Green Button makes new energy management apps available to consumers

Customers can now choose from a selection of eight approved apps that provide helpful energy usage information and analysis.

TORONTO, May 21, 2015 – MaRS Discovery District and London Hydro announced today the launch of a new collection of electricity management apps for Ontarians. These applications, developed and owned by existing innovative businesses and budding entrepreneurs, are part of the second phase of the Ontario Green Button Connect My Data pilot.

The Green Button standard provides Ontarians with direct and timely access to their electricity consumption data and the ability to securely share it with innovative solutions and applications that can use this data to provide them with valuable insights and services.

“I am pleased to see that London Hydro consumers will now be able to access their energy data in a consistent format and share their data using these four new Green Button-enabled energy applications,” said Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Energy. “The information gathered from these apps will enable consumers to more closely monitor and control their energy usage, and may assist us in reaching our energy conservation targets. I congratulate MaRS Discovery District and London Hydro for spearheading this innovation.”

“Extending London Hydro’s Green Button pilot to another four innovative energy management solutions is a critical step in validating the value to consumers and businesses,” said Joe Greenwood, Program Director, Data Catalyst, MaRS Discovery District. “These solutions will help consumers monitor and manage their energy usage. Experience from this rollout shows how Green Button reduces the time and cost for these new solutions to come to market. MaRS Discovery District will continue to support all innovators in the energy sector to realize the full market opportunity enabled by Green Button.”

The four new applications launched today will offer Ontarians new and expanded tools to manage their energy consumption. Three of the applications launched are geared towards residential customers and one is aimed at commercial customers. These applications are free of charge for customers until November 15, 2015 and include:

Residential applications

HomeBeat by Bidgely
HomeBeat is a web and mobile application that provides customers with a trusted energy advisor to help them understand energy use by showing the impact of individual appliances on the bill and providing them with tips to reduce consumption.

Presence Pro Energy by People Power
Presence Pro Energy delivers real-time, whole-home energy monitoring and smart plug control giving residential and small business users the ability to manage electricity use from a smartphone or tablet.

Wattsly
Wattsly is your personalized energy butler that helps you monitor and lower your electricity usage, and helps you make great consumer choices for your wallet and the planet. Wattsly was the GOLD prize and People’s Choice winner in the 2014 Energy Apps for Ontario Challenge. They were also featured in the U.S. White House 2014 Energy Datapalooza.

Commercial application

Stream by Energy Profiles Limited (EPL)
Stream is a comprehensive utility data management system, which enables property owners and managers to understand their utility use and cost at both the portfolio and building level. EPL’s retained clients include some of the largest public and privately owned companies in Canada, collectively representing approx. 200 million square feet of commercial space.

In late 2014, London Hydro launched the Green Button Test Lab to offer application developers a space to build and test their tools. The test lab is based on the experience of the first round of Green Button applications.

Following the successful launch of the first phase of applications, and in support of continued innovation, London Hydro has also signed on as the Founding Member of the Green Button Alliance, which aims to foster the development and wider-adoption of the Green Button standard across North-America.

To learn more about London Hydro’s Green Button pilots, visit: www.mygreenbutton.ca
For more information on the Green Button standard visit: www.greenbuttondata.ca. For background on the Green Button initiative, visit: www.energy.gov.on.ca/en/green-button/

About the Green Button Initiative
In November 2012, the government announced a partnership with MaRS Discovery District to introduce the Green Button initiative in Ontario. The initiative is based on the Green Button initiative launched by the United States Department of Energy in 2011. Led by the Ministry of Energy and MaRS Discovery District , a working group was formed with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and representatives from the energy sector to adopt and implement the “Green Button data standard” — a common format for customers to securely access their data from their electric utilities. This second phase of the initiative is called Connect My Data, which allow customers to authorize direct, secure transfers of their electricity usage data to web and mobile apps for their computers, tablets and smartphones.

These apps empower customers to better understand, take control over their energy use and create opportunities for: conservation through behaviour change; energy efficiency upgrades; improved energy management and more innovative applications.

The Green Button pilot was initiated in 2014 offering residential and commercial customers a choice of four applications to easily access their electricity data and better manage their usage. These applications include:

MyEyedro by Eyedro
MyEyedro is a fun, fast and free way to manage electricity use. At home or on the go, customers can see how they measure up against family, friends, and find out how much they can save when they take control.

GOODcoins by Zerofootprint
GOODcoins rewards customers for tracking electricity and for achieving electricity reductions targets. Customers earn rewards for using less electricity.

BuiltSpace
BuiltSpace provides a comprehensive building asset, energy, and service management solution, to optimize energy and operational efficiency across diverse building portfolios.

Energent
Energent incorporates powerful statistical energy modeling capabilities to track monitor and assess customers’ energy data and facility energy performance.

About MaRS Discovery District
MaRS Discovery District (@MaRSDD) in Toronto is one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs. MaRS cultivates high-impact ventures and equips innovators to drive economic and societal prosperity. MaRS provides expert advice and market research, and makes connections to talent, customers and capital. MaRS start-up ventures have created 6,500 jobs and, in the last three years alone, they have raised $1 billion in capital and generated $500 million in revenue.

About London Hydro Inc.
London Hydro is as a Local Distribution Company that services the city of London, Ontario, Canada. With a peak load of 719 megawatts, we deliver a safe and reliable supply of electricity to over 152,549 customers from the residential, institutional, commercial and industrial sectors, through 2,820 kilometres of overhead and underground cables, spanning 420 square kilometres of service territory. London Hydro is a leading North American utility in founding the Green Button Alliance as well as in deploying Green Button standard technologies to provide customers with universal solutions.