Speaking to Power: A Community-Technology Collaboration for Energy Communications and Control Infrastructure

摘要

Under public sector support, a not-for-profit technical center for the network of community-based weatherization agencies in New York State scanned emerging energy information technologies, evaluated various strategies, developed a product concept, and negotiated a joint venture with a private sector technology partner for wireless applications to apartment building control and monitoring. The development objective is to retrofit information and communications infrastructure into low-income housing to enable end-user participation in a range of energy management functions, coordination with evolving utility programs, expansion of weatherization agency role beyond one-time service delivery, and promotion of community economic development. The "fit" between partners' respective interests and capabilities is examined. Presently the partners are cooperating on prototyping and test market piloting. Preliminary lessons are drawn regarding use and replicability of such a partnering model for technology deployment.