Why are some morning commutes so much worse than others? New research shows that nighttime and early-morning energy use can be a good predictor of morning traffic congestion. Sean Qian, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and Ph.D. student Pinchao Zhang created a model that mined data on electricity consumption from 322 homes in Austin, Texas, and used artificial intelligence to predict what traffic would look like the next morning.
News
August 1, 2018
Press Release
Pecan Street Inc. Brings Energy Research to Upstate New York and California’s Bay Area
(AUSTIN, TX – August 1, 2018) – A $1.1 million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation will allow Pecan Street Inc. to expand its groundbreaking home energy research network into New York and California. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Cornell University’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford University, and […]
July 12, 2018
Tech Documentation
Restarting Homeplug
Your eGauge energy data collection system reports data back to Pecan Street’s servers using Power Line Communication (PLC), where the data collected by the eGauge is transmitted through your power lines to a device called the Homeplug. The Homeplug retrieves that data from the wall outlet and sends it to your router/modem via ethernet cable, […]
July 11, 2018
Tech Documentation
Installing and Connecting BluCube
Follow the directions below to install and connect a new BluCube. This also may be necessary if you change your home WiFi equipment, network name or password. You will need to have your home’s WiFi password handy before beginning this process. Please contact us at participate@pecanstreet.org if you have questions about the setup or troubleshooting […]
June 15, 2018
Blog Post
New York and California Participation Agreement
Following is a participant agreement for the Pecan Street’s current volunteer recruitment in New York and California. By completing and submitting this form, you are agreeing to the terms outlined below. If you would like to learn more about participating in our research, please visit our Resources page. To begin, please provide the contact information […]
March 29, 2018
Press Release
Pecan Street Releases Powerful Residential Electricity Dataset with Potential to Revolutionize Electricity Management
(AUSTIN, TX – March 29, 2018) — Pecan Street Inc. has released a groundbreaking dataset containing one year of one-second interval consumer electricity data collected through its volunteer residential research network. The dataset includes measurements from 40 homes for whole home electricity use, solar generation, electric vehicle charging, HVAC, major appliances and other in-home circuits. […]
March 2, 2018
Press Release
Pecan Street Inc. Names Suzanne Russo CEO
The board of directors of Austin-based research organization Pecan Street Inc. has named Suzanne Russo chief executive officer effective March 1. Russo joined Pecan Street in 2010 and has served in several roles, including chief of staff and chief operating officer. Prior to joining Pecan Street, she led the development of green building and sustainable retrofit standards for the New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and earned her master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
January 8, 2018
Press Release
Press Release: Pecan Street PLATFORM Provides Testing, Validation and Market Entry Support for Energy Tech Startups
Texas-based Pecan Street Inc. is now accepting applications from energy technology startups for its new PLATFORM program. Designed to leverage Pecan Street’s groundbreaking research on residential and small business electricity and water use, PLATFORM integrates data-driven market intelligence, product development and validation, rapid prototyping, and collaboration with venture funding and energy industry executives.
December 15, 2017
News
Attention startups! Apply to be part of Pecan Street’s PLATFORM for Product Launch
Start-ups with a clean energy hardware innovation targeted at the residential or small commercial sectors and who have a functioning prototype can learn more and apply here.
December 13, 2017
News
EDF Uses Pecan Street Data to Show Solar and EVs Cut Emissions and Water Use
Research conducted by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) found that homes with residential solar and electric vehicles generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions and use less water than homes powered solely by the grid. The research used data from homes in Austin participating in Pecan Street’s energy research.
July 19, 2017
News
Pecan Street Opens Student Research Competition
Pecan Street is hosting its second student research competition. Awards totaling $10,000 will be made to students that develop the most impactful research using Pecan Street’s unique dataset to answer a question of critical importance to industry.
March 29, 2017
News
Energy Research Organization Testing New Waters
Pecan Street uses a smart-grid system, an electricity supply network that uses newly developed technologies, to detect and communicate changes in the use of electricity, gas and, most recently, water. Pecan Street provides researchers and organizations energy use data to manage electricity demand and encourage sustainable practices.