Neighbor to Neighbor Launches New Web and Mobile Energy Management Tools

WETHERSFIELD, Conn., Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge announced today the launch of its new interactive website and mobile functionality, developed in partnership with the software companies Snugg Home and Mobile Genius. Online home energy diagnostic tools, personalized homeowner pages, and other features allow Connecticut residents to determine how to make their drafty homes into snug homes, increasing comfort, saving money, and improving health and safety in the process.

More new features will be added to the program over the next few months, including an iPad/tablet based energy assessment tool called iAudit Pro from Snugg Home. The tool allows homeowners to work with auditors and contractors in their homes to discuss upgrade options and prioritize those investments based on energy savings, comfort, or health and safety, and provides an immediate estimate of the average monthly energy savings for the upgrade options chosen.

The Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge is a community energy savings program that helps residents in 14 Connecticut towns to reduce their home energy use by 20 percent. As residents join and take actions, they earn points that can be redeemed for community rewards.

Snugg Home has developed a full suite of software modules to support energy efficiency programs. The software helps homeowners improve home efficiency, tracks progress and results of upgrades, and assists in the management of the program for comprehensive reporting.

The Snugg Home software platform begins with an online home energy assessment tool that helps homeowners gauge how much energy and money could be saved by making energy upgrades or lifestyle changes. Then, homeowners are presented with a personal dashboard that displays their progress in the program, past and current utility bill information, customized and automated alerts, energy savings comparisons to neighbors and social groups, and financing options, as well as home energy assessment reports, energy upgrade recommendations, and cost estimates.

The Snugg Home platform includes integration with social media, including Facebook and Twitter, to allow homeowners to compare their energy use to others on a personal and community level. Back-end management tools allow Neighbor to Neighbor staff to schedule, track, and follow-up on homeowners in the system. A comprehensive analytics package provides powerful tools for Neighbor to Neighbor staff to manage, predict, and report on the success of the program.

Mobile Genius develops innovative mobile strategies enabling clients to translate their concepts into successful mobile-ready products and services. Mobile Genius brings a suite of iPad-based applications into the mix, allowing the Neighbor to Neighbor team to provide information to homeowners and sign them up for the program from virtually anywhere.

The LightSaver tool developed by Mobile Genius and Earth Markets provides advice on the best energy efficient lighting options in a home, and estimated savings connected to those options, and supports rigorous measurement and verification of installed measures. The Neighbor to Neighbor team uses LightSaver to install efficient lighting free of charge in its communities and to track expected savings in detail.

For additional information visit www.snugghome.com and www.mobilegeniusllc.com.

About the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge: The Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge is a community energy savings program made possible by a $4.17 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, funded as part of the BetterBuildings initiative, whose mission is to create a self-sustaining building energy upgrade market. Neighbor to Neighbor is one of 41 state and local government programs providing high-quality energy improvements to homes and businesses across the nation. For more information, visit www.ctenergychallenge.com.  

SOURCE Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge