SmartNow

The Queen on the Brink of Fuel Poverty

2011-11-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

We’ve come across a feature in the UK’s Financial Times newspaper this week concerning the Queen and her struggle against high energy bills. We only wish Her Majesty had stopped by the SmartNow office on her recent trip to Australia for some advice!

Never one to be left behind, the Queen’s five “occupied royal palaces” have been fitted with Smart Meters in an attempt to monitor and control energy consumption. Despite an initial drop in consumption there is no hope of lower electricity bills for Her Majesty with a shocking 20 per cent rise in the UK’s average combined gas and electricity costs. In fact, the Queen is close to “fuel poverty” whereby a household is spending 10 per cent or more of its income on heating the home.

Buckingham Palace is in need of various repairs and replacements to its archaic heating and electrical system. We suspect it is not the most energy efficient of homes. Whilst the article suggests that the royal household could exercise choice in its energy provider and even purchase energy in advance on the wholesale market, writer David Blair concludes the the Queen’s best option may be to turn to renewable sources of energy. Construction has begun on a hydroelectric scheme on the Thames which would enable another home of the Queen – Windsor Castle – to generate its own energy and sell any surplus back to the grid.

This is all well and good but it is the energy efficiency of the palaces themselves that should be tackled first and foremost. Insulation and overhaul of any ancient systems should be the priority as well as reviewing the lighting and seeing if energy is being wasted. We’d delighted to give her Majesty some advice or send her over an EnviR home energy monitor to get her started!

Read the full article here: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/2bfc6e92-fbee-11e0-9283-00144feab49a.html#axzz1cPX25wJP

Sunny Days for Solar Overseas

2011-09-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

We're seldom short of solar news from around Australia to bring you in these turbulent times for clean energy. Today, however, we're bringing you solar news from elsewhere on this lovely planet of ours.

First to the UK: construction has recently been completed on the UK's largest solar power plant. Completed in an impressively tight timeframe of just ten weeks, Spanish firm Isolux Corsan spent 40 million Euros on the 15 megawatt facility located in rural Cornwall. The fast turnaround to install the 22,000 panels was partly due to Britain's latest reductions to solar feed-in tariffs, a story all too familiar to the Australian solar industry.

It's great to hear of large scale solar projects like this being completed so quickly. All the UK now needs is some sunshine!

There is also positive solar news coming out of the US, where during the second quarter of 2011 solar PV installations increased by a huge 69 per cent. California is leading this surge, closely followed by New Jersey which has has the largest non-residential solar market in the US. Google has recently invested US$250 million into a residential solar project which will no doubt provide a fantastic boost for the solar industry in the US.

Another US giant, Walmart has taken a great initiative in renewable energy by placing solar panels on the rooftops of many of its stores in California, enough to generate up to 70 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year - an example which retail giants or owners of large commercial premises around the world would do well follow.

As the globe is gripped by economic uncertainty we hope that investment in clean energy will not wane. Even if residential installs slow down thanks to reductions in feed-in tariffs, we hope that large scale installations will thrive.

For information on how SmartNow can enable you to get the most from your solar panels and reduce wastage please visit www.smartnow.com.au.

Solar Power to Undercut Coal?

2011-09-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

An interesting article here http://my.enewsplus.co.uk/cm/public/enews/index.php?enewsid=4&templateid=90&ticketid=PD4OJR2LIN&mm=3963 from the All Energy Team

Australia's reluctance to embrace solar power could well change dramatically over the next 20 years even without a carbon tax. Due to the massive leaps that China is making at the moment in production and the reduction in cost of solar panels, it might not be too long before the price per kWh of solar electricity is lower than that of coal-fired power stations. Yes, admittedly, there remains some serious work to do to be able to replace coal-fired power as a reliable source of base-load power - i.e. there needs to be some serious energy storage facilities built - but it's an interesting thought that coal-fired power could soon be considered the expensive option.

Roll on that day we say. Whatever the case maybe for base-load coal-fired power, there is a certain elegance to achieving our energy requirements through nothing more than pure sunlight instead of setting fire to things.

Turbulent Times for Wind Power

2011-08-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Instead of bringing you news of yet another blow to the struggling solar industry, today we bring you news of a crackdown on another form of clean energy - wind.

The Victorian Government is amending planning laws regarding wind farms, giving households the power to veto wind turbines within two kilometres of their homes. Turbines are also due to be banned in areas of natural beauty popular with tourists near to the Victorian coast and within five kilometres of numerous Victorian regional centres.

This will inevitably divert multi-billion dollar investment in regional Victoria interstate and is therefore seen as hugely detrimental to clean energy infrastructure in the state.

The Australian public seems to have mixed views on wind turbines and their potential impact on people's quiet enjoyment of their homes and surrounding areas. Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Matthew Warre has no doubts as to the negative impact that will have on clean energy investment in Victoria, citing the setback policy as "completely arbitrary".

To read the full press release from the Clean Energy Council click here: http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/cec/mediaevents/media-releases/August-2011/MR290811-vic-wind.html

Or to read The Age's piece on this development click here: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/baillieus-wind-farm-crackdown-20110829-1jig4.html

For further information on SmartNow and how to save money on your power bills with our home energy monitors please visit www.smartnow.com.au.

Using the Current Cost USB Data Cable with Windows 7 x 64

2011-08-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

Please find below some helpful links for those customers trying to download the Driver for the USB data cable, with Windows 7 x 64.

For the Windows 7 x 64 Driver click here:  http://www.usglobalsat.com/download/546/win_drivers.zip which is version 1013 (WHQL Win 7 x64 Version 3.3.2.105)

For a previous blog post about solving these issues click here: http://smartnowenvironmental.blogspot.com/2010/09/solving-driver-issues-with-current-cost.html

Importantly, when you uninstall the previous drivers please ensure that you clean up the remains of previous drivers as per this post: http://www.techtoniq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1724#p1724

Hopefully this will provide assistance to any customers experiencing issues and will enable you to get the most from your SmartNow home energy monitor.

Alternative Software for the USB Data Cable

2011-08-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

As most of our customers are aware, Google PowerMeter is due to close in September.

We’ve already brought you some updates on what Bridge users can expect when this closure happens: http://www.smartnow.com.au/2011/06/28/the-bridge-some-exciting-current-cost-developments-smart-now-home-energy-monitor/

But we know that many customers use the USB data cable to upload data from their EnviR home energy monitor.

Current Cost, manufacturers of the EnviR, have put together some very useful information regarding software options for users of the USB cable: http://www.currentcost.com/software-downloads.html

As you can see, there are plenty of options available to enable you to get the most from your EnviR, to eliminate wastage and reduce your power bill.

WA Solar Scheme Victim of its Own Success

2011-08-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

This week the Western Australian government has announced that the current solar panel rebate scheme is being axed. It seems the popular scheme has been a victim of its own success and the budget couldn't be stretched to meet the huge demand for the scheme. Effective immediately, no new applications will be accepted.

The government already reduced the feed-in tariff from 60 cents per kilowatt hour to 40 cents and then down to 20 cents in May. Rebates will continue to be paid to existing users for the 10 year agreed payment period.

Unsurprisingly, the decision to axe the scheme so suddenly has angered solar industry experts and businesses who have questioned why they weren't given fair warning that the scheme was fast approaching its cap.

We're sorry to see the WA feed-in tariff reduce. It appears to have been a great success in promoting the installation of solar panels. We're not sure that it yet makes economic sense to install solar panels without a subsidised feed-in tariff as is claimed, but the proof will be in the pudding. It'll be very interesting to see how many solar installations happen this year. We don't think it will be half as many as the government expects.

In the meantime, we'd like to encourage the government to support medium and large scale solar in sunny WA. Now we've got 150MW of installed capacity on individual residential roofs, it would be good to see some large-scale installations on the tops of the commercial property out there. A prime candidate would be for supermarkets and shopping malls - solar can seriously reduce the load that the massive aircon units place on the grid on a sunny afternoon.

To read the full article about the scrapping of the scheme in WA click here: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/energy-smart/wa-solar-rebate-scheme-too-popular-to-continue-20110801-1i7lc.html

To learn how to monitor your solar generation and to reduce your electricity bill with an EnviR home energy monitor from SmartNow click here: http://www.smartnow.com.au/smartnow-current-cost-solutions/i-have-solar/

NSW Electricity Price Hike: A missed turning on the path to lower prices and emissions

2011-06-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting opinion piece from Chris Dunstan in the Sydney Morning Herald this week regarding, you guessed it, rising power bills!

Electricity prices in New South Wales are due to rise by another 17 per cent today. This will bring the cumulative increase to 76 per cent since June 2007, with further increases in the pipeline.

Dunstan outlines the ongoing argument over the cause of the price rises. It has been claimed that the current level of power network investment is unnecessary - driven by industry "goldplating". Yet the industry and the federal Energy Minister claims the $9 billion per year spent on network infrastructure is essential.

This finger pointing is getting us nowhere, writes Dunstan, and suggests that instead of spending all their money on infrastructure to meet customer demand, networks could help customers save energy by reducing demand.

Very little is currently being spent on demand management and it is reducing peak demand in Australia by less than one per cent, compared to 4.4 per cent in the US. Dunstan reports that up to $1 billion per year in infrastructure costs could be saved by 2020, while elimination growth in carbon emissions in the building sector, simply by making homes and other buildings more energy efficient.

SmartNow is firmly in support of increasing energy efficiency in order to reduce demand. It is a simple way of saving individuals money on their power bills as well as reducing demand and decreasing our carbon footprint.

To ensure your home is not using more energy than it should be, invest in a Current Cost EnviR home energy monitor from SmartNow. You will be able to see exactly how much energy you are using in real time which will enable you to reduce your bill and potentially detect any faulty appliances.

To read the full article click here: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/the-networks-could-help-cut-power-bills-20110628-1gp2z.html

To learn more about the EnviR home energy monitor visit www.smartnow.com.au

The Bridge: some exciting updates from Current Cost

2011-06-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

As many SmartNow customers are aware, Google has recently announced that Google PowerMeter will be shut down as of 16 September.

In our previous blog we told you that Current Cost have been busy adding new features and functionality to my.currentcost.com which will result in the portal being even more powerful than Google PowerMeter.

Current Cost has released a short video to guide you through some of the updates that have already been made. These include the ability to:

- Register multiple Bridges to the same account and to individually name each Bridge

- Name your location

- Make your Bridge public or private in order to share you data. Clicking the "share" button brings up a page which is accessible to anyone on the internet. There are various options to embed graphs on your own blog/website etc.

To view the video please click here: http://currentcost.posterous.com/mycurrentcostcom-new-features

We will keep you posted on these exciting developments.

For further information on how the Bridge and the EnviR home energy monitor can enable you to reduce your energy consumption and slash your power bills visit www.smartnow.com.au

Google PowerMeter to Close: the Latest News

2011-06-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend Google announced that they are to close Google PowerMeter as of 16 September. Although we were aware that Google wouldn't be developing the software any longer, we were surprised to learn that the application is to be closed completely.

Although this will come as disappointing news to users of the Bridge who currently upload their information to Google PowerMeter, we actually have some positive news to report.

The Current Cost portal at http://my.currentcost.com (the place the Bridge sends it's data to prior to Google PowerMeter) is undergoing extensive and exciting upgrades that will be rolled out over the coming weeks and months. We can't reveal too much right now but we will post more info as soon as we can.

We are confident that you will find that the new features will make my.currentcost.com considerably more useful and powerful than Google PowerMeter.

In the meantime the Bridge can still be used with Google PowerMeter and the USB cable is available on our website which can be used with various different software options. The EnviR home energy monitor is a fantastic tool for managing your energy consumption and slashing your power bill, however you choose to upload your data.

We will release further information as soon as we have it so keep checking www.smartnow.com.au for further updates or visit our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SmartNow/114000321953472

NSW Solar Scheme Stabalised

2011-06-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we blogged about the Solar Rally taking place in New South Wales to demonstrate against the Government's decision to retrospectively change the feed in tariff rate for 120,000 NSW households from 60c per kW/h to 40c per kW/h.

It seems that the efforts of the Australian Solar Energy Society and its supporters have paid off - these plans have now been dropped by NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell after failing to get the backing he needed to pass the law, and after an audit showed the cost of the solar scheme to be lower than originally forecast.

This is fantastic news for supporters of the solar industry. In fact it means 40,000 planned solar installs that were previously hanging in the balance can now proceed and those who signed up to support green energy and have these panels installed will not lose out. Many participants in the solar scheme had borrowed money to buy their solar panels and risked losing thousands of dollars if the feed-in tariff was cut.

The campaign doesn't stop here, however. Solar supporters are now urging the NSW government to put in a fair price going forward for electricity produced by solar panels.

The industry remains in crisis with one of Australia's largest solar panel retailers, Clear Solar, going into receivership this week and more predicted to follow.

Today The Age warned of rising power prices as electricity retailers are required to increase their contribution to the solar scheme.

One thing is for certain, solar will remain a hot topic as the future of the scheme is debated in the weeks to come.

To maximise the return on your solar panels invest in a Solar Monitoring Kit from SmartNow. You will receive an EnviR Home Energy Monitor and everything you need to monitor the energy consumption of your home and the generation of your solar panels. To learn more visit www.smartnow.com.au.

Power Bills: the Only Way is Up

2011-05-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting, if somewhat hard to follow, piece in The Age recently warning that power bills are to double within six years.

On top of rising fuel and gas prices, TRUenergy - one of Australia's largest home and business electricity suppliers - has warned that uncertainty over the implementation of a carbon tax could reduce investment in the power industry and lead to energy shortages.

Whilst we don't know the fate of the carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme, there is little doubt in anyone's mind that prices are only going one way: up.

A great way to ensure you are not spending more than you should be on power bills is to invest in a home energy monitor from SmartNow. The Current Cost EnviR is a simple device which enables you to see exactly how much energy you are using in real time and what it is costing you, empowering you to take control of your usage. There has never been a smarter time to start using a home energy monitor.

To read the full article in The Age click here: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/energy-smart/warning-of-power-bills-to-double-within-six-years-20110522-1eym0.html

To visit our new website and learn more about the EnviR home energy monitor click here: www.smartnow.com.au

Another day; another price increase!

2011-04-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

Electricity users in New South Wales are facing yet another price increase. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) says electricity prices for the average NSW resident will increase by 17.6 per cent by July.

This will come as very distressing news for many households who are already struggling to pay huge power bills.

The article quotes NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell telling of a family struggling with a $1400 power bill for a four-bedroom home. Assuming this is a quarterly bill and that they are being billed at $0.20 per kilowatt hour this equates to approximately 75 kilowatt hours per day - an outrageously high consumption of power.

There is no reason why a four-bedroom house should receive a $1400 power bill - there must be some serious wastage going on here, which if identified could enable the family to make huge savings. We have monitored large, inefficient houses in Perth who are operating pool pumps etc and are using around 50 kilowatt hours per day.

With some common sense and an EnviR home energy monitor a family with a bill as high as this should be able to reduce their usage down to at least 50 kilowatt hours per day. They could potentially cut their power bill by around one third which roughly equates to a saving of $1800 per year.

We can't control the price of electricity, unfortunately, but we can certainly control how much of it we are consuming.

To read the full article click here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/14/3191670.htm?section=justin

For more information on the EnviR home energy monitor visit www.smartnow.com.au.

The Green Thing

2011-04-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

We’ve just come across a thought provoking piece on being green and whether it is really such a “new” idea. It makes for some interesting reading and has got us feeling rather nostalgic!

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”

That’s right, they didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But they didn’t have the green thing back her day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.

But she’s right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house – not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a pizza dish, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled pens with ink, instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But they didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus, instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But that old lady is right. They didn’t have the green thing back in her day.

Author unknown.

www.smartnow.com.au

Clocks go back; bills go up!

2011-04-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

Daylight Saving ended in five states across Australia this weekend, signalling the official end to the summer. As cooler weather begins to set in, so power bills begin to rise.

Even if you're not bracing yourself for a Melbourne winter as we are at SmartNow HQ there are many factors besides just heating your home which can lead to a shock when your next bill comes in.

As the days get shorter many of us will spend more time indoors watching television and keeping the lights on. Children who may have played outside after school will be coming home and switching on the games console instead.

Now is a great time to think about what you could do to cut down power use in your home - invest in some LED downlighters, switch to energy efficient bulbs or think about how to improve your home's insulation.

Start monitoring exactly how much power you are using and how much it is costing you with a Current Cost EnviR from SmartNow. This will allow you to take control of how much you are spending and is a great way to teach kids about saving energy.

For more information visit: www.smartnow.com.au.

Being green shouldn't stop at home

2011-03-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

We've come across an interesting article this week which shows that being green shouldn't stop at home.

The Age reported how Hilton Hotel worker, Benjamin Grimshaw, from Sydney has been nominated for a WWF Earth Hour Award having spearheaded a successful environmental policy at the hotel.

One of his first steps was to install 744 LED light bulbs in the hotel's guest corridors which is saving the hotel $30,000 a year and has reduced energy requirements by 35% in those areas.

Having formed an environmental committee, Grimshaw has also helped to cut water use by 2.3 per cent by installing sensors and restrictors in hotel bathrooms and has decreased the hotel's per capita energy use by 6.5 per cent.

The Earth Hour Award nomination is a sure indication that green initiatives in the work place are taken seriously and can reap benefits for the individual as well as for the business and the environment.

To read the full article click here: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/earth-hour/tiny-footprint-in-the-corridor-20110325-1c9f0.html

To learn how to monitor how much energy your home or workplace is consuming visit: www.smartnow.com.au.

Extend the range of your Current Cost EnviR

2011-03-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

One of our wholesale customers has been kind enough to share with us an interesting observation regarding the range of the EnviR:

Range of the EnviR (line of sight) = 112m
Range of the EnviR when it’s sat in a metal meter box = 30m

He has bought a waterproof box from Jaycar (part number= HB6402) and mounted the transmitter outside his metal meter box, but inside this waterproof box, which has extended the range of his system.

Many thanks to Andrew Goodfellow at Aussie Home Inventories for this useful tip.

Solving issues with Windows 7

2011-03-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

A couple of our customers have recently experienced some issues with accessing drivers for Windows 7. We've found that the following download will help: http://www.cooldrives.com/lib/cooldrives/vista-prolific-chip-driver-for-serial-adapters.zip. Although it refers to Vista, we have found that this driver does in fact work for Windows 7.

Of course we can't guarantee that a particular driver will work for everyone - we're simply going by our own experiences and those of our customers.

Solar panels: the next generation

2011-03-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

Another exciting solar development to report: the next generation of solar panels - about one-20th as thick as a piece of paper - is being developed by Australian researchers. These panels, with a layer of crystalised silicon gas which collects sunlight, could eventually be used to overlay glass skyscrapers - transforming them into solar power stations.

The introduction of these panels will represent another step forwards in encouraging much larger scale solar installations and making use of commercial spaces; something essential in harnessing the vast potential of solar power.

To learn more about this development and to see the new face of the fantastic Earth Hour campaign visit The Age Environment page: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/energy-smart/plea-from-a-new-earth-mother--20110305-1bio9.html.

Large scale solar - some exciting news!

2011-02-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

Last month saw a very positive piece of breaking news in the solar industry with the ACT Government passing legislation to introduce a feed in tariff (FiT) for medium scale solar in the ACT.

The gross FiT is now available for installations 30kW to 200kW in size, and specifically opens the market to larger commercial and industrial applications.

John Grimes, Chief Executive of the Australian Solar Energy Society said, "[t]his is an important move because it allows greater economies of scale in deployments, and also targets a part of the market where the electricity demand profile closely matches solar energy production."

The scheme start date and FiT rate have not yet been announced, but it is expected to start shortly with an initial rate of around 34c per kWh to be paid.

We're thrilled with this news which finally presents an incentive for larger scale solar installations - something we believe is very necessary to push clean energy progress forward. As touched upon in our previous blog, smaller scale solar installations can be less efficient and there is no logic in limiting solar generation in this way. We hope to see other states follow ACT's example.

Sydney's energy shortage: treat the cause, not the symptom

2011-02-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

We've come across an interesting opinion piece from The Age's Christine Rau which discusses the predicament of finding an energy efficient way of regulating the temperature of your home, particularly in crowded neighbourhoods:

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/energy-smart/put-solar-panels-on-every-large-rooftop-20110209-1amed.html.

Whilst she makes some excellent points about the building quality issues that are prevalent in new suburban neighbourhoods, we believe that her proposed solution of getting the government to pay for solar panels to place on rooftops to cool these buildings can be improved upon.

The main concern we have with this idea is that because they are inefficient and require massive amounts of heating and cooling, we should address the symptom, not the cause. Even in these crowded neighbourhoods there is room for shading, for sun-sails and window-shades. Next time you drive past one of these neighbourhoods, have a look at the roofing - it is almost always dark or black. Paint the roof a light colour, stick in 30cm of insulation (the recommended level in Europe now) and watch that power bill fall through the floor as both heating and cooling requirements are diminished.

Another concern that we have is with the concept of getting the government to fund this. Why should the government fund the cooling of the building we have chosen to live in? If a taxpayer choses to purchase or rent a well-designed home, why should their tax dollars go towards putting solar panels on the roof of a poorly designed home or commercial building?

The next issue we have with the argument is that the power industry in NSW is privatised (rightly or wrongly), and hence it is not the responsibility for the NSW government to install generating capacity on people's roof tops.

Finally, if we need GigaWatts of solar power, why place it on roof tops at all? Not many residential roof tops are the perfect orientation for solar power, and there are inefficiencies involved in running many small solar installations. If the government is going to get into this game, it really should be in the form of solar farms that are installed on the ground or on the top of very large buildings and warehouses where the efficiencies of scale can be harnessed.

Cool down your house and save energy

2011-02-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

The temperature is rising all over Australia and it seems the only option is to crank up the air conditioning as high as it'll go, but there are many other ways to cool your house down which use far less energy and won't leave you with a huge power bill.

Property journalist Caroline Boyd has come up with some excellent tips to cool down your house in what's shaping up to be a scorching hot summer: http://theage.domain.com.au/blogs/talking-property/tips-to-cool-down-the-house/20110201-1abbq.html.

You would also be wise to invest in a Current Cost EnviR from SmartNow. You'll be able to see how much energy you're using in real time, and what it's costing you, to ensure that you're not faced with a colossal energy bill at the end of the season.

Visit our online store and receive free shipping on orders over $50: http://www.smartnow.com.au/store.

Aussies do their bit as solar use surges. Will you invest in solar energy in 2011?

2011-01-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas The Age reported that Australians installed more than 100,000 rooftop solar panels in 2010, more than in the entire previous decade.

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/energy-smart/aussies-do-their-bit-as-solar-panel-use-surges-20101221-193q3.html

The article highlights research from Clean Energy Australia which provides an interesting insight into how Australia uses renewable energy. This report showed that 8.67 per cent of Australia's electricity was provided by renewable resources in 2010. With electricity prices on the rise there has never been a better time to invest in clean energy.

If you are considering investing in a solar system in 2011, get yourself a Current Cost EnviR from SmartNow and hook it up to Google PowerMeter.

An EnviR will be particularly useful if you are on a Net feed-in tariff (where you are paid for every unused kWh which you push back to the grid) as it will allow you to monitor and reduce the amount of energy consumption in your home therefore maximising your payback and ensuring you make back the money on your investment faster!

For a detailed breakdown of how this can be achieved check out our previous blog: http://smartnowenvironmental.blogspot.com/2010/08/stop-read-this-before-you-buy-your.html

Visit SmartNow's webshop to view the Current Cost EnviR and our solar monitoring kits: http://www.smartnow.com.au/store/

Families' bills keep rising: monitor your family's energy consumption with the Current Cost EnviR

2011-01-24T16:37:00.000-08:00

An article by Gemma Jones at the Daily Telegraph highlights the desperate situation many Australian families are finding themselves in when they have to switch off essential appliances in order to save money on ever rising electricity bills.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/no-heaters-but-power-bill-still-rose/story-fn6b3v4f-1225972428736

A report by IPART has found that households paid an average 24.4 per cent more for electricity, gas and water in the past two years. One in five low income families were spending 5 per cent of their income on electricity.

Ensure you are not paying more than you should be - monitor your energy usage with the Current Cost EnviR and Google PowerMeter, now available in Australia and New Zealand from www.smartnow.com.au and www.smartnow.co.nz. How much will you save?

New Zealand school installs EnviR and Google PowerMeter to go green and make savings!

2011-01-16T20:19:00.000-08:00

A school in Khandallah, New Zealand has become the first school in the world to install Google PowerMeter to monitor energy use and save money.

Cashmere Avenue Primary School has already identified 2kW of energy use which can easily be cut, representing a saving of around $1500 a year. This is a valuable reinvestment opportunity at a time when schools’ budgets are stretched to the limit.

Read more here: http://katrinashanks.co.nz/index.php?/archives/383-Cashmere-Ave-Primary-School-Goes-Green-to-Help-out-Blue.html

At SmartNow we are currently developing our own not-for-profit venture: the SmartNow School Energy Education Program. To learn more about this project to increase energy efficiency and provoke interest in sustainability in schools click here: http://www.smartnow.com.au/schools.php

Ben from GeekZone reviews the Current Cost EnviR from SmartNow NZ

2011-01-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

The Current Cost EnviR from SmartNow New Zealand has just been reviewed by Ben from GeekZone. Click the link to find out what he had to say: http://www.ben.geek.nz/2011/01/review-current-cost-envir-from-smartnow-nz/

SmartNow extends FREE SHIPPING offer up until Australia Day

2011-01-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

We've extended our holiday offer right through to 26 January on all orders over $50. Visit our new webshop: http://www.smartnow.com.au/store/

New Webshop! FREE SHIPPING over the holida period from SmartNow - Current Cost Envi-R and Google PowerMeter

2010-12-14T20:36:00.001-08:00

To celebrate the launch of our new webshop, we're offering FREE SHIPPING over the holiday period! http://www.smartnow.com.au/store

SmartNow Home Energy Monitor and Google PowerMeter in the Australian Daily Telegraph

2010-12-12T22:45:00.000-08:00

A fantastic article by John Rolfe was published in Sydney's Daily Telegraph last Thursday.

www.dailytelegraph.com.au

It's a great read - thanks John.

Geekzone Review of the New Current Cost Envi-R and Google PowerMeter

2010-11-22T23:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=9015

Geekzone Review of the New Current Cost Envi-R and Google PowerMeter - thanks Geekzone!

Google PowerMeter Video - now available in Australia and New Zealand with the Current Cost ENVI

2010-10-03T17:21:00.001-07:00

I received this the other day - it's a great example of what Google PowerMeter is capable of, and how you can use it to reduce your energy bills:

The Current Cost ENVI is fully compatible with Google PowerMeter, and is available from www.smartnow.com.au and www.smartnow.co.nz

Faulty / inefficient aircon unit costing $228 per year in standby!

2010-09-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

After Scott's first email, that we posted here:

http://www.smartnow.com.au/Current_Cost_ENVI_blog/using-the-current-cost-envi-to-check-for-faulty-appliances/

... we got another email from him this morning:

"My journey of discovery didn't end at the hot water system.

My night time standby power has been consistently over 200 watts since I installed the ENVI. From my googling the average for Australia is 86 watts.... So I turned absolutely everything off in the house. Still reading 140 watts?

Next stop was the power board. I started by turning the obvious circuits off. Stovetop, oven, aircon ciruit.

As soon as I turned the airco circuit off, the meter dropped [130W] to 10 watts. I was dumb founded. The aircon was not running, but turning the circuit back on showed it consumes 130 watts in standby.

I confirmed it was the outdoor component of the split system by turning the isolation switch off at the outdoor unit.

[Once I'd turned this off, the house draws] only 10 watts in use (which is the dc converters for the down lights)."

We did some quick maths on Scott's findings.

130W = 0.13kW.

0.13 x 24 hours x 365 days = 1138 kWh (or units of electricity) used per year!

At $0.20 per kWh (that's an average across Australia) that's $228 a year.

Over ten years, that's $2280, assuming that power prices aren't going up!

Using the Current Cost ENVI to hunt down faulty appliances

2010-09-24T05:24:00.001-07:00

We received the following email from Scott today - this is unedited:

"I also want to give the Envi power meter a huge thumbs up. My house has been chewing through the power (average 30kwh/day) and I’ve been scratching my head trying to work out why. We don’t have a pool, we have a heat pump hot water system, we have low wattage bulbs, insulation in the roof, we hardly ever use the dryer or split airco.

By installing the ENVI power meter I was able to find out that the heat pump hot water system was running for a while then overheating. As a failsafe “feature” the heat pump then uses an electric boost to heat the water to temp. Imagine my surprise when the meter went from 1kw (compressor) to 3kw (boost). There is no obvious sign that there is a fault and has probably been happening since install going off my power bills. I can’t wait to see how much I’ll save on the next power bill now that the heat pump is fixed. With the ENVI I’ll be able to keep a close eye on it in the future. It’s well and truly paid for itself in the first month (and then some)."

Solving Driver Issues with the Current Cost ENVI Prolific PL2303 USB Cable

2010-09-13T00:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of our customers have recently had some strange issues with both Vista and Windows 7 x64 with installing the drivers for the USB Cable (which contains a Prolific PL2303 chip).

Anyway, the following link seems to have solved everyone's problems:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistahardware/thread/1902e9e0-4af0-4f36-84bc-f487d4022f1f

Which lead to:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistahardware/thread/a366f74b-9853-4cae-95c3-4249172951da

Which lead to this:
http://www.usglobalsat.com/download/546/win_drivers.zip which is version 1013 (WHQL Win 7 x64 Version 3.3.2.105)

Now, we can't guarantee that this software isn't going to eat your computer alive from the inside because it isn't our software and we haven't tested it. However, it seems to have solved the issues.

Use the Current Cost ENVI to determine if your transformerless solar inverter is using power after dark

2010-09-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

We’ve recently had a few reports of “faulty” ENVIs, whereby people are reporting power readings from their solar panels on the ENVI after dark.

One of our customers thought initially that it could be power being generated by moonlight!

In actual fact, it appears that the inverter is drawing power after dark, typically 70-90W, but occasionally spiking to over 200W.

The reaction from the solar inverter manufacturers has been that the ENVI must be faulty, or it could be that the inverter is causing interference to the transmission. Naturally, we have been very worried about this, and have been working our socks of to work out what is going on. This included using a variety of different wireless electricity meters on the same circuit – they all agreed to within a couple of Watts, ruling out the interference suggestion.

Eventually, the answers have become clear. A Fluke Multimeter was reading 0.31 Amps being drawn after dark. A service engineer also reported a power draw of 300mA. 0.31A x 240V = 74.4 Watts.

This has been established in two cases so far, and in no cases have we received any evidence to show that the Current Cost ENVI is reading incorrectly. We’re not going to name the manufacturers involved here for liability reasons, and will continue to keep you posted with any new information we receive.

Using the Current Cost ENVI to hunt down faulty appliances

2010-09-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

We just received an email from a lady who we spoke with a month or so ago.

She had just received a Current Cost ENVI from us (http://www.smartnow.com.au/current_cost_envi.html), and was concerned about the readings it was showing. With nothing on in the house she couldn't get the power consumption down to below 6-700 Watts, even by turning the fridges and freezer off.

It turns out that two things were happening:
1) The Septic System Sludge Pump was stuck on and running 24 hours a day
2) The fan on the top (that is on 24 hours a day) was pulling 250 - 300W - considerably more than the advertised 100W.

By finding and solving these two issues, we think she'll have saved $700 a year (workings below) just with the fan, which she is replacing completely for a whirlybird.

300 W = 0.3 kW
0.3 kW x 24 hours = 8 kWh = 8 units of electricity
Average electricity cost = $0.22 / kWh
Total cost per year = 8 kWh x $0.22 x 365 = $700 per year.

Get a Current Cost ENVI today and discover where your power is going.

www.smartnow.com.au

Another New Google PowerMeter Feature

2010-08-31T03:31:00.000-07:00

So Google really are spoiling us now... with a new tab called "Actions"

Basically this tells you how you're doing against similar sized properties and their average power consumption, and gives you advice on how to reduce your energy use.

As you can see here, we're doing pretty well. As you complete the recommendations you earn badges to show that you've performed the actions, and the suggestions get more and more targeted. It's fairly touchy feely-stuff that I don't think the early adopters will take to, but for the mass market it is very interesting indeed. Combined with the power of the Current Cost ENVI, we believe that most homes should be able to knock at least 25% off their power bill using these tools and simply eliminating waste.

More information from http://www.smartnow.com.au/current_cost_google_powermeter_australia.html

New Google PowerMeter Feature for the Current Cost ENVI in Australia and New Zealand

2010-08-31T03:17:00.000-07:00

Google have added some new features to the Google PowerMeter interface!

The first is a "mouseover" ability that shows you exactly how much power was being drawn at a particular point in time.

[caption id="attachment_75" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Google PowerMeter Australia connected to a Current Cost ENVI, demonstrating the latest mouseover feature to be added"][/caption]

Very useful - it's a feature that has been lacking and we're very pleased to see it arrive.

More information available here: http://www.smartnow.com.au/current_cost_google_powermeter_australia.html

STOP - Read this before you buy your Solar Panels

2010-08-31T02:58:00.000-07:00

Much is made in the press and online about installing solar panels, and given the vast numbers of solar panel providers who are popping up around Australia at the moment, it looks like the idea has caught the public imagination.

The main thing that people focus on is "how long is the payback period"?

i.e. If I'm going to pay out $10,000 on a system, how long does it take before I have made that $10,000 back through either: the electricity company paying me for the electricity I generate and sell them, or the amount of money I will save by not paying the electricity company for the power I have used.

A key component is whether your feed-in tariff (the amount of money that you get paid per kWh) is paid Net or Gross.

Net is where you get paid for every unused kWh you push back to the grid.
Gross is where you get paid for every kWh you generate, irrespective of whether you use it or send it to the grid.

Now, obviously, if you're going to install a system in an area that pays a Net Feed-in Tariff (such as Victoria - at approx $0.66/kWh), you want to ensure that you're pushing as much of the power you generate back to the grid as possible.

Now let's look at a typical house power consumption, with the help of a Current Cost ENVI and Google PowerMeter.

The graphic below is for a three bedroom wooden house in Melbourne's western suburbs.

This home is relatively efficient, but observe the "Always On" power use of 4.3 kWh per day. This is the amount of power that this house is using every day, even if the owners were on holiday.

Let us make an assumption here that the solar panels will be generating at least 180 W (the level of the standby power use in this house) for 12 hours a day on average over the year.

This means that an average of 2.15 kWh per day is being consumed by appliances on standby that would otherwise be being pushed back to the grid.

This is 2.15 kWh x $0.66/kWh = $1.42 per day that is not being earned.

Doesn't sound like a lot does it? Let's multiply that by 365 days... $520 per year!

Now let's assume that this house in it's current state sells back $1000 of electricity per year to the grid, which gives it a ten year payback time ($10,000 / $1000 per year = 10 years).

And now let's work out how long the payback time will be if the owners remove their "Always On" power consumption during the day...

$10000 / $1520 = 6.5 years.

So just by reducing your standby power consumption, your payback time falls (in this scenario) by a third....

Now, consider this - the average home "Always On" figure in Australia is not 180W (4.3 kWh / 24 hours)... it is far, far higher. We have seen homes in Australia that use 3 or 4 or 5 times this figure when no-one is at home.

So before you spend tens of thousands of pounds on a solar PV system, get yourself a Current Cost ENVI from SmartNow an hook it up to Google PowerMeter. Yes, we want you to buy our product, and we're in business to make money. But believe us when we say that it's going to be the best investment you make this year.

The Current Cost Bridge is On Sale in Australia and New Zealand - connect direct to Google PowerMeter

2010-08-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

The Current Cost Bridge is now on sale from SmartNow in New Zealand and Australia
http://www.smartnow.com.au/current_cost_bridge.html http://www.smartnow.co.nz/current_cost_bridge.html

This allows you to connect a Current Cost ENVI or ENVI-R to Google PowerMeter without having your computer on. The Bridge plugs into the back of the ENVI, and connects to one of the ports on your internet router. The data from your ENVI is then pushed to your personal area on the Current Cost website (details to follow) and then can be forwarded on, should you require, to Google PowerMeter which installs on your iGoogle homepage!

For less than $50, the Current Cost Bridge brings Google PowerMeter and reduced power bills a step closer for people all over Australia and New Zealand.

The Bridges are on sale from SmartNow for delivery at the end of September.

Windows 7 Data Cable Drivers – Connecting Current Cost ENVI to Google PowerMeter – Australia and New Zealand

2010-08-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

The content of this post is largely taken from http://currentcost.posterous.com/windows-7-data-cable-drivers, the Current Cost blog.

To connect a Current Cost ENVI to Google PowerMeter, you have two options – either purchase a Bridge from SmartNow http://www.smartnow.com.au/current_cost_bridge.html or you can connect through your PC using the optional USB cable. For most versions of Windows and Mac you need to install the Prolific driver.

However, it is not necessary to install the drivers for the Data Cable for Windows 7. Simply connect the Data Cable and the drivers should be located and installed automatically. If you have previously installed the Data Cable drivers and cannot get the Data Cable working correctly, please follow the instructions for “Uninstalling the Data Cable Drivers”. Uninstalling the Data Cable Drivers With the Data Cable plugged in to the PC, go to Control Panel -> Device Manager. Expand the Ports node. Select the “Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port”. Right click – uninstall. Click to view large Download this gallery (ZIP, undefined KB) Download full size (146 KB) When the uninstall is complete, unplug the Data Cable from the PC. Go back to Control Panel -> Programs and Features. Select the item called “PL-2303 USB-to-Serial” and click “Uninstall” Follow the wizard to complete the uninstall process. Reboot the computer.

Accuracy of Wireless Home Electricity Monitors

2010-08-11T01:29:00.000-07:00

We often get enquiries about the accuracy of wireless home electricity monitors, so here is a summary of our findings.

Almost all real-time displays available in Australia and New Zealand currently get their data from fitting a CT (Current Transformer) clamp to a cable.

The current flowing through the cable generates a magnetic field. The magnetic field subsequently generates a current in the CT Clamp, which is measured and the data is sent to the display via the transmitter.

As a result, because a CT Clamp cannot take into account such things as Power Factor and varying voltage, it can never be 100% accurate. From experiments with the Current Cost ENVI we ave found it to be 1 – 2% accurate up to 1000W, and 3-8% from 1kW – 10kW (with the accuracy decreasing as the power increases).

The Current Cost ENVI default voltage is 240V, so in areas where the voltage is noticeably different, the accuracy will decrease. However, the ENVI-R (due to be available in October / November) comes with a new transmitter that allows multiple voltages to be set (200V, 210V, 220V, 230V, 240V, 250V, 260V).

With regards to Power Factor, some people make a big fuss about this. However, most household appliances have a Power Factor of close to 1 (the assumed PF in the Current Cost ENVI and most other wireless electricity monitors). It is only in commercial environments where there are large electric motors in operation does this become a real issue.

As an example, the Graham Restaurant in Port Melbourne has an ENVI connected up. Since they’ve connected it, their power consumption has reduced from approx 440kWh per day to 260kWh per day – their monthly bill is usually within 3% of the kWh reading that the ENVI has determined. 260kWh a day is a LOT of power – the average house should be using less than 10kWh per day. http://smartnowenvironmental.blogspot.com/2010/05/turn-off-your-coffee-machines.html

However, all the points above are largely irrelevant in my opinion. If you’re after accurate measurement of power used, you’ve got to spend $thousands for an expensive bit of kit to be installed to do this. The Current Cost ENVI http://www.smartnow.com.au/current_cost_envi_store.php costs $139.95 in Australia, and is compatible with Google PowerMeter Australia and New Zealand http://www.google.com/powermeter/about/about.html. This will tell you clearly that your electric heater is drawing 200 times as much power as your energy efficient light globe, and hence turning lights off in your house is not going to have anywhere near as much impact on your bill as turning off your electric heater / excluding drafts / insulating your house.

It’s all about behvioural change – these electricity monitors provide the information people need to be able to make educated decisions about their power consumption and importantly at this time of rising prices, be able to do something about them in an informed and pragmatic fashion.

Google PowerMeter "Always On" Power Consumption with the Current Cost ENVI

2010-06-28T01:07:00.001-07:00

A great piece of information from the Google PowerMeter is the 'Always On' consumption!

This shows you how much your house is using all the time, and what all those devices on standby are costing you.

On this screenshot we can see that this home is using 4.3kWh per day - which is over half the total of 6.5kWh per day. Just think about that - over half your power bill is being spent on keeping equipment running that you might not even be using.

www.smartnow.com.au
www.smartnow.co.nz

New Google PowerMeter for Current Cost ENVI from SmartNow

2010-06-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

The latest release of the Current Cost Google PowerMeter software (version 1.0.18.0) is now available for download. This release adds the ability to upload Current Cost history to Google PowerMeter. Currently only the 2 hour history data is uploaded. There have also been various bug fixes for internationalisation.

You can download the latest release of the Current Cost Google PowerMeter software here:

http://currentcost.com/download/CurrentCostPowerMeter.zip

About Google PowerMeter:
http://www.smartnow.com.au/current_cost_google_power_meter.html

Google PowerMeter and www.SmartNow.com.au and the Current Cost ENVI

2010-06-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

Just a few short weeks after the launch of Google PowerMeter and the response has been incredible. Fortunately we've got stock arriving very shortly so we can keep up with the demand!

The Google PowerMeter is a fantastic tool - the first responses we are getting from our customers are that they are amazed at the proportion of their money they are spending on their Always On - basically the stuff that's on all the time.

We are seeing people using 10 kWh a day... and their Always On figure accounts for 6 kWh! Over half the bill spent on standby!

Exciting times... www.smartnow.com.au

Google PowerMeter comes to Australia and New Zealand with the Current Cost ENVI

2010-05-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Current Cost ENVI is now compatible with Google PowerMeter.

www.google.com/powermeter/about/partners.html

Here is the link to the Google Blog with the announcement!

http://blog.google.org/2010/05/largest-supplier-of-energy-monitors-now.html

This means that you can get Google PowerMeter one of two ways in Australia and New Zealand:

1) Purchase a Current Cost ENVI and USB cable from SmartNow. Plug the ENVI into your computer and upload the data to Google PowerMeter.

2) Purchase a Current Cost ENVI and a Bridge, available in August 2010 from SmartNow (Pre-order from 1 July 2010) and plug your ENVI into the Bridge into your Internet Router... this means that your power information is uploaded to Google PowerMeter without your PC being on!

For more information please see http://www.smartnow.com.au/current_cost_powermeter.html

Smart Meters not so Smart

2010-05-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Age this morning ran this article.

Whilst we at SmartNow are generally in favour of Smart Meters, we're in favour of it being done properly. At the moment, the allegation that the consumer is paying for the Smart Meter, but the power company gets all the benefit are completely true.

It is a real shame that they are not including real-time displays with the rollout, as this is effectively the only way that people can learn to reduce their power bills. Getting a power reading for the previous 24 hours just doesn't cut it.

Peer reviewed studies from around the world have repeatedly found that getting instantaneous information about consumption is the only way that people can learn how to reduce their energy use. You turn something on or off, and watch the power spike or fall.

Instead, with the feedback that customers are getting here, you turn a device on or off and have to wait 24 hours to see the effect.

So, whilst we're waiting for this system to be put right, get a Current Cost ENVI or TREC and slash your power bills.

Sokitt's Energy Audit Blog - how to save cash...

2010-05-18T04:57:00.000-07:00

Finn at Sokitt has pubished some interesting findings of his own home energy audit...

http://www.sokitt.com/blog/?p=20

Here he explains about his findings with his own personal coffee machine, fridge, and kettle.

Well worth a read.

Monitor the Power from your Solar Panels!

2010-05-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

We've just launched a great new package to enable solar panel and micro-generation monitoring using the Current Cost ENVI.

The package includes:
A Current Cost ENVI
A Current Cost TREC
A USB Cable.

The two transmitters are installed to monitor the power the house is using and the power the solar panels / wind turbine is generating respectively.

The ENVI receives data from both displays, and sits in the study / home office and downloads the data to your PC.

The TREC sits somewhere more accessible - maybe the kitchen workbench, or next to the TV - an also receives data from both transmitters, allowing the whole family to keep an eye on their power use.

And best of all... this package saves you $30 off the cost of the individual components!

Click here for more information!

CurrentChart Software for the Current Cost ENVI

2010-05-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

We've just installed Kerry Neighbour's CurrentChart Software.

This is a new piece of software that Kerry built for his own purpose and has very kindly made it available for free.

Frankly, it's sensational. It works instantly, it looks great and the charting is incredibly flexible.

www.minieneighbour.com

Tiny PC that draws only 10 Watts

2010-05-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

We met Yawarra a few days ago at an exhibition. We were very impressed with their tiny PCs that draw miniscule amounts of power - 10-12 Watts when running and only 1.5 Watts in standby. I actually couldn't believe how small they were until I held on in my hand.

www.Yawarra.com.au

If we ever need a PC we'll be buying one of these in a heartbeat.... you could kit out an office with these and save a fortune in power bills.

Smart Grid time-of-use pricing put on hold

2010-05-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

For a while we have been slightly concerned about the Victorian Smart Grid roll-out.

Basically, the customer pays for the Smart Meter, and gets none of the benefits.

This snuck under our radar six weeks ago - apparently they're continuing to deploy the Smart Meters but they're not going to be used for time-of-use pricing for the time being.

www.premier.vic.gov.au

In the mean time, whilst they sort this out, you can get a Current Cost ENVI to give you the information that enables you to take control of your own energy use from us at SmartNow.

Turn Off Your Coffee Machines...

2010-05-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

A Current Cost ENVI was recently installed in the legendary Melbourne restaurant, The Graham (www.thegraham.com.au), a few days ago.

It was discovered that between midnight and nine AM, over 100kWh had been used.

A substantial proportion (approximately half) can be attributed to fridges, cold rooms, security systems and an oven that is left on overnight to slow roast various dishes.

However, the rest of it came from the coffee machine. Over the course of the night is used 60kWh just to keep the water hot. If turned off over night it only takes ten minutes to heat up again in the morning.

Total saving per year? Approximately $3500.

Total saving over the lifetime of the coffee machine (assuming 25 year life)?
$87000.... and that's assuming that electricity prices are going to stay the same!

www.smartnow.com.au

Energy Efficiency on the World Stage

2010-04-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

The fastest, cheapest way to make the biggest impact on the available domestic energy supply is through energy efficiency.

Closing the efficiency gap between available and cost-effective options and the wasteful way energy is presently used will not only reduce the pressure on world resources; it will also save money, an estimated $2-to-$4 for every dollar spent.

Energy Efficiency on the World Stage

Depending on your point of view, this post is a little on the dramatic side for our liking. However, it does raise some interesting points and shows that energy efficiency is a measure that can be taken now and will save money - it's an important point, and makes the arguments over anthropogenic global warming completely irrelevant.

Energy efficiency saves money.

Power upload to Pachube!

2010-04-16T01:16:00.000-07:00

So here it is - the live feed of my apartment's power consumption using the Bridge!

This has been achieved using a Current Cost ENVI (CC128), plugged into a prototype "Bridge" (basically an Arduino with some cunning software on it) which is then plugged direct into an internet router.

The Bridge will be commercially available in early May.

The timestamp on this is about ten hours out, as I am in Melbourne and this timescale is in Zulu, but you should get the idea. You can see the spikes where I turn the electric hob on, and the cycling of the fridge.

Current Cost ENVI now uploading direct to Pachube

2010-04-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

So we've just received the prototype Bridge...

Simply plug an ENVI into the Bridge, plug the Bridge into your internet router, and hey presto! Power information being uploaded to the internet!

pachube :: connecting environments, patching the planet - bridge19

Lots of potential here...

NSW Power Price to rise 64% in 3 years

2010-03-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

A large proportion of our customers are from NSW, where power price rises over the last few years are really putting the squeeze on consumers.

But there is worse to come:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/ets-has-no-bearing-on-power-hike-wong/story-e6frg90f-1225842361557

Scary, if you're a family of four in a conventional (i.e. badly built) Australian house, trying to keep it cool in summer and warm in winter using electricity.

Recalibrate your TV and save money!

2010-02-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across a useful little article whilst researching something completely different...

Apparently, most TVs, when they come out of the box, are set at a very bright setting. This means that your expensive Energy Star gogglebox is sucking back more juice than it realistically needs to.

In some examples, by setting the television to the correct level, you can save an average of US$9 a year.... and in some cases, over US$25 a year (assuming that the TV is on 5 hours a day).

In some homes where the TV (or multiple TVs) are always on, this can add up to some serious cash over the lifetime of your pride and joy.

http://reviews.cnet.com/green-tech/tv-consumption-chart/

Let me know what you think... Thanks!

SmartNow / Current Cost ENVI home energy display

2010-02-17T21:08:00.000-08:00

The ENVI is about the get enhanced capability to upload energy consumption information to your PC and the Internet.

The Current Cost ENVI wireless home energy monitor can be connected to a PC using the optional USB cable available from www.smartnow.com.au and www.smartnow.co.nz

However, a new product (shhh... top secret) is about to make this astoundingly easy!

We'll keep you posted, but keep an eye out for the update!

Current Cost TREC is now here in Australia and New Zealand

2010-02-16T20:51:00.000-08:00

Great news! We've just received the first delivery of the Current Cost TREC!

The TREC home energy monitor is the baby brother to the ENVI, and is available from our websites at www.smartnow.com.au and www.smartnow.co.nz

The TREC is simpler and smaller than the ENVI, but realistically it only lacks the PC interface and the capability to deal with 3-phase power. It's really sleek and we're really pleased that it's arrived.

This is perfect for those who do not require the bells and whistles that the ENVI offers, or those who require a separate display for use elsewhere in their house (i.e. one in the office, one in the kitchen).

More very exciting developments on their way over the next few days. These are exciting times for the home energy monitor market as Current Cost launch their latest offerings into the antipodean market through SmartNow. Of particular importance to us is how we can offer the ENVI and TREC wireless home energy monitors to low-income households and those vulnerable to the rising electricity prices in Australia.

Current Cost Envi on it's way to Australia!

2009-10-22T00:09:00.001-07:00

The first Current Cost Envi Real-Time Energy Monitors are about to arrive in Australia!

Over 600,000 of these amazing monitors have been installed in homes in the UK, and now it's the turn of Australia and New Zealand! As you can tell, we're rather excited about the launch. The monitors will be available from www.SmartNow.com.au as of 2nd November 2009.

These devices can save the average Australian household 15 - 30% of their electricity bills... assuming the average Australian household uses 7000 KWh per year, and that one KWh costs $0.19, that's an amazing $200 - $400 saving each year...

...and that's before the next electricity price rise....

Come visit us at www.SmartNow.com.au to see for yourself!

SmartNow Australia - New Zealand

2009-10-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the SmartNow Blog!

This Blog is going to be all about how to reduce your power bills by making simple savings. However, first of all, we really need to tell you about who we are and what we do, so that will be the topic of the first post...

SmartNow is the Australian Importer and Distributor of the Current Cost range of energy saving devices, including the Current Cost Envi, and we're now open for business in Australia and New Zealand at www.SmartNow.com.au

Over 600,000 of these amazing products have been installed in homes in the UK. They are Real Time Displays - simply, they sit on your desk, or in your kitchen, or on the table beside the front door, and tell you how much electricity you are using and how much money you are spending!

It is estimated that 8% of Australia's electricity is wasted by devices left on standby - the Current Cost Envi can help you track down and eliminate these "Vampire" appliances, and help you understand where you are using your power.

It also enables you to ensure that everything is turned off as you leave the house - no more coming home to discover lights, aircon, heating, irons and hairstraighteners left on.

This saves you money, saves the environment (Australia's power generation is largely dependent on very polluting brown coal power stations), and makes sure that those hairstraighteners are not going to set fire to the carpet.
For more information, please see www.SmartNow.com.au