Congratulations to our team led by WattTime for being featured as an Honorable Mention on OpenIDEO’s Climate Innovator Challenge!

WattTime believes that everyone should be able to use electricity generated from sources they believe in, like solar and wind, and be able to avoid high polluting sources from fossil fuels. To put this belief into action, they have developed an internet-based technology that allows users to shift the timing of electricity use to avoid high polluting sources.

This technology sends real-time clean energy data straight to Internet-connected smart devices such as energy management systems for large buildings, residential thermostats, refrigerators, etc. and allows these devices to shift the timing of electricity use to work at times when the grid is supplied by clean energy sources.
They have successfully piloted their technology in California at electric vehicle charging stations where they focused on carbon emissions.

As part of their Fund-supported work, the team is shifting its focus and improving upon and piloting the technology to reduce mercury emissions into the Great Lakes.
The team will test both an internet-based software product and a market scaling mechanism. The team believes that adding a mercury reducing feature to smart devices will allow manufacturers to differentiate themselves with virtually no up-front costs. Manufacturers who offer the service will stand out from their peers and receive a greater share of the market.

Ultimately, mercury will be reduced benefitting the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Visit the WattTime website to learn more.

–Shannon Donley, Project Implementation Manager