Google has been releasing information on their smart meter management software called PowerMeter little by little, but we've yet to see a fully-completed product.  Microsoft is hoping to steal some of their thunder by releasing a beta version of their energy management software, Hohm, this week and, at least appearance-wise, it has Google beat.

The web-based software allows users to monitor and control their energy use by logging into the Hohm website with their Windows Live ID and zip code.  Based on that information, the software makes estimates of their home energy use and allows the user to enter specific information by answering any or all of 180 questions, with each answer making the numbers more accurate.

So far the software is only available for use by a few utilities - Xcel Energy, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy - with more in line to start using it soon.  If you happen to live in one of the areas serviced by the list above, your energy use information will be even more comprehensive with historical data available from the utility.

The software will be smart meter-compatible as soon as any of its utility partners begin using them.

Eventually, the software will be used in connection with electric vehicle charging and grid demand management, but those more delux features will likely come with a price.  Microsoft has made clear that this software is a product like any other they've created and as it's further developed, cost will start being a factor.  For now, at least while it's in beta, the energy managment tool is free.

via Earth2Tech

“Walkable urbanism” is a catch-all phrase that means many things. It means building developments, towns and cities that put pedestrians first, rather than cars. It means putting retail and office space within walking distance of residential space. It means developing mixed use land, something that has traditionally been avoided by real estate developers. It means replacing suburban sprawl with… real communities. It’s a good thing.

So it’s exciting to hear that the City of Toronto has big, walkable plans for the hundreds of dreary high rise towers that house many of its residents. Right now, these buildings are energy inefficient, and exist in empty plots of land with little transportation and few businesses.

All that is about to change, though because the City plans on retrofitting the buildings with a slew of energy saving measures – improved insulation, better heating and cooling, solar panels, solar hot water… you name it. It’s estimated that these retrofits will cost a fraction of what it would cost to actually tear down the buildings and build new ones.

But besides the fact that the buildings are going to be new and sparkling green, the City is planning on making dynamic use of the previously bare, empty land around the high rises. They are bringing in businesses and farmer’s markets, putting in community gardens and open space, and even setting aside office space in some of the buildings themselves. And they plan on expanding their light rail also, to make these areas more connected.

When we think of the people most likely to bring about necessary green changes, we often think of energy companies or car companies. But let’s not forget that developers – and everyone else who plans how we use our space – can make an extraordinary amount of difference.

Via Inhabitat