Brussels, 21/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has spotlighted and EU-funded project which gives consumers and businesses more information about their energy use so that they can make savings. The Digital Environment Home Energy Management System (DEHEMS) project, being tested in the United Kingdom and Bulgaria, lets consumers compare and reduce their energy consumption thanks to a system which presents data every six seconds through a small digital display. The data can also be displayed in real time via a TV screen, mobile phone, PC or social media app. “People make better choices when they have better information at hand. The DEHEMS project shows that very simple technologies can go a long way to helping Europe reduce energy use”, said Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes. The DEHEMS project received an EU financial contribution of €2,878,434 towards the total budget of €3,728,473. The project partnership includes a mix of European local authorities, private business and universities.
Consumers can reduce energy usage by an average of 8% when provided with an “information dashboard” that shows their energy use. Energy is often wasted because citizens and business do not realise which appliances and lighting use the most energy, what their real energy consumption is and how they can make comparisons, the Commission says. The DEHEMS system could set a huge trend in the coming years. Two commercial products are now available: The “Energyhive” (http://www.energyhive.co.uk ), a network that enables members to get a real time view of their home energy consumption 24/7 through a web browser, and “Greenica” (http://www.greenica.net ) which offers special products for homes, schools and small businesses. Thanks to a partnership between Hildebrand and IBM, the DEHEMS project and its lessons will soon be used by businesses both in Europe and worldwide. Major deployment is planned with Smart Grids Australia (involving 50,000 homes) and a district heating initiative in Camden, London. Last but not least, in view of the results achieved so far, the Family House Association in Birmingham is looking to use DEHEMS-type technology. (IL/transl.rt)