"What one pays attention to one can learn from and
master."
Such is the secret of many successful people and organizations from Thomas
Edison to Weight Watchers.
In a recent article about
Lessons
from the Honda Insight , the idea of a "green" electric meter that gave
users more information about their electrical usage was discussed. If people
could see how much electricity they were actually using when they turned
on the Jacuzzi or what they could save when they cranked down the thermostat
on the water heater, they might be better able to recognize and control their
power usage. A recent contest to design such a meter the interactive
"Veridian Electric Meter" was recently sponsored by the
Sustainability Institute.
Here is the winner.
According to Wired magazine (Jan 2001, p. 169), this table
top bug communicates wirelessly with the main panel box and flashes a green
LED in its tail when power usage is low. As usage goes up his tail turns
first yellow, then red and the happy face turns into a frown. He also starts
to grumble. Such a device would be great for teaching young kids. |