With ever-increasing power costs and the threats of global warming, utilities are mandated to reduce consumption and flatten peak demand to minimize the emissions of expensive and dirty power.

Today’s electrical appliances cannot respond to this reality. They operate in isolation without accountability for their energy consumption. Consumers are unaware of the energy their appliances consume, and they cannot take advantage of off-peak pricing. By making devices smart while providing continuous and immediate feedback on energy usage, TALKINGplug will fundamentally change the way we operate our personal, household, and business equipment.

Upgrading our hundred-year old energy infrastructure with the introduction of new smart grid elements presents massive challenges. Getting smart devices to interpret information from dumb appliances is an essential step towards sustainability. It will be years before the majority of consumers upgrade their dumb appliance to smart ones. Talking plugs can solve the problem today.

Benefits

For Utilities
• Lessen spikes in energy demand
• Manage specific appliances across stakeholders
• Detect the exact location of power outages
• Make power usage personal
• Maximize return on demand-response initiatives

For Power Users
• Save money and reduce energy use and environmental footprint
• Simple installation that doesn’t require an electrician
• User-friendly dashboard is effective at visualizing power use and eliciting behaviour change
• Make “dumb” legacy products “smart”

Sign up for a pilot

TALKINGplug is in a testing phase, and we are looking for innovative utilities looking to explore how new technology can help them meet their reduction targets. To participate in a pilot project click here for more.