Google (GOOG) seems convinced that people won't use PowerMeter, its free home-energy monitoring software, unless there's some gimmicky social media feature attached to it. For the second time this ... After failing to attract enough users, Google announced Friday that it would retire PowerMeter, a free web tool that allowed folks to track their home's energy use.

Understanding the Context

Even though the home-energy ... Green geeks have been abuzz over Google’s PowerMeter, the search engine’s first foray into the smart grid industry, since it was announced this past February. Up until this point, we’ve only had a few ... Google’s PowerMeter, which will enable consumers to see how much energy they’re using, is one of the best home automation ideas to come along in a long time.

Key Insights

Although still being put through its paces ... Companies in home energy management say Google's decision to retire PowerMeter reflects the difficulty of the residential energy efficiency business. Martin LaMonica is a senior writer covering green ... PC World: Google’s PowerMeter Lets You Know If the Lights Are on TechCrunch: Google's PowerMeter Project: For When The Web's Data Is Not Enough TechCrunch: UK launch for Google Powermeter via AlertMe – but please don't tweet your light switch Google Powermeter, the search giant’s home energy monitoring tool, has launched in the UK today. While the environment stands to benefit – research shows that when users have access to detailed ...

Final Thoughts

UK launch for Google Powermeter via AlertMe – but please don't tweet your light switch Google PowerMeter, an online tool that allows users to monitor their home-energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions via the web, has arrived in the UK. The free software will initially be available to ... — -- Google’s PowerMeter, which will enable consumers to see how much energy they’re using, is one of the best home automation ideas to come along in a long time. Although still being put ...