Energy display puts Smart Meter data into consumer’s hands. 2nd generation product provides advanced features at low cost.
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PRURGENT
Vancouver, BC – September 6, 2012 – Rainforest Automation, a developer of residential energy management products, today released its next-generation home energy display. The EMU-2™ Energy Monitoring Unit is a simple and affordable in-home display that communicates directly with smart meters that have been equipped with ZigBee Smart Energy standard wireless capability, and shows homeowners their energy consumption information in real time.
With the rapid rise of organized, alarmist opposition groups, utilities are finding that getting consumers to welcome smart meters onto their homes is becoming an increasingly challenging task. Customer engagement is now essential to the success of any smart meter deployment. A key element in engaging consumers is to give them access to their own usage data – in real time.
“You wouldn’t drive a car without a dashboard full of gauges to tell you how you are doing,” said Chris Tumpach, president of Rainforest Automation. “But most people are consuming their home energy blind. However, with a smart meter, the EMU-2™ can give you the real time feedback you need; it’s like a speedometer for your home.” This is the essential tool consumers need to take control of their energy use, and shows them the personal value of having a smart meter.
This is the second generation in-home display product from Rainforest Automation. Based on their popular EMU™ product that was introduced in 2009, the EMU-2™ uses the same proven and certified technology, and incorporates a number of improvements suggested by customers from around the globe. The EMU-2 is a ZigBee Certified product based on the ZigBee Smart Energy standard.
While keeping the same simple and intuitive user interface, the EMU-2™ has a sleeker, more attractive design, with a larger backlit screen for easier viewing. The unit is powered by an AC adapter for always-on operation, but also has backup batteries, so electrical loads can be checked out on-the-spot. A USB port has been added to make upgrades easier, and to allow data to be downloaded.
The EMU-2™ supports full ZigBee Smart Energy text messages, and can display data from gas and water meters, as well as electricity. It can support a variety of rate structures, including Time of Use (TOU), Tiered Pricing, Residential Inclining Block (RIB), Prepay, and Critical Peak Pricing (CPP). Pricing information can be sourced from the smart meter, via text message, or entered manually.
Samples of the EMU-2™ have already been shipped to key customers. It is now available from the Rainforest Automation online store (http://www.rainforestautomation.com/choose_store), at the retail price of $69.
About Rainforest Automation
Rainforest Automation, Inc. makes products that allow utilities and homeowners to manage residential energy usage. Our primary product focus is on the ZigBee wireless HAN (Home Area Network), and connecting the smart meter data stream to the home and the cloud. Our open, standards-based devices enable “plug and play” access to the smart meter data stream – not only for utilities and end consumers, but also for third-parties, such as suppliers of home automation equipment, home energy management system makers, and providers of value-added cloud services. The company is based in Vancouver, BC. For more information, visit: www.rainforestautomation.com.
ZigBee: Control your world
ZigBee offers green and global wireless standards connecting the widest range of devices to work together intelligently and help you control your world. The ZigBee Alliance is an open, non-profit association of approximately 400 organizations driving development of innovative, reliable and easy-to-use ZigBee standards. The Alliance promotes worldwide adoption of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in consumer, commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit: www.ZigBee.org.
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