Arlington, Va.-based Opower has announced the release of Opower 4, a customer engagement platform that uses behavioral science and big data analytics to promote consumer participation in a variety of utility programs, including energy efficiency, smart grid and new rate adoption initiatives.
"In order to address a number of strategic challenges, including rising supply costs and smart grid acceptance, utilities need to revolutionize their customer-facing infrastructure and deepen their relationship with their customers," says Opower President and Founder Alex Laskey.
Opower 4 is organized into four areas of customer interaction: behavioral engagement, energy information services, retail and marketing services, and home control. The company says several utilities, including National Grid and EnergyAustralia, will deploy the new platform. Utility customers will have access to a variety of communications channels, including home energy reports, Web portals, emails, text messages, a mobile app, in-home devices, and the social energy app to better understand their energy consumption and learn ways to save.
