Smarter electrical sockets with RFID

RFID can help save money and the planet

Smart meters, green energy, active monitoring: These are all buzzwords on the front line of the battle to control carbon emissions, reduce unnecessary use of electricity and save money.

RFID might play an important role.

One Canadian company in this sector has an idea for using RFID to allow the electrical outlets in your wall to help you save energy. They are working on a special device that would go between your appliances and your wall sockets. This plug is equipped with a microprocessor, wireless networking components and an RFID chip, which would allow it to “talk” to a computer in your house and share with it detailed information on how much electricity your appliances are using.

The information these plugs gather from around your house could be sent to a web site, where it would be analysed to help you understand what appliances in your house are using the most energy and how you might better control it.

The plugs are also programmable, so you could use one to turn on and off lights when you are away on vacation, or start up the air conditioner in your house an hour before you get home from work in the summertime.

RFID: Helping you be green!