Hello! In this edition of our newsletter we share with you the eMonitor solution from Power House Dynamics. Energy consumption is a hot topic and this is a really cool product!

So, here's a quick question... what is the number one way to save money on your electrical energy bill?

Answer: Easy, turn stuff off!

The answer is easy but, is turning it off really all that easy? Well, yes and no but the eMonitor can help.

eMonitor is a cost effective method for determining just how much energy you are consuming. Why would you want to know that? Meaningful and attractive data provides an effective behavior modification tool that helps make using less energy easier and actually kind of fun. Not only that, monitoring your resource consumption can alert you to "phantom power" consumption and problems.

If, for example, your septic pump is using more energy than it has historically, the eMonitor system can alert you to a potential problem. Or, "how much energy ARE my solar panels producing vs. how much I'm using?"

"Wait... you said Phantom Power consumption. That sounds a little scary. What is that?"

Good question.

Phantom power is the power many house hold devices use even when they are not actually turned on. Some of these devices sit in the corner unused for months just chewing up energy. In fact, some Plasma TVs can consume as much power as a small refrigerator! The eMonitor can help you identify these hungry appliances and mitigate them from your electric bill.

The data the eMonitor provides gives you the power to make wise choices. Like mentioned above, this is often called a "behavior modification tool". Let us explain... historical data, in an interactive format, helps motivate you and other building occupants make wise choices.

Perhaps an example will help illustrate. eMonitor intelligently monitors your energy consumption so, if your consumption this month exceeds your average monthly consumption, eMonitor gently suggests to you via e-mail or even a text message that maybe you need to remember to turn things off. It's like financial budget tools only for your energy use.

Ah, yes... and because eMonitor can identify excess use, it can alert you to trouble as well! For example, eMonitor might notice that your refrigerator is consuming a lot more energy than it use to... that could indicate that it's failing or perhaps you left the door open.

Businesses can take advantage of the eMonitor to reduce costs just like you can in your home. With real time and meaningful feedback, the data will help employees to be cognizant of the energy they use at work and boy, what a great way to show the consumer public you run a business that cares!

For those of you who are already doing your part with an investment in solar panels or perhaps a wind turbine, have you ever asked the question... "how much energy ARE my solar panels generating and how much DO I use from the grid?" Well, eMonitor is a perfect solution and can report both.

eMonitor is a fantastic product all in it's own however, we can take this one step further. When eMonitor is integrated with a full residential or commercial automation solution, we can utilize this data to optimize energy production and minimize consumption.

Another example would help illustrate the solution.

If you have a solar array or wind turbine generating plenty of energy, this information is communicated to our Crestron control systems. The control systems can then turn on energy consuming devices like septic pumps, well pumps and even pool/spa circulation systems. However, if the solar arrays or wind turbines aren't generating a lot of energy then the control systems shut down these pumps. Perhaps the lights in the home also dim to 75% of their max level as well to help reduce the need to pull energy off of the grid or kick on backup generators. As you can imagine, this holistic approach to integrating automation and energy production has a real return on investment.

Take a look at one of our most current Green Home projects implementing these technologies on our Case Study web page.

We would be happy to work up a quote for you for a stand alone eMonitor solution or as a component of an automated solution.