Digi International today announced a partnership with GroundedPower, a leading provider of interactive software for energy efficiency and smart grid solutions. Under the partnership GroundedPower’s Interactive Customer Engagement System (iCES) has been fully integrated with the Digi X-Grid to connect consumers’ home energy devices. The Digi X-Grid is an “Extended Grid” that enables real-time, IP-based monitoring and control of home energy devices beyond the electric meter. The GroundedPower iCES system delivers energy customers a compelling interactive application for better understanding their use and cost of energy and tools to motivate and empower dramatic and sustained energy savings.
The benefits of a Digi and GroundedPower partnership became evident in a year-long pilot project involving both companies for the Cape Light Compact in Massachusetts. The GroundedPower system enables real-time viewing of energy use and demand, savings metrics in kWh, dollars and CO2 emissions and provides opportunities for customers to sign up for energy saving activities. As a result, program participants reduced their daily energy use by 9.3 percent or 2.9 kWh per day.
“We are extending the Smart Grid beyond the electric meter,” said Larry Kraft, senior vice president of global sales and marketing, Digi International. “The ‘Extended Grid’ provides an easy and efficient real-time platform for electricity end users to actively engage with energy producers. GroundedPower’s interactive customer engagement system motivates and empowers consumers to become active participants in the energy management process.”
“The Digi X-Grid allows consumers to easily plug their home energy devices into our Interactive Customer Engagement System,” said David A. Rosi, senior vice president of marketing, sales and business development for GroundedPower. “This allows consumers to integrate real-time energy monitoring with our suite of consumer engagement and behavioral tools to help consumers conserve energy and save money. The unprecedented visibility and control over energy use is driving demand for this joint offering from Digi and GroundedPower.”
As a member of the Digi X-Grid Partner Program, GroundedPower is reselling Digi products and services as a part of its iCES platform. Digi supports Digi X-Grid partners to jointly drive continued innovation, marketing and sales of energy service offerings in the Extended Grid.
From meters to thermostats to load control devices, the Digi X-Grid provides secure, real-time access to devices within the “Extended Grid” infrastructure. The Digi X-Grid includes Digi’s Smart Energy gateways, XBee ZigBee modules and adapters and iDigi Platform to make it easy to connect directly to home energy devices. The Digi X-Grid is industry-standards oriented and can connect any Smart Energy compatible device.
For more information about the Digi X-Grid, visit http://www.digi.com/solutions/energy.jsp. For more information on the GroundedPower iCES system visit www.groundedpower.com.
