TOR159: Keeping The Lights On with Noah Klugman and Jay Taneja of Gridwatch

The availability of continuous power - that is, the assumption that you can plug in an appliance, or flip a switch without wondering whether or not electrons will flow - is a hallmark of civilization. So much so, that a great deal of what holds up our global economy would not be possible without the assurance that we can keep the lights on (or at least turn them on) 24/7.

So, what do you do when the power goes out? Do you call your local utility? Do you investigate your community breaker box? Or perhaps you view it as a unexpected respite from the daily grind and simply relax.

In some parts of the world, utilities have moved to a system that utilizes “smart meters.” These devices not only allow the utility to control access to power, but they can also alert the utility when power stops. But smart meters are expensive and may not be a silver bullet, especially in emerging economies.

My guests for today’s 159th Terms of Reference Podcast, Noah Klugman and Jay Taneja, recognized the limitations of smart meters and have created a different approach to understanding when the power goes out, called Gridwatch. Gridwatch harnesses data captured by the sensors in mobile phones to recognize when a power failure has occurred and notify the local utility.

I think just talking bout how Gridwatch was born and what they’ve achieved over the past few years would be enough for today’s show. But amazingly, I think you’ll find real value in our conversation about the future of electrification and how a small start up with a high-value product, is now currently iterating that product to serve needs that have been identified by their users as even more important then getting the power back on.