Thinking about entering the Apps for Energy competition? Not sure where to start? Here’s a list of app ideas submitted by readers of Energy.gov, energy sector experts, and Energy Department employees. A big thank you to all the people who took time to submit ideas! Questions? Or do you have an idea to submit? Contact us here.
- Help customers with variable electricity rates use less electricity during the peak demand time from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM on weekdays. Green Button data can show potential savings.
- Help users determine the optimal size of a solar installation on their roof, and then provide information on the impact of the solar panels once they are installed.
- Teach users something new about the impact of their energy use, using environmental data from the EPA or other agencies.
- Let the user compare their usage and household profile to data provided by the Energy Information Administration, or othersources. The Residential Energy Consumption Survey might be a good place tostart!
- The classic: help utility customers save money on their electricity bill. Apps that help users make a home energy efficiency plan exist, but can you take it to the next level? What can Green Button data add to this model?
- Don’t forget about commercial customers, as they often have higher energy costs than residential customers.
- Build a social component to the Green Button program. Help users share something interesting about their usage. Combine education, social, and plan-making for a triple threat!
- Take a behavioral approach. Teach users about how their usage compares to their neighbors, and use that to encourage efficiency.
- Help building owners verify the savings from energy efficiency investments.
- Build a tool to help with organizing solar and energy efficiency financing.
- Ask your local government and organizations about what apps they need.
- Plug Green Button data into an app that uses a building energy model. NREL has several models that are free to use.
- Build an app for people who both have Green Button data and an electric vehicle. When is the best time to charge your car?
- Use the Green Button interval data and responses from the user to break down electricity usage into component parts.
- Build an app that explores base energy use in a house: how energy does a home use when nobody’s home?
Hopefully this list will help you get started!
