Greenbox launches first product

Energy monitoring software startup Greenbox announced in August the launch of a pilot program with Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) aimed at helping customers scale back their home energy use.

Founded by the creators of Flash multimedia platform, San Bruno, Calif.-based Greenbox is on the hunt for other utilities deploying smart meter initiatives to try out its Web-based program, says Matthew Smith, Greenbox’s vice president of marketing.

For the OG&E pilot, Greenbox partnered with Redwood City, Calif.-based smart grid infrastructure company, Silver Spring Networks. Silver Spring, which also provides network services for Pacific Gas and Electric’s (NYSE: PCG) in-the-works SmartMeter program, supplied network infrastructure, data collection and integration with Greenbox’s platform. 

The software developed by Greenbox is intended to provide residential customers with an in-depth portrait of their energy use and expenditures. With updates every 15 minutes, users can gauge their consumption, see how they compare to other customers and, ideally, cut back on home energy use, Smith said. In addition to data-laden charts and graphs, Greenbox offers suggestions about how to reduce consumption—from behavioral changes to insulation upgrades.

Smith described Greenbox as open-ended in its ability to accommodate new technologies, such as network-enabled appliances, as they become available. The company is currently working on an added element to the software that will provide continuous updates and interface with smart thermostats, allowing for automatic adjustments.

The company is attempting to join other software companies rapidly trying to fill a niche in the resource monitoring industry: In addition to Greenbox’s electricity monitoring function, Smith said the software eventually will be able to track gas, water, wind and solar consumption, to create a “full energy profile.”

Smith said he expects Greenbox, which will also be available to consumers who are not linked to smart metering programs, to roll out in early 2009.