Microsoft Hohm

Microsoft Hohm Service Discontinuation

(Unknown) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:59:36 GMT

Microsoft is discontinuing the Microsoft Hohm service effective May 31, 2012. The service will continue to operate until that time.

The feedback from customers and partners has remained encouraging throughout Microsoft Hohm’s beta period. However, due to the slow overall market adoption of the service, we are instead focusing our efforts on products and solutions more capable of supporting long-standing growth within this evolving market.

At Microsoft, we believe in tackling the incredible energy and environmental challenges of the 21^st century by leveraging the power of information, fostering a collaborative approach to creating and implementing new technologies, and staying nimble in order to do what’s best long term for our customers.

Microsoft Hohm has helped demonstrate the critical role of information in helping people and organizations improve how energy is generated, distributed and ultimately consumed. Microsoft will continue to focus on developing products, solutions and partnership that span a wide spectrum of industries, such as power generation, distribution grids, buildings and transportations systems.

For example, we are working with partners, utilities, universities, governments, building management companies and leaders in the IT industry to accelerate development of energy-smart solutions for growing cities. More energy-efficient cities are among our best opportunities to provide sustainable economic growth and quality of life in the long-term. Microsoft’s Smart Energy Reference Architecture (SERA) also helps utilities develop an ecosystem where thousands of smart devices can seamlessly plug into the grid with common standards and interoperability framework.

Technology is also giving us greater understanding of the resources and systems we depend on. Citizens, educators and scientists are benefiting from the power of information with Microsoft tools such as Worldwide Telescope and Eye On Earth. Microsoft Research has provided individuals a way to estimate the power consumption of their computer through Joulemeter. We joined a number of companies and organizations to launch the Climate Savers Computing Inititative (CSCI), an organization that provides guidance to individuals and businesses on using industry innovations and best practices to improve energy efficiency and power management.

We are also seeing possibilities for energy savings emerge with cloud computing. A recent study found that customers can reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions on a per-user basis by running common business applications in the cloud versus running the applications in their own data centers.

Together with our partners, we will continue to develop technologies that help people and organizations reduce their impact on the environment. Much more work remains to realize a sustainable future, and we believe a collaborative approach with partners, businesses, government, scientists and citizens will play a transformative role. To learn more about Microsoft’s sustainability initiatives and products, visit Microsoft’s Software Enabled Earth blog and Power & Utilities blog. For more information on Microsoft Hohm, please visit the FAQ page.

Lions and Tigers and Labels. Oh, my!

(Unknown) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:23:48 GMT

I’m a big believer in the notion that knowledge is power. The more I know, especially when it comes to the choices I make as a consumer, the better those choices will be – not only for me and my family, but also for the world around me. Which is why I’m excited to tell you that starting soon you’ll be seeing a whole slew of groovy new labels on some of the products you know and love. Even better, these labels are going to give you access to new information on how those products are made as well as new tools to make better use of them in your daily life.

The first of these handy-dandy new labels is the WindMade label. The NY Time Green Blog reports that a number of companies and organizations (including such distinctly odd bedfellows as the World Wildlife Fund and Lego) have joined forces to create the label. It’s a first-of-its-kind effort to make it easier for consumers to identify products that are produced using electricity from wind power. Standards are still under development, so there’s not a lot of detail on how companies will certify their use of wind power. But with wind energy development increasing (and public acceptance starting to gain ground), it seems hopeful that WindMade will catch on, maybe even spurring some SolarMade or GeothermalMade offshoots.

Tip of the hat to Treehugger for heralding the release date for the Department of Agriculture’s new Biobased Products Label. The label will highlight companies that use agricultural-based (instead of petroleum-based) materials in for their products or product packaging. Using an agricultural-based material like corn typically means that products can decompose and don’t need recycling (I’m talking to you, plastic water bottles). The labels should start appearing on products this spring.

One of the biggest complaints some of the new light bulbs on the market these days is that the lights make your living room look like a hospital room. Having grown up with incandescent bulbs that give off a comforting, yellow glow, it’s hard for many of us to get used to lighting that can lean more towards the cool end of the spectrum. In the last few years, LED manufacturers have come a long way in getting their lights to look more like that soft yellow glow we’re all used to; but it’s still been hard for consumers to know which bulbs should go in the bedroom, and which should be saved for the operating room. The FTC’s new Lighting Facts Label hopes to change that. Available on lighting products or product literature, the label will (among other things) make the whole issue of Correlated Color Temperature (basically, how yellow or blue your lighting looks) much clearer.

Amy Foster Parish is on staff with the Washington State University Extension Energy Program. In her spare time, she enjoys reading the nutrition labels on cereal boxes.

No Money for a Professional Energy Audit? No problem!

(Unknown) — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:00:07 GMT

In past posts, other Hohm bloggers have discussed what consumers should expect from a professional home energy audit. There’s no doubt that if you’re looking for comprehensive and evidence-based recommendations on home energy improvements, the professional audit is the cat’s pajamas. Professional auditors have plenty of tools in the old tool belt to help you save energy, from thermal imagery systems that map heat loss to blower door tests that find air leaks.

But all that energy-testing gadgetry isn’t free, and it may be that your budget just doesn’t have the capacity to pay an auditor and start making those much needed efficiency improvements. If you find yourself in this predicament, you do have options. You can undertake a Do-It-Yourself home energy audit that won’t be as comprehensive, but will at least get you on the right track to making your home more air tight and cutting back on your utility bills.

So what will your DIY home energy audit entail? To get the most bang for the least buck, you’re going to focus on two areas – insulation and air sealing. With insulation in hand, you’ll mainly be focused on your attic (since it can be difficult and expensive to add insulation to existing walls). When it comes to air sealing, you’ll have two main concerns – finding all the places where outside air is sneaking in and finding all the places where inside air is sneaking out. Air sneaking in might happen around windows, doors or electrical outlets. Air sneaking out might happen around vent pipes, lighting fixtures and attic entries. All told, there are plenty of opportunities for a determined homeowner armed with a caulk gun to fight the good fight against that sneaky air. Energy Star even has a handy guide – with pictures and everything! – that can help. In a pinch, you can even use a candle or incense stick to find air leaks. Flickering flames or drifting smoke are a dead giveaway.

Once your DIY improvements start paying off in energy savings, you’ll be able to set aside those savings towards a more professional version of your DIY audit. Before you know it, you’ll be able to pay for audit without ever having to mess with your budget.

Amy Foster Parish is on staff with the Washington State University Extension Energy Program. In her spare time, she enjoys conducting stealthy DIY energy audits during dinner parties.