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Google Launches Foursquare-like Badge Game for Energy Consumption

by Amar Toor on September 1, 2010 at 05:45 PM

google powermeter
Google already offers a free power-consumption meter, called Google Powermeter, that allows users to check their energy-usage levels from their phones or remote computers. Taking a page from Foursquare's location-based book, the company has now added a badge-oriented game for competitive energy consumers to play.

The game, which you can find under 'Take Action' on your Powermeter page, offers a personalized recommendation service for players, and awards players with badges based on their energy conservation. "Collecting badges is a fun way of keeping track of your accomplishments to reduce energy waste and save money," exclaims a post on Google's blog. "And you might even strike up some friendly competition among family and friends to see who can collect the most badges the fastest!"

It's certainly a noble concept, but we're not sure a Foursquare-style game will provide the same kind of environmental incentive that, say, tax rebates could. As Foursquare has proven, people are more inclined to engage in a location-based badge race when it involves broadcasting your social life to the world -- not your electricity bill.

Tags: badge, badges, electricity, electricity bills, ElectricityBills, Energy, FourSquare, google, Google power meter, google powermeter, GooglePowermeter, green, PowerMeter, top

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