DotUI Combines Social Media and Energy Management

By Steve Puma | January 20th, 2010 4 Comments

dotui.jpgThe Cleantech Group announced Wednesday that San Francisco-based startup DotUI has developed a unique way to influence consumer energy usage behavior, by combining real-time energy management software and hardware with digital picture frames and a “fun” interface.

I first encountered DotUI and its Founder/CEO, Ishak Kang, at the Green:NET 2009 Conference, where Kang presented his vision of user interfaces–which are independent of their respective devices, following the user as he or she moved from one device to another. The presumption is that much useful technology goes unused because the user interfaces are difficult to learn. At the time, I wasn’t completely sure how this vision would translate into a viable product in the cleantech market, but it sure sounded interesting.

The company’s first offering, called the Nudgee, includes a wireless touch-screen digital picture frame device, which displays real-time energy usage data collected from “a universal gateway and electrical sub-meter. Gas, water, and air quality meters are optional.”

According to the article: “the company…is taking a fun approach, allowing users to see how much energy is being consumed, with updated images and content from friends and family, and utilizing social networking sites such as Facebook, instead of a dashboard approach other companies are pursuing.”

The company, in partnership with SAP, has announced a pilot program which will implement their technology to help Cal State Chico compete in the Campus Climate Challenge: “The Nudgee technology calculates carbon footprints of college students using high-resolution energy usage data and posts the results in social media competitions, including one between students living in university-owned housing versus the Greek system.”

In a brief conversation today, Kang confirmed that the Nudgee product has a number of interesting applications, including the ability to allocate energy usage to a particular student, or to a particular department’s budget, allowing for very specific social feedback mechanisms.

DotUI was a semifinalist in the 2009 California Cleantch Open’s Smart Power category. The company is currently seeking $600,00 in angel investor funding.

Dot UI puts social networking spin on energy management [Cleantech Group, LLC]

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Steve Puma is a sustainability and technology consultant. He currently writes for 3p as well as on his personal blog, ThePumaBlog, about the intersection of sustainability, technology, innovation, and the future. Steve holds an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School and a BA in Computer Science from Rutgers University. You can contact Steve through email or LinkedIn, or follow him on twitter.

4 Comments

Categorized: Clean Technology, Recycling, Renewable Energy|

  • http://www.triplebottomlineapproach.com Triple bottom line

    Energy has become one of the most significant concerns in the 21st century. The need for energy has continued to increase and it has become difficult to meet this demand. Coal is poised to be one of the most important sources of energy but it is facing the challenge of environmental impact. To ensure that coal becomes an important source of energy in the world, it is important to put in place a framework for sustainable coal mining. The government should play bigger roles in regulation of coal mining and ensure environmental impact assessment is carried out first. The government should shut down mines if they continuously ignore the law. Fines are not sufficient deterrents for coal mines to supply with safety standards and protect the people and the planet.

    For more information visit http://www.triplebottomlineapproach.com and http://www.democracyandconflict.com.

  • triplebottomline

    Energy has become one of the most significant concerns in the 21st century. The need for energy has continued to increase and it has become difficult to meet this demand. Coal is poised to be one of the most important sources of energy but it is facing the challenge of environmental impact. To ensure that coal becomes an important source of energy in the world, it is important to put in place a framework for sustainable coal mining. The government should play bigger roles in regulation of coal mining and ensure environmental impact assessment is carried out first. The government should shut down mines if they continuously ignore the law. Fines are not sufficient deterrents for coal mines to supply with safety standards and protect the people and the planet.

    For more information visit http://www.triplebottomlineapproach.com and http://www.democracyandconflict.com.

  • http://www.communitydevelopmentinfo.com Thomas Woodfin

    Organizing Community For Empowerment Objectives After completion of this module, students should be able to: 1. explain how to organize community components to develop ownership of interventions and take action, and 2. summarize the types of relationships between beneficiaries and community development agents in a humanitarian assistance context. This module provides students with the skills and attitudes necessary for getting all the partners organized in a way that will allow them to become less dependent. For that purpose, this module will discuss issues and approaches related to the relationships between community development agents and beneficiaries which foster and reinforce ownership and an endogenous development. A. Assessing social problems B. Empowering community through participatory approaches C. Partnership or patronage

    http://www.communitydevelopmentinfo.com
    http://www.socialcapitalinfo.com

  • http://www.amway.com/thomaswoodfin Thomas Woodfin

    great article