We are working with partners Milton Hydro, Direct Energy and Bell Enterprises on the 'Direct Energy Smart Home Energy Conservation Program'.
Installing technology developed by Bell, we are interested in the ways in which increased information and control options affect residents' energy management behaviour and attitudes.
Our project reports are as follows:
- Masters of Environmental Studies (MES) thesis by Jeremy Schembri entitled "The influence of home energy management systems on the behaviours of residential electricity consumers: An Ontario, Canada case study (.pdf)" (September 2008)
- A report entitled "Residential electricity conservation through smart home energy management technology: A case study in Milton, ON (.pdf)" (2 February 2009)
- Two short follow up notes to this 2 February 2009 report (.pdf) (dated 19 February 2009 and 27 February 2009)
The project has received some coverage in the press (including press releases by our partners). See, for example:
- Consumers save up to 44 per cent in energy conservation pilot (Direct Energy, 20 May 2009).
- Utilities energized by the possibilities (Tyler Hamilton, The Toronto Star, 18 May 2009).
- Direct energy program drives conservation among homeowners (Direct Energy, 31 March 2008).
- Direct energy launches energy conservation project in Milton, Ontario (Press Release, 17 July 2007).
- Is metering plan really so smart? (Tyler Hamilton, The Toronto Star, 2 July 2007).
- Log in, turn down your heat: 'Smart house' project lets homeowners in Milton control power usage via Web (Tyler Hamilton, The Toronto Star, 27 February 2007).
Some pictures of the technology appear below:
