Microsoft Looking Forward to Hohm

Thursday, 25 February 2010 09:20

0 Comments

Microsoft has made the software developer kit for Hohm available to third party device makers and the company anticipates Hohm-enabled devices will be available by this summer. Hohm is an online energy management too that will connect to a number of smart devices such as smart meters, smart plugs, management dashboards and even electric cars. Troy Batterberry, Microsoft’s product unit manager, Microsoft Hohm acknowledged that Microsoft is leaving the door open for a developing a line of branded energy hardware in the future but is currently concentrating on working with third party device manufacturers.

Making the developer kit available is the latest phase of Hohm’s deployment. Microsoft has already launched a consumer-facing web portal and connected the site with data regarding power usage. Currently, Hohm has announced partnerships with four utilities with more official announcements expected in the near future. Microsoft also has strategic partnerships with two smart meter manufacturers:  Landis+Gyr and Itron.

Hohm’s next phase of integration will be to open the platform up to utilities enabling them to better control devices and load shift. The mandate for Hohm is to be a consumer portal and a utility interface. That means that utility companies will be Microsoft customers as well as partners. This positions Hohm to function as the distributed operating system for energy. Batterberry notes that the last phase of Hohm’s integration is at least a decade away: connecting it to the smart home which would include security monitoring as well as other functionality.

Thinking beyond the smart meters of today to the smart home of tomorrow is why Microsoft is giving Hohm electric vehicle smart charging functionality. Batterberry calls electric vehicles “the killer app for the smart grid.” The large amounts of power needed to charge electric vehicles combined with the complex technology required to properly manage it, paves the way for the development of vital intelligence services for the smart grid.

Microsoft’s ultimate plan is for Hohm to connect data for electric vehicles, homes and utilities in one management system that includes scheduling smart electric vehicle charging. Microsoft has already initiated discussions with automakers but has not confirmed which companies.