DCS Energy Savings: Web Portal
Reviewed by Giselle Carr
Issue 7 Spring 2011
Energy. It enables one physical system to produce changes on another, but what happens when the very fuel for our desires creates a self-destructive system? Many businesses are becoming increasingly aware that energy costs are in fact not static overhead costs, but controllable production costs that can be monitored and reduced systematically.
DCS Energy Savings Web Portal is an example of the strategic use of design and technology to impact the experience of simple, everyday actions, therefore potentially shifting the home or business owner’s desires and experience toward a better way of life. DCS’s customized web portal gives the user the opportunity to review an aggregated report of energy costs, but also to monitor a real time dashboard of energy use levels, as well as adjust or create thresholds for consumption.
The web portal system is an intelligent use of design for accessibility, since no separate software is needed to view the dashboard for as many physical locations as specified by the user. This presents a thought-provoking case for shifting patterns of energy consumption by changing behavior within a company or home, and also an actionable strategy for reducing cost and carbon impact. Beyond that, the cost/benefit to the user is clarified and measured using various customizable criteria, making systems such as this a game-changer for the behavior of businesses in the future.