Steven Chu, U.S. Energy Secretary

Washington, DC, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- June 8, 2012 - Based on popular vote the Popular Choice winning energy apps in the Apps for Energy contest have been named as VELObill from the New York-based cleantech company Zerofootprint and Innovative Solar Demand Response from Dayton, OH.

More than 12,000 people voted during the last two weeks of May on the more than 50 mobile and web apps that had been submitted, following judging by an expert panel drawn from government and the energy and tech communities.

The expert panel judged the Leafully app as the best overall, with VELObill in third place.

The VELObill app is designed to make it easier for utility customers to view their energy usage, measure whether it is high or low, and compare it to that of their peers. With this information in hand, users can create an energy saving action plan tailored to their individual needs and preferences.

The Innovative Solar Demand Response app uses Green Button data to size a solar PV and a battery system based on average peak energy demand of a home during different hours of the day. The battery is charged by solar PV during daytime (when solar radiation is available) and a charge/discharge controller would release the stored energy during peak times, when energy production is more costly.

“We’re pleased to see such a strong response to our call for innovative new apps that will save consumers money by saving energy,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “This is about giving consumers easy access to information so they can make sense of their electricity bill – and more importantly, reduce their electricity bill.”

The Apps for Energy competition was launched by the Department of Energy in April, challenging developers to create apps to make the best use of the data provided through the Green Button initiative, which is enabling customers to access their energy usage information in a standardized format.

With the utilities and electricity suppliers that will provide Green Button, more than 31 million customers should be able to access data on their energy use.