Two years since it was launched, Google’s PowerMeter is soon to be no more as the company says its efforts have not scaled as quickly as it would have liked.
A number of IT giants, such as Microsoft and Cisco, have entered the smart-meter sector and demand for real-time energy devices is expected to rise in the coming years as governments roll out smart meter programmes.
However, Google said its smart meter product didn’t catch on as quickly as it hoped and it has decided to focus its priorities elsewhere.
Customers will continue to have access to the product until 16 September, after which time they will no longer be able to access their PowerMeter account.
Google first launched PowerMeter in 2009 as a Google.org project to raise awareness about the importance of giving people access to their energy information.
It’s essentially an energy-monitoring tool designed to connect with compatible devices, and provide people with detailed information about their energy consumption.
It enables people to track their energy usage, predict their energy costs, and track their budgets online or through smartphones.
Google signed a number of partnerships with utilities and device vendors to support the application.
