Builds for the Green Button challenge

The miniMeter is a device and app combo that will let the user see how much energy they are using, and where it is being used.

It will record energy usage data on a central database, and the user can access it on their phone. They can add devices, remove devices, the user has complete control.

Part of the app will be the ability to compare your device usage with the expected usage ( eg, Energy Star rating, the manufacturer's estimate, etc ) and to compare to your region ( eg, people near you with the same appliance ). If your device is using more than expected, or more than the average, the app will notify you, and offer you various solutions.

You can also use the app as a way of cutting back on your energy usage. It lets you know your total usage ( from the Green Button data ) and lets you break that down into induvidual pieces. Your house could use a lot of energy, more than it should, but if you don't where it comes from you can't do much to fix it. The miniMeter lets you know that your fridge is using too much, that its usage is high because its old, and that a new fridge will pay for itself in 16 months.

The hardware will be a small, slightly flexible chip that sticks to your power cord. On the chip will be a barcode. You scan the barcode, and it will register as a new device in the app. You can stick these chips on anything large enough to hold one. When power flows through the cable, it sends readings to the app, which are then graphically displayed for you to view. It also charges itself wirelessly from that same power, without causing problems to the device.

It's easy to install, easy to use, and once you register a device, the app does the rest. If you want to consistently check your usage, you can. You can also do nothing until you get an alert that your freezer's usage has spiked in the past ten minutes. Maybe it's open.

When I add features, I will add a second .apk file. The original one will remain ( for the Green Button challenge ), and the second will change as I commit more to it.

Current Features: -Create new devices -Delete all devices -Graph up to four devices at a time -Compare to region and industry usage ( but not really, the data here is faked )

Future Features; -Sort your devices -Personalize the device picture -Compare to other users -Better UI -Suggestions on energy consumption