the first step towards a smarter, sustainable power grid is putting the information about energy consumer’s habits into their own hands. smart meters do just that.

we talked to quadlogic controls corporation (qlc), based in new york city, which is a small business that produces these devices. smart meters are conduits that allow for communication between utilities and consumers. they enable customers to monitor their electricity usage in real time. smart meters make individuals and businesses responsible for the cost of electricity use, which can lead to smarter, greener, and more sustainable decisions.

our piece focuses on illuminating the ways in which blind energy usage contributes to overall habits of energy waste, and how empowering consumers with a means of literally itemizing their energy usage can reverse this effect.

– charles pulliam-moore and sayre swarztrauber