Encored Technologies
Unprecedented Data Insight Platform

On the scale of essential modern needs, telecommunications and energy services are next to food, clothing, and shelter. As energy markets open up, innovators are focusing on the demand-side of the energy equation, introducing real-time monitoring and connected home services that give visibility into electricity consumption. Meanwhile, on the supply-side, consumers continue to demand a customer-oriented focus. “There is also a need for better demand forecasting and better demand management in the face of more competitive and more distributed energy markets,” says Jong-Woong John Choe, CEO of Encored Technologies. To modernize energy services, Encored Technologies offers energy consumers a more personalized experience. “With big data analytics and submetered energy data, we could provide unprecedented insight into energy consumption patterns, as along with personalized analysis.” The company saw an opportunity to breakdown electricity usage to the appliance level and helped customers rein in the factors contributing to their total electricity demand.

Encored Technologies open energy data platform—EnerTalk acts as an internet meter, collecting real-time electricity usage information from their customers. “One of the most critical decisions made at the outset of an analysis is to set the frequency of sampling and how long data trends are retained. These settings determine how big your big data challenge will get,” explains Choe. The platform was designed with a built-in understanding of the characteristics of various energy analyses and their importance. It automatically optimizes settings for frequency interval and the retention of records, including the results of analysis. The data platform starts with intelligent sub-meter devices that collect electricity consumption data at a frequency as high as 1-second or less. The company’s cloud-hosted analytics engine and residential and commercial applications then crunch this data and present it to users in visualizations that reveal exactly when and how much energy each physical asset is using.

The EnerTalk HOME application provides information about all electric energy being consumed at home.

The best way to show the value of open energy data is to encourage more people to get their hands on our platform and build something beneficial for their lives

The device collects the real-time consumption data, and the analytics engine breaks down usage per type of home appliance. Not forgetting the commercial buildings that are fast becoming important, the EnerTalk BUILDING application is a different class of intelligent sub-metering device that has the processing power and storage to handle commercial building needs.

“As more people adopt our platform they can work towards building something beneficial for their lives,” adds Choe. Unhappy with energy costs that were higher than expected, every month, a factory operator engaged Encored Technologies to find out what was causing them to reach and surpass their peak load limits. EnerTalk analytics revealed an energy spike early in the morning right before the factory’s operating hours. This was when all equipment simultaneously booted up. To keep energy demand below peak load capacity, the factory operators changed equipment start-up timing to a more gradual, staggered schedule. This easy and painless change helped the customer avoid spending thousands of dollars per month in energy costs.

In the near future, Encored Technologies is going to launch broader demand-response programs with partner utilities that leverage their insight into energy consumer lifestyles and work styles. “We are building the next generation platform for analyzing energy demand and consumption. Such analysis will be used to match energy supply to demand in tomorrow’s distributed energy environment,” concludes Choe.