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• A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Mar 9 2011: These are interesting points you raise. You are right that home energy solutions will involve both home decision makers. If a DIY model won't appeal to all decision makers, what kind of approach do you think will appeal more to everyone? Do others agree with this assessment? By the way, unfortunately I was unable to attend CES but I believe my colleague David McCalpin (GM, Home Energy) was on the panel you attended. I will make sure he sees your comments as well.

• A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Mar 9 2011: The GE Nucleus is primarily targeted at consumers but there is plenty of application for developers as well. Eventually we see Nucleus monitoring water, natural gas and renewable energy sources, as well as plug-in electric vehicle charging.

• A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Feb 22 2011: Aren't people already financially incentivized, to an extent, because the energy cost model is consumption based? We need to work on information- making sure people know which decisions they can make for financial gain. Information can help people make decisions about which energy they source, which products they use and how they use them. The GE Nucleus, as we mentioned earlier, is part of this.
  
  We also imagine a modern energy grid that operates two-way. Right now the grid just pushes energy out, from supplier to consumer, as it has for decades. But a grid where a home- or business owner can track and monitor energy consumption, have the information they need to minimize use and cut costs, and even sell energy back to the grid, would make economic sense for everyone. And because it saves money, it would be the fastest way for consumers and businesses to adopt sustainable and renewable energy solutions.

• A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Feb 22 2011: For GE the smart grid is a three part puzzle, and we're exploring how we can improve all of it: how to create power, connect power and use power more efficiently. A big part of using power more efficiently is changing behavior. This is a popular topic for ecomagination Challenge entrants, as well as for people in this TED community. TED Fellow Rachel Armstrong also brought up the idea earlier in this Conversation thread of gaming elements to incentivize decision making. We think this is a really interesting idea.
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  A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Feb 17 2011: This idea reminds me of the design Solar Roadways is working on to create entire roads of solar panels. They are tackling similar questions about how glass can be constructed to handle the pressure. Solar Roadways submitted their plans in our first ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid last summer http://challenge.ecomagination.com/ideas/Solar-Roadways

• A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Feb 16 2011: Thanks for your input; we believe in the power of information as well, that's why we are bringing technology like the GE Nucleus (www.geappliances.com/home-energy-manager/) to market. What do you think about the Nucleus?

• A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Feb 16 2011: I agree that both issues are related even if consumers prioritize health over carbon footprint as a motivating factor. In fact, addressing carbon footprint issues over time can have a beneficial impact on health by, for example, reducing emissions resulting in a more sustainable environment. I think the hand-held device you have outlined sounds like a very smart and innovative approach. It does a good job of showing the correlation between a more energy efficient home being a healthier home.

• A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Feb 15 2011: We agree that household energy consumption and management is just one of many challenges that need to be tackled. While the current ecomagination Challenge focuses on "Powering Your Home", the previous was a call to arms for ideas around the Smart Grid- ideas on how to create, connect and use energy more efficiently across the spectrum. You can view these ideas, still, on the http://challenge.ecomagination.com website.

• A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Feb 15 2011: Rachel, you bring up more than a few good ideas here worth thinking more about. There might be alternatives to granular decision making, such as creating a preference profile that allows your energy company to make decisions for you. As for distributed gaming, we are seeing submissions in the ecomagination Challenge that follow a similar line of thought. For example, have you looked at the Welectricity submission (http://challenge.ecomagination.com/home/Welectricity-Energy-Efficiency-meet-Soci)? What do you think of this, and other ideas? I encourage you to leave feedback for the Challenge participants as well.

• A reply on Conversation: A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?

  Feb 14 2011: Reducing your footprint is an interesting topic, especially when it comes to design. Have you seen the results of the Life Edited New York City apartment design contest? You can read more here: http://mashable.com/2011/01/27/lifeedited-design-winners/#81292-Living-in-the-Future . What do you think?