Monitoring one's household power consumption levels is becoming more and more important nowadays, given the higher price of energy around the world, as well as the fact that one should be permanently concerned about the environment. For this reason, General Electric (GE) used its enhanced expertise in this field in order to develop the Nucleus, an innovative communication and data storage device that provides consumers with secure information about their household electricity use and costs so they can make more informed choices about how and when to use power.

As utilities deploy smart meters, the Nucleus will collect and store a consumer’s household electricity use and cost data for up to three years and present it to consumers in real-time using simple, intuitive PC and smart phone applications, helping consumers monitor and control their energy use.

According to GE, the Nucleus is the first product in GE’s Brillion suite of smart home energy management solutions that will help consumers control their energy use and costs. In addition to the Nucleus, GE’s Brillion suite will include a programmable thermostat, in-home display, a smart phone application, and smart appliances for the entire home.

Future Brillion options will also include alerts to assist consumers with daily tasks, such as when to change the refrigerator’s water filter or when the dryer cycle ends. Software upgrades will further enable Nucleus to monitor water, natural gas, and renewable energy sources, as well as plug-in electric vehicle charging.

“Currently consumers have little more than a monthly utility bill to determine what they’re using and spending,” said Dave McCalpin, GM, Home Energy Management. “GE’s Nucleus with Brillion technology was developed to provide real-time information for more control over household energy costs and consumption. It serves as the command center for energy and cost conscious homeowners to make smarter, more informed decisions.”

The Nucleus is expected to be available for consumer purchase in early 2011 at an estimated retail price of $149-$199, which is not even that high a price point, especially taking into account the numerous features it provides.  



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