Dashboard delivers Web-based energy use data

California-based Lucid Design Group today released a new product — Building Dashboard® Starter — to provide organisations with Web-based, real-time information about building energy consumption, energy costs and carbon emissions.

The dashboard is designed to help users reduce energy expenses and lower the environmental impact of their buildings.

Building Dashboard® Starter delivers updated information every 60 seconds and allows for measurement comparisons over any time frame. Designed as a low-cost, entry-level technology for energy management, the dashboard works with almost all existing electrical and metering systems, the company says.

“When people get specific, timely information about energy use, they can alter their behavior to lower consumption,” said Michael Murray, CEO and co-founder of the company. “Today there are dozens of universities, companies and other institutions across the country reducing their carbon footprint significantly because they have access to real-time information through Lucid Design Group solutions.”

Among those users is Yahoo!, uses Lucid’s technology to provide employees at its Sunnyvale, California, headquarters with energy use information on a touch screen located in the cafeteria.