Monitoring Energy Use
We will be measuring as much of the household's energy use as possible. From electricity, to water, to fuel...
Household electricity consumption will be measured where possible using real time display monitors kindly provided by GreenHouse sponsor Current Cost.
How do these work?
Well, the monitor is clipped to the cable from each household's electricity meter and the current is then measured and transmitted wirelessly to a display that can be kept anywhere in the house. This will be new and previously untested technology in at least four of our GreenHouse countries. We will keep you up to date with how it goes!
The electricity - and other forms of energy - used by our participating households will be monitored throughout the project and displayed on this page.
What will we do with this data?
At the end of GreenHouse, we will have a full year's worth of data that can be compared to the baseline year. We will then calculate the percentage change (hopefully a reduction!) in electricity consumption for each community.
The community that has the biggest reduction in its energy use will win that section of GreenHouse. To get our overall GreenHouse winner, these results will be combined with the householders' performance in all of the monthly challenges.
Of course, until we have a full year of data for each community, you will need to be careful about the conclusions you draw...! Demand for forms of energy such as electricity will be hugely affected by a number of factors over the course of a year and these need to be taken into account when looking at the households' consumption.
For example, due to their global spread, our participating countries will be experiencing different seasons at different times. While it's very hot in some places and households will be using extra power for cooling; others will be in the middle of winter and using more power for lighting and heat.
Don't pick your front-runner too soon! There will be everything to play for right to the end...
