By Maggie Lu
MIDDLETON — It’s that time of the month: consumers open the envelope from their local utility, stare at the digits on the paper, and think, “How could this be?”
Many across the state react with surprise when they receive their electricity bills, believing they did not use as much power as they actually did. But the bill only tells part of the energy consumption story.
With help from the ZeeMetric, Middleton start-up company UlluTek could make the electricity bill less shocking and confusing.
The ZeeMetric is an intelligent, programmable power strip. It looks like an extension cord, but it does more than just let you plug in electronics: It will record and give a detailed analysis via its unique program, called ZeeMOS. With that analysis, consumers can make smart decisions to adjust their electricity-using behavior.
Moreover, the ZeeMetric is a programmable device. One function detects when an electronic device is not in use and turns it off. By doing so, it will help the consumers to reduce the problem of “phantom power,” which is also known as the standby power loss when the electronic device not in use.
UlluTek’s goal for the ZeeMetric is to reduce this kind of energy waste. By reducing phantom power, it could save consumers up to 10 percent on their electric bill.
Furthermore, the ZeeMetric is wireless-enabled. When plugged in, it automatically joins other ZeeMetrics and forms a network, giving the consumers a better view of their appliances’ power usage. Eventually, consumers can manage their appliances remotely from any Internet-connected smart phone or laptop. ZeeMOS can also predict the possible early signs of failure of the appliances and warns consumers so they can take appropriate steps.
According to Thanh Nguyen, the founder of UlluTek, the ZeeMetric is based on the concept of a “smart grid.”
A smart grid delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using two-way digital technology to control appliances at consumers’ homes to save energy, reduce costs, and increase reliability and transparency. At this point, the smart grid is only available in smaller test markets.
Nguyen said UlluTek’s goal is to let every household and small office practice the smart grid concept and form an online community.
In order to form an online community of smart grid, the ZeeMetric also allows its customers to communicate with each other via a social media Web site. Thus, people can exchange and share their experiences of saving energy by using the ZeeMetric. Moreover, people can improve their electricity using patterns by learning from others’ experiences.
“The ultimate goal is that we as a community can save a lot more, and we can also affect the carbon footprint reduction,” said Nguyen.
The ZeeMetric initially targets energy-conscious consumers. UlluTek’s marketing strategy promotes its product through word-of-mouth and the ZeeMetric online community. Eventually, the company hopes to distribute to home improvement and electronics retail outlets.
Before UlluTek can help more consumers go “green,” it needs more green of its own. The company is seeking capital investment and entered the 2010 Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. If UlluTek wins, it would earn $50,000 in prize money, which the company would use to push the product to the next stage.
“Ullu means crazy owl in Finnish,” Nguyen said. “We thought it is interesting as a name of a technology company. Also, we are not like some other technology companies. We are pro-consumers’ needs first and profit will follow. In a way, we are a bit crazy.”
UlluTek is one of the 52 companies selected to advance into the semi-final round in the 2010 Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. The company is selected from a total of 284 companies in the first round.
Lu is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.
