GREEN BUILDERS’ & REMODELERS’ NEWS
February 2011

by Jacque Wirth, Solar Energy Systems of Brevard
Power consumption and a new way to monitor home energy use to mitigate against inevitable electric rate increases was the topic for this year’s first Green Builders’ and Remodelers’ Council meeting. Dave Thorn and Paul Greenis of ThornProducts LLC joined us and sponsored lunch for our Thursday, January 27^th lunch meeting. Their Pinch-A-Watt system is a patent-pending usage monitoring system can be snapped on, installed in-line, or built-in to sockets and switches, enabling consumers to non-intrusively monitor energy consumption of every connected device within a home or business.

Homeowners and business owners typically know very little about their energy consumption or how to control or reduce it”, explained Paul Greenis, ThornProducts consultant, “This actionable monitoring system shows you exactly how much devices are consuming at any given time, and alerts you when they exceed expected usage”. Pinch-A-Watt provides simple, actionable on-line data, so that the proper steps can be taken to reduce electricity costs. Users may notice consumption data moving from the green, to yellow, then into the red alert, possibly finding that a refrigerator door has been left open, or a light or computer is habitually being left on, or that a water heating element has aged to the point of inefficiency. When the system locates the problem, the owner can take steps to correct it.

In addition to providing usage data to homeowners, the system makes it possible for owners of business or residential tenants to view summary reports, making it possible to charge the occupants for their utility usage according to their actual energy consumption versus the typical square footage allocation method.

Pinch-A-Watt can provide solutions to escalating energy costs, rising consumption, and higher bills. Citing a more than 35% increase in average electrical costs between 2004 and 2009, and expected increases in the horizon, these actionable monitoring systems could provide exponential savings potential. Home and business owners looking to build, remodel, or upgrade can expect significant savings, especially as more utilities are shifting to tiered and time-of-use rate plans. Knowing what time of day their devices draw the most can help owners develop efficiency plans to work around peak grid demand.

Further information about ThornProducts offerings can be found at www.thornproducts.com or contact Paul Greenis @ paulg@thornproducts.com.

For information or questions on the council, please contact one of our co-chairs, Cindy Foley of Home Solution Specialists (321-622-6929) or Jacque Wirth of Solar Energy Systems of Brevard (321-426-6670).

Cindy Foley, Home Solution Specialists, and co-chair of the Green Builders’ and Remodelers’ Council, Dave Thorn, president, ThornProducts,LLC, Paul Greenis, consultant, ThornProducts, LLC, and Jacque Wirth, Solar Energy Systems of Brevard and co-chair of the Green Builders’ and Remodelers’ Council