom.com is supported by the Homeseer - ACRF plug-in.
At this moment only the 230V / 100A RFXPower is available but within a few weeks the 120V / 150A version will be available too.
The 433.92MHz USB RFXCOM receiver can receive the RFXPower, RFXSensor, Non-US X10 and Oregon Scientific weather sensors.
The USB interface can have a second 310MHz US X10 or Visonic receiver installed. This enables you to receive all these signals. All received data is supported by the ACRF plug-in with the exception of the Oregon sensors. This function will be added soon to the ACRF plug-in by Oman.

Bert