As a result of the partnership, a new wireless in-home display unit based upon the ZigBee standard is available that will allow homeowners to track their electrical consumption in real time.

Energy Aware Technology develops products that help customers better manage their energy consumption.  The PowerTab is the company’s first product.  It is an in-home display unit, built around the ZigBee wireless standard, helps utilities increase the level of communication with their consumers.  Users of the PowerTab are able to gain insight into their energy usage in real-time.  The ZigBee standard is an open platform, guaranteeing compatibility with any AMI technology that might be added in the future.
Electrical consumption is displayed on the unit in terms of current electrical usage or accumulated usage over time in monetary or kilowatt units.  The PowerTab is also capable of receiving text messages from the power provider.  Equipped with a large LCD panel and user-friendly controls, it also comes with a rechargeable battery and a charging unit that plugs into an electrical outlet.

LED lights in 3 different colours provide a representation of time-of-use billing periods, critical peak pricing, or other demand response events in a way that is visual from across the room.  The unit is also hacker proof with digital certificate authentication technology built in.

Energy Aware Technology announced on October 22 that it had licensed its PowerTab technology to Comverge, a leading provider of demand response technology and counts more than 500 utilities in the United States as its customers.  Comverge solutions enhance power usage efficiency so there is no longer a need to construct power plants or other expensive power grid infrastructure.

The agreement with Comverge broadly enhances the market for its PowerTab display unit.  Comverge will have exclusive distribution rights for the product and will provide it under the name PowerPortal.  

“We’re excited to be working with Comverge,” said Janice Cheam, president of Energy Aware.  “We’re excited to be working with Comverge.  They are an industry leader in this field and bring to the table significant expertise and partnership opportunities.”

Energy Aware hopes to help energy consumers become more aware of their energy usage and become more efficient without significantly altering their lifestyles.  The simple user interface and sleek design of the PowerTab encourages consumers to use the product.

As a Participant member within the ZigBee Alliance, Energy Aware chose the ZigBee Smart Energy profile that provides utilities and open platform smart energy standard for introducing simple to use and secure wireless communications that will help manage energy consumption.  By developing around the Smart Energy Profile, Energy Aware has a product that will function on any smart grid.

The ZigBee Alliance is a non-profit collaboration of more than 280 member companies centred on the development of wireless technology based upon standards developed by the group.  The Alliance is pushing for world-wide adoption of its standard for wireless networks in the next-generation power grid as well as for use in homes, businesses, and industry.

Comverge
120 Eagle Rock Road, Suite 190
East Hanover, NJ 07936
http://www.comverge.com

Energy Aware Technology
Suite 7367
515 West Hastings
Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3
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