Today everybody is aiming to "go green" in every aspect of daily life - i.e., solar heating for homes and offices, electric cars and motorcycles, organic rust removers, recycling plastics, etc.
Contractors building Denver new homes should consider one "green" gadget which is worth looking into - the TED Electricity Monitor.
TED stands for "The Electricity Detective". It is a gadget manufactured by a company called Energy, Inc., out of Charleston, South Carolina, which "is a simple, yet extremely accurate, home energy monitor that allows you to see electricity usage in real-time."
How Does it Work?
Directly from the horse's mouth: "TED's transmitting device, located in your circuit breaker panel, measures the amount of electricity coming into your home as you demand/use it, and transmits data every second over your receiving unit. The receiving display unit can be plugged into any A/C outlet in your home." (www.theenergydetective.com) Therefore, Denver homebuilders need not make any electrical adjustments in order to accommodate TED in your home.
Benefits of Using TED
It has happened to everybody, especially during those cold winter months and very hot summer days. When your electric bill arrives you go into immediate catatonic shock. TED will be able to tell you just how much electricity you are currently using - in other words, in "real time".
Another benefit of using TED in your Denver new home is "that you may qualify for a 100% tax credit on the purchase of the equipment with the passage of the 2004 Energy Bill." (www.theenergydetective.com)
TED 1000 or 5000?
Some of the most important differences between these two models are that the 5000 model works with Google PowerMeter; is compatible with Windows PC, Mac and Linux; can be customized to show two displays; it has optional solar/wind net metering capabilities; it accommodates all rate structures (flat, tiered, time-of-use and demand); comes with a wireless handheld display and is able to receive signal/information from multiple sources.
There are also several series of the 5000 model which have to do, primarily, with the number of sources that need to be read.
When building Denver new homes for sale, take the quick survey on theelectricitydetective.com site to determine which model and series is required.
Other Advantages
The advantages that new homes in Denver which use TED, over homes that do not, are several.
With TED you may monitor a mother-in-law apartment as well as measure individual circuits. Also, TED does not require constant resetting or battery changes for it is completely maintenance free and updates the data every second.
TED performs net metering if you have a Photovoltaic system and the system is sensitive to 1 Watt.
The percentage of accuracy of the system in New Homes in Denver using TED is considered to be 2%, but according to the manufacturers do not be surprised if your readings are closer to 1%.
"Green" Features
Denver new homes which use alternative power sources will be able to view solar and wind production, energy consumption and net usage, which you may view in different perspectives. " TED can show either net metering, production or consumption in dollar-view, kilowatt view or CO2 view. When the net amount is a negative number there is more energy being produced than consumed. All solar/wind readings will be negative because energy is being produced. When the net amount reading is positive, energy is being consumed. Each number located next to the "NET" button represents a different Measuring Transmitting Unit (MTU)." (www.theenergydetective.com)
When New Homes in Denver use solar power, "one MTU will be located on the main breaker panel to denote consumption and the other MTU reading will be the solar information or, production." (www.theenergydetective.com)
Graphs
Denver new home communities will be able to graph their energy consumption (or production, as applicable), using TED, either in real time or yearly. This feature allows you to chart your energy consumption in order to keep track of how much energy being is being spent, where and how much. Also, the information may be provided in seconds, minutes, hours, daily and monthly.
Lastly, your TED system will be able to provide you with a projected energy bill as well as your daily consumption, both in dollar amounts.
No more catatonic shock attacks at the time of reading your energy bill.
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