Press Release June 9, 2010
Empower Software Named Greenest IT Canada Finalist
Vancouver start-up Empower Software has been named a finalist in the Quest for Canada's Greenest IT award for their portable energy management software for the smart grid. Empower's SmartHome allows consumers to monitor their home energy consumption in real time without the need of an additional in home display. Empower's demand response applications have been shown to reduce power consumption up to 20 percent when consumers use a PC or a smart phone to view usage.
Empower COO Michael Silmont says the nomination "validates Empower's product vision and the company's efforts to make energy management truly aligned with environmental stewardship. Traditionally energy monitoring has been done via an independent in-home display purchased at a hardware store or provided by the utilities. With seven million homes in Canada and ninety million in the US we've successfully leveraged existing hardware while eliminating the potential of 100 million superfluous displays eventually ending up in landfills."
Silmont also noted that while utilities are undergoing a transformation, they are under pressure to bring the smart grid to their customers' homes with engaging and meaningful information. SmartHome enables consumers to make informed decisions so they can lower their costs and pro-actively engage in conservation.
Press Release March 29, 2010
Empower Adds to Leadership team:
Empower Software (www.empowersoftware.ca), the leading provider of in-home feedback and web-based energy monitoring for homes and businesses, announced today the appointment of Michael Silmont as Chief Operating Officer.
Silmont brings 20 years of experience in operations and software distribution management to the role, designed to grow the clean tech leader's firm presence in the meter data management and utilities channels.
Silmont previously served as head of national strategic alliances for tax and accounting leader CCH Inc. where he was responsible for their successful alliance and channel programs. Prior to CCH, Silmont held senior roles at ERP vendor Systems Union, now owned by Infor.
Empower President and Founder James Willock says that Silmont is joining the company at a dynamic and exciting time. “We are building an industry leadership team to launch our energy conservation applications across the world through a number of key partnerships. Michael has consistently built success through his passion and vision for sales channels which have driven more than $150 Million in software and services as a managing director and senior executive.”
In addition to CCH, former employer F9 was the launching ground for a 2000 member reseller channel network, helmed by Silmont as Director of Sales and Channel Chief. Silmont was born in Boston and raised in Toronto, where he completed his degree in business at Trent University. He currently resides in Vancouver, BC with his wife.
Press Release February 2010
Power to the People : Empower Software gives Smart Energy Management to the Consumer
Energy conservation in the home and business just got a lot easier thanks to Empower Software's release of their smartHome energy management software. As experts in usability and design of energy monitoring, Empower provides user friendly access to the smart grid with a user interface that every consumer can understand. This industry-leading technology lets consumers see their appliance and total household/building energy consumption in real time by Day, Week or Month via an in-home Zigbee network.
"We are approaching the first time that consumers will be aware of how and when they use energy in their home or workplace, while getting immediate feedback on any changes. Understanding how consumers use their energy will result in a pronounced shift in their behaviour and savings on their utility bills" said James Willock, President of Empower Software.
Research into consumer behaviour supports Willock's assessment. Industry studies have concluded that when consumers are given smart energy management tools like smartHome by Empower, it helps them understand how they are using energy and how much it is costing per day with an estimate of their current energy bill. Consumers can start to make intelligent choices about their energy usage and, given real time feedback, they reduce their consumption by five to twenty percent.
Empower's home energy management system will be one of the leading technologies showcased at this month’s Winter Olympics and Paralympics as part of BC Hydro’s Home of the Future. Empower's new software technology leverages the Zigbee wireless standard for home area networking and can work independently or in conjunction with Zigbee enabled Smart Meters.