Inventions

I found many of the inventions showcased by TIME fascinating, including the controller-less video game pioneered by Microsoft. However, in my opinion the most important device to today’s world is the Energy Hub, an electronic thermostat-like device that changes the way that a home’s electricity is used. Not only does the Energy Hub control a home’s central heating and cooling system, it also monitors a home’s electricity usage, allowing the house’s residents an opportunity to keep track of their energy use in real time. In addition, the Energy Hub can keep track of how much energy is being used on a specific appliance, such as a television or a computer, and even show how much money is being spent on these specific appliances. It can then be used to lower these specific energy costs. Energy Hub is important in my eye because of the implications of being able to keep track of your home’s energy usage in real time. It is often difficult for homeowners to decrease their energy usage or their monthly utility bill because there is no real way to keep track of which item in the home the electricity money is actually being spent on. Not only does Energy Hub keep track of this, it keeps track of it in real time, so that energy-saving adjustments (such as shutting down a computer that isn’t in use) can be made instantly. This kind of technology could save American homeowners billions of dollars in energy costs. So, in my opinion, Energy Hub is a very important invention that could and should see major use all over the country.