March 26, 2012: Studies Find Moderate Savings From Smart Grid Feedback Devices
WASHINGTON — Recent smart grid policy initiatives in the United States and the European Union have led to large-scale research projects investigating the use of real-time feedback technologies that leverage data provided by smart meters. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has released a review of this research, “Results from Recent Real-Time Feedback Studies,” which finds residential electricity savings ranging from 0 to 19.5 percent, with average savings of 3.8 percent.
“This level of savings is modest but encouraging, given the number of factors that appear to influence the use of feedback devices,” said Ben Foster, senior analyst at ACEEE and lead author of the report. “While by no means an exhaustive list, these factors include the design of the devices and the types of content they provide, the degree to which these devices enable the various tasks people want to accomplish using the information provided, negotiations between members of the household that influence energy use, and perhaps a predisposition in responding to information about energy use.”