Green Button is the common-sense idea that electricity customers should be able to securely download their own easy-to-understand energy usage information from their utility or electricity supplier.

Armed with this information, consumers can use a growing array of new web and smartphone tools to make more informed energy decisions, optimize the size and cost-effectiveness of solar panels for their home, or verify that energy-efficiency retrofit investments are performing as promised. Consumers can even use fun innovative apps that allow individuals to compete against Facebook friends to save energy and lower their carbon emissions.

Not all utilities currently participate in the Green Button program but those that do will allow consumers to easily access and securely download their own household smart meter data eventually leading to the ability of consumers to share their smart meter data with companies delivering smart thermostats, remote home control systems and smart appliances.

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Tools enabled by Green Button

• Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick: Yardstick tool from EPA for consumers to assess the energy efficiency of their homes and see how it measures up to similar homes.
• EnerNOC: A company that helps commercial, institutional, and industrial organizations use energy more intelligently, pay less for it, and generate cash flow that benefits the bottom line through a complete suite of energy intelligence software and solutions.
• Melon Juice Report: An energy analysis tool for building owners to easily calculate their energy score with detailed insights into their energy use.
• Opower Social App: An easy to use app to see how your energy use stacks up against friends and homes across the US.

Recent news articles

• U.S. Department of Energy's Chris Irwin provides a good overview of the Green Button program in PowerGrid International's May 2013 issue.

Green Button in video