Michael Giberson
Tom Igoe, a physical-computing researcher at New York University, said the Prius mpg display is one of the best examples of technology “where green meets information systems.”
“For a long time,” he said, “we have known that people will change their habits if they are exposed to feedback in real time.”
From “For Hybrid Drivers, Every Trip Is a Race for Fuel Efficiency” in the Washington Post. The article notes that real time energy use tools are available for the home as well.
Interesting article. I wonder whether some of the hypermilers described in the article — when they took longer routes to avoid going up steep hills — were actually always saving energy. But on the whole, we’d all be better off with more direct feedback on our energy consumption decisions.