Project Info

TEAM 2 — Accessible Home Energy Audio Dashboard (AHEAD)
Sponsored by MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, Wochholz Endowment and Marathon Oil

AHEAD is a simple, accesibility minded in-home display for smart meters that will serve as a control center for coordinating the home with smart grid technology. Improvements in the power grid will allow customers to reduce their energy bills while doing their part to leave behind a smaller ecological footprint. By providing a dynamic interface between utility provider and consumer, AHEAD will facilitate cooperative efforts to improve efficiency on both ends. Smart grid technology will allow power companies to temporarily override certain appliances — such as air conditioning or water heating units — in order to smooth out energy demand and prevent power outages. By participating in such programs, the consumer will be able to take advantage of lower off-peak rates and significant reduce their monthly dues. Likewise, power companies can better implement price incentives that encourage off-peak energy usage, reducing the amount of power plants needed to support peak demand spikes.

People with disabilities have much to gain from smart-grid technology. Since their ability to work is often hindered, the cost-saving benefits that smart grid in-home displays would provide could do much to offset wage disadvantages. Yet, most implementations of in-home displays are designed with little regard for accessibility. Our project aims to give deaf, blind, or motor-impaired users an intuitive, useful interface that they can use to harness the power of smart grid technology.