Power to the people: Tendril introduces mobile API into consumption data

I wrote about Tendril about a month ago, when it signed a partnership deal with one of the bigger metering technology companies, Itron. Now, the company has introduced a mobile software API that will let developers create mobile applications that can pull power consumption information out of smart grid systems using the Tendril Residential Energy Ecosystem (TREE).

Tendril Vantage Mobile would let a home-owner or renter use a mobile platform to track things such as energy costs over a certain time period or energy pricing changes, according to Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck. So, a homeowner could actually take action on a power event when he or she was out and about, such as turning down the air-conditioning in response to peak demand pricing.

Other types of applications it would allow people to use on handhelds would include a historical view of billing information, the ability to set up and manage alerts, or a function that lets consumers opt-in or opt-out of demand response events. It could also pull together carbon footprint info.

Tuck said it only took about two weeks to pull together an iPhone application demonstrating these capabilities; the SDK is available in beta form for those who want to develop with it.

This sounds like a great way to start getting consumers to think about energy demand and allowing them to manage their consumption without requiring major retrofits of their home systems. All in good time.