The Home Energy Lollipop is a small, disc-shaped light designed to signal the carbon intensity of electricity throughout the day, using a traffic light-style color system. Inspired by the design of the Nest Thermostat, the light glows red when carbon emissions are high, yellow for medium emissions, green for low emissions, and blue during times of 100% clean energy generation.

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Key Features:

• Color-Coded Carbon Intensity:
  • The light changes color to indicate the carbon intensity of the electricity grid, helping users make energy-efficient decisions based on real-time data.
• Behavioral Science-Driven Design:
  • Leveraging ambient messaging and the unconscious influence of colored light, the Home Energy Lollipop subtly encourages users to adjust their energy use to reduce emissions.
• Usage Pattern Adjustments:
  
  • The app encourages users to modify when they perform common household tasks like running the air conditioner, using the dishwasher, doing laundry, cooking, and charging electric vehicles, recommending optimal times for lower emissions.
• Competitive Ranking:
  • The light can be programmed to glow in different colors based on how a user's energy consumption compares to others, using social comparison as a motivator for energy-saving behaviors.

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The Home Energy Lollipop offers a simple, intuitive way to influence energy consumption by making carbon intensity visible, motivating users to shift their habits toward cleaner energy use.