Wattbox: A ‘Smart’ Device that Enables Efficient Energy Usage

Wattbox, the smart device which enables energy efficient usage

Wattbox (via: Wattbox.com)

Efficient energy use is a phrase that is bandied about quite freely these days. The idea is to use less energy and thereby save more money. But it seems easier said than done.

Why?

The inherent complexity associated with devices like timers and thermostats that are currently in use for the purpose of efficient energy use. These devices make it difficult for people to make on the spot decisions about their current energy usage patterns and energy conservation measures, simply because they are too complicated to be set correctly.

Using timers and thermostats is difficult

The solution?

Wattbox: an ‘intelligent’ or ‘smart’ control unit /device that has the ability to learn the patterns and our habits concerned with energy usage in our households, especially relating to central heating and hot water usage. The device can then provide immediate feedback on how to optimize our usage and thereby result in energy savings of up to 20 percent!

The Wattbox project…

Is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in the UK who have provided a £2.1 million (US$3.3 million approx) grant to develop technologies that contribute to energy efficient home improvements.

The device was designed by the Institute of Energy & Sustainable Development at De Montfort University, Leicester, England.

Advantages of the Wattbox?

The device can be retrofitted. Meaning it can be attached to even old houses and not just new ones
The device can help people obtain the maximum out of green technology investments like solar panels, heat pumps etc.
It has a simple user-interface. If the automatic decision taken by the Wattbox is not satisfactory to the user, it can be changed by pressing a button that reads as simple as ‘More Heat’ or ‘Less Heat’
The device can also show the change in energy consumption as a result of the decisions of the user, and therefore provide the user a comprehensive idea about his/her energy usage patterns

User interface of energy management system (via: Wattbox.com)

The principle behind the Wattbox is to influence user behavior in such a way that energy usage can be optimized and thereby make a significant contribution towards the lowering of the user’s electricity bills. And the goal is of course a contribution towards making a dent on our carbon footprint in the long run…