SAVE THE WORLD
(AND LOOK GOOD WHILE DOING IT)
(AND LOOK GOOD WHILE DOING IT)
A
single shard of simple technology could save the world and our powerless nation
IT WAS QUITE amusing. To be part of
a National Grid failure twice, where multiple states and millions of people
were blacked out and powerless in more ways than one. Powerless – as in no
electricity and powerless – as in we could do nothing about it. I know, there
really is nothing amusing about massive traffic jams (no signals working), no
mobile phones (most people had not charged phones adequately), crumpled
clothing (ironing without bijli is quite a tough task) and no money or ways to
commute (ATMs didn’t work nor did the Metro for a while). But think about it,
in a country that is on its way to be a superpower, in a nation that is fuelled
by the next generation of world-beating entrepreneurs and go-getters, in a
state that is supposed to be at the cutting edge of technology and development
– we had a power blackout twice that took down literally one fourth of our
country including and especially the national capital. Amusing? Very!
MORE POWER TO YOU These devices make
you aware, informed and knowledgeable, and give you real-time feedback
AND IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE
Don’t worry, this isn’t a social
commentary on the state of the power sector nor a scathing column on just how
poorly the demand to supply ratio has been planned for now and the future. This
is still a tech column. There is a point to all of this and I’m just about
getting there. We are a power-deficient country and we are going to suffer
quite a bit now and a whole lot more in the future. You don’t need a crystal
ball to predict three things. We will have more of these grid failures, power
deficiency will continue for the better part of this decade and most
importantly, energy will cost more, much more – in the near future. So, we are
destined to suffer! Well, not really. There is a solution and once again it’s
technology that can make sure that all of this isn’t in our future. But if the
government, the ministries and our merry band of politicians can’t help, then
can technology really help? In the words of the Barackster – yes, it can.
ALERT
Be warned! What follows is a
cautionary tale of very frightening proportions. It could change you as a
person, make you responsible, truly affect your personality and attitude, turn
you around inside out and make you a better person. If you aren’t willing to go
through such radical changes – then move along – there is nothing for you on
this page, any further. If you are still here, then congratulate yourself. You
are about to discover a revolution. A single shard of simple effortless
technology that could save the world and our powerless nation, one energy
saving monitor at a time.
ABRACADABRA
If I was to tell you that a wireless
idiot-proof device exists that can monitor every piece of equipment in your
house in real time; tell you how much section or room it consumes; what it
costs to run for an hour/day/week/month/year; what your current consumption is
for the whole house; what is really burning a hole in your pocket; what small
changes you can do to bring your electricity bill down by half; give you
charts, grids and easy numbers for the last two years of your usage; can be
tracked from anywhere in the world on a phone, computer or Tablet and can be
set up by anyone, I repeat anyone, in less than 10 minutes – you’d say that I
am smoking some very strong drugs, right? But this device exists and there are
multiple versions of it. It costs about R3,000 and the pay-off will be savings
for years. It makes you aware, informed and knowledgeable and gives you
real-time feedback for you to put in a system and a course of action for you to
stop wasting electricity. The average saving wherever this device is installed
is about 20 per cent or more. Think, if every person in our country used this –
our power crisis would be over.
HOW IT WORKS
This is a simple device. It consists
of three things: A wireless receiver unit with a big screen that looks like a
very sophisticated digital clock, a wireless transmitter and a sensor that
clips to it. All you have to do is identify the outgoing electricity supply
cable (it’s usually the red one coming out your electricity meter and into your
house), snap open the sensor and put it around the cable. No splicing wires, no
unhooking anything – the sensor just sits loosely around the cable. Take the
wire from the sensor and insert it into the transmitter. Now press the sync
button between the transmitter and the wireless receiver (place it anywhere in
your house). That’s it. The receiver’s screen will immediately start showing
you how much electricity is being drawn off your mains and into your house. As
you shut off and start devices like geysers, ACs, refrigerators, TVs – the draw
becomes more or less and shows up on your receiver screen. You can programme it
to show you consumption in units, money or how much carbon is being generated
due to your electricity usage. Track historical data, set alarms and input
different tariffs. With additional accessories, you can monitor three-phase
connections, check consumption from anywhere in the world and also have the
system email you a warning whenever energy usage goes haywire.
PLAN OF ACTION
Amazing, right? Yes, but here’s the
kicker. You do not get these devices in India! If you want to be a self-aware
concerned citizen of the country, you’ve got to import one of these from Europe.
Isn’t it incredible that something so revolutionary, at a price that is
affordable, with functionality that could make a huge difference is not
available here. My new quest is to ask the government to give away one of these
free with every electricity connection across the nation.
- Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV HTBR120805
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