Your Energy Identity and Why You Should Care

Your sustainability credentials are already under scrutiny—how can you both protect and extract value from this new data? At AMEE, we are on a long journey to measure the energy consumption of everything on Earth, and to make that data accessible.

Unpacking it touches on everything from economics to international security, from lifestyle choices to business profitability. Kilograms of CO2 as a currency is only the beginning.

The world is moving towards global regulation of carbon: a new market in the non-emissions of pollutants already exists in Europe and parts of the USA. It will soon be introduced across the whole of the USA and in numerous other countries.

This regulatory imperative will impact governments, companies, and individuals—directly in the form of new restrictions, and indirectly via price signals as the cost of carbon is integrated into the economy.

The management of this market relies on accurate measurement. Emissions from exhausts and chimneys can be measured relatively easily, but to find solutions a finer understanding of the behaviors and choices that cause these emissions will be needed.

As smart meters roll out across homes and businesses, a new energy grid is evolving. Your personal and business consumption habits are being tracked in increasing detail—from GPS data that infers your mode of transport, to electronic payments that track spending habits. In some countries, energy rationing is being discussed.

Shouldn’t we be treating this information as carefully as the rest of our digital identity? Properly data-mined, it may reveal more about our lives than any social network or Google history can ever do.

What happens to our personal ability to affect change once emissions are capped upstream? Verifiable information that validates actions should enable individuals to participate in the cap and trade markets. Not to do so removes any incentive to take personal responsibility for the problem.

With stakes this high, what pressure do we need to bring to bear on suppliers and retailers who are fiercly protective of their data-mining potential, and governments to both open and protect a vital part of our sustainable future.

As the Web breaks into the physical domain, catalyzed by innovation to address and reduce consumption, what future Web should we be watching out for and where are its pitfalls?