The user interface is an important part of all applications. This is the part of the application that a user will interact with and ultimately decide whether an application is successful. It is possible to have an application that performs a useful task, but if the user interface is poorly designed, it will be unsuccessful.
The WattDroid application already performs a useful task by allowing users to access energy information from their phone. Currently, we are improving the application by incorporating threads. This will prevent the application from becoming unresponsive due to a slow server connection. The application will be able to continue functioning without waiting for the slow transaction to complete. Response time is a factor in the success of an application because no one wants to wait on a slow application. It is more likely they will not use the application than wait.
Implementing threading into an Android application is a tricky process. There are different ways to implement threading. Using multiple UI threads will allow you to run processes, but problems with thread interaction can arise while using this method. Fixing these issues can be time consuming. Asynchronous threads is another way to implement threads. This method solves many of the thread interaction problems encountered by the first method, but care must still be used to ensure the main thread, which is created when the Android application is first started, is not blocked. Initially, we implemented the threads using the first method, however, we are considering switching to asynchronous threading because of the problems that can arise while using multiple UI threads. Further information about threading Android applications can be found here. Additional information about using asynchronous threading can be found here.
Overall, I feel that we have made good progress with our application so far, but time is running short and we have a lot of work to do. There are still a few features that need to be implemented and the application requires polishing. After completing these improvements, our application will be more appealing and robust. I am hopeful that users will find the application useful and easy to use.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
WattDroid Improvements
Creating our WattDroid Android application has been a constant learning experience. Each step of the development process holds something new for us to learn. Although we are familiar with Java, there are specific ways to accomplish tasks which requires us to research these tasks. Fortunately, there are many good resources available to new developers. In an earlier blog, I provided links to some books that I found helpful. Although reading those books are good, I have found it is easier to learn by example. Here is a link to the source code for the example programs in "Beginning Android 2". This is a great place to look if you are having trouble getting started because there are many examples that show you how to perform different Android tasks.
Several improvements have been made to WattDroid. We added new features and started to improve the look of the application. A preferences menu is now available to the user. This is where the user is able to specify the WattDepot server URL that they would like to query. The first time WattDroid is run, a prompt asking the user for the server URL is shown. Once a URL is entered, it is stored as a user preference and WattDroid will automatically use this URL, unless the user changes it.
Preferences Menu
Server URL Prompt
The source list was styled to have an image as the background. To accomplish this, the main.xml file for the layout of the page had to be altered. A background referencing an image in the drawable directory was set in the linear layout tag. Other applications have had issues with the image not displaying properly while scrolling. If you are having these issues, check this link which gives an explanation of why it occurs and how to fix the problem.
Styled Source List
The next step for our application is implementing unit testing and automated project building using Hudson. This is important to ensure that changes we make to the project don't adversely affect previously written code. This will be another important aspect of Android development we will have to research and learn.
Several improvements have been made to WattDroid. We added new features and started to improve the look of the application. A preferences menu is now available to the user. This is where the user is able to specify the WattDepot server URL that they would like to query. The first time WattDroid is run, a prompt asking the user for the server URL is shown. Once a URL is entered, it is stored as a user preference and WattDroid will automatically use this URL, unless the user changes it.
Preferences Menu
Server URL Prompt
The source list was styled to have an image as the background. To accomplish this, the main.xml file for the layout of the page had to be altered. A background referencing an image in the drawable directory was set in the linear layout tag. Other applications have had issues with the image not displaying properly while scrolling. If you are having these issues, check this link which gives an explanation of why it occurs and how to fix the problem.
Styled Source List
The next step for our application is implementing unit testing and automated project building using Hudson. This is important to ensure that changes we make to the project don't adversely affect previously written code. This will be another important aspect of Android development we will have to research and learn.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Application Styling
If you take a look at good Android applications, you will notice that they have something in common. They serve a useful purpose such as providing entertainment or information and are pleasing to look at. Styling applications is an important part of the development cycle. Making applications pleasing to the eye can greatly improve its appeal. So far, the WattDroid application serves a useful purpose, but its appearance is not eye catching.
Currently, we are working to improve the styling of the WattDroid application in order to improve its overall quality. Our plan to improve the style of the application includes creating a more appealing application by customizing the list of sources, source information display, menus, and logo. After we are finished, we hope to create an application that has the look and feel of a professionally developed application.
I haven't had experience styling Android applications, so I am currently researching the ins and outs of the process. It is useful to look at the styling of other applications to get ideas of what can be done. Initially, I have been having some difficulty with the styling, but I am confident that I will be able to greatly improve WattDroid's look with a little more research. I will be posting screen shots of the newly styled pages as I complete them. I hope to have a couple of pages completed by Thursday, so check back later this week for screen shots.
Currently, we are working to improve the styling of the WattDroid application in order to improve its overall quality. Our plan to improve the style of the application includes creating a more appealing application by customizing the list of sources, source information display, menus, and logo. After we are finished, we hope to create an application that has the look and feel of a professionally developed application.
I haven't had experience styling Android applications, so I am currently researching the ins and outs of the process. It is useful to look at the styling of other applications to get ideas of what can be done. Initially, I have been having some difficulty with the styling, but I am confident that I will be able to greatly improve WattDroid's look with a little more research. I will be posting screen shots of the newly styled pages as I complete them. I hope to have a couple of pages completed by Thursday, so check back later this week for screen shots.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Enter WattDroid
The initial prototype of WattDroid has been created. WattDroid is an Android application that allows users to query a WattDepot server for Oahu Energy information. Users will be able to specify which server to query by entering a WattDepot server URL. Then, a list of sources is displayed to the user. These sources are sensors that collect energy data. To access a source's information, the user taps on the source name in the list. WattDroid displays the XML from the WattDepot server for the selected source on a new page. This allows users to access Oahu energy information whenever they want.
Shown below are screenshots of the WattDroid prototype.
Phone Home Screen
WattDroid's Home Screen
About Screen
Source List
Source Information
I think that we made decent progress on the development of this application over the past week. We will be incorporating GPS capability into this application, the ability for users to specify a server URL, and a refresh interval for querying a server. There are still a lot of bugs to be worked out and improvements to be made, but the basic functionality is there. I am looking forward to polishing this application to get it ready for distribution.
The project homepage with user guide, developer guide, and WattDroid source code can be found here.
Shown below are screenshots of the WattDroid prototype.
Phone Home Screen
WattDroid's Home Screen
About Screen
Source List
Source Information
I think that we made decent progress on the development of this application over the past week. We will be incorporating GPS capability into this application, the ability for users to specify a server URL, and a refresh interval for querying a server. There are still a lot of bugs to be worked out and improvements to be made, but the basic functionality is there. I am looking forward to polishing this application to get it ready for distribution.
The project homepage with user guide, developer guide, and WattDroid source code can be found here.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Android Energy Application Development
Android is a mobile platform that is becoming extremely popular which is why we have chosen to create an Android application for our next project. I have wanted to learn about mobile development for a while and this presents a perfect opportunity. Android uses the Linux Kernel, OpenGL,and SQL. This makes Android very powerful and able to create many different applications. Android applications are programmed in Java, so if you are familiar with Java, you shouldn't have too much trouble creating your own Android applications after a bit of reading.
Starting this project, I had little knowledge about mobile development, so I needed to find good resources that would get me up to speed fairly quickly. After some research, we found the books "Hello Android" and "Beginnning Android 2". Both of these books are easy to read and break down programming for Android nicely. They walk the reader through the creation of several sample programs that illustrate key features of Android programming. This enables a developer to being developing their own applications fairly quickly.
Hello Android
Beginning Android 2
Another helpful resource that I have been using is the Android Developers website. Like the books, this site contains helpful examples which explain key concepts to the reader. Like all introductions to programming, there is a "Hello Android" program. I highly recommend doing the examples on the website. I have found that reading is important, however, nothing can beat learning by example. The Android API can also be found there under the reference tab. The Android Developers website can be found here.
We have decided that our next application will be a mobile energy application. The application will query the Wattdepot server, which holds Oahu energy data, and display requested information on an Android smart phone. This allows consumers with Android smart phones to get Oahu energy data whenever they want. Like our earlier applications, we hope that this application will help educate Oahu residents to make them smart consumers.
Starting this project, I had little knowledge about mobile development, so I needed to find good resources that would get me up to speed fairly quickly. After some research, we found the books "Hello Android" and "Beginnning Android 2". Both of these books are easy to read and break down programming for Android nicely. They walk the reader through the creation of several sample programs that illustrate key features of Android programming. This enables a developer to being developing their own applications fairly quickly.
Hello Android
Beginning Android 2
Another helpful resource that I have been using is the Android Developers website. Like the books, this site contains helpful examples which explain key concepts to the reader. Like all introductions to programming, there is a "Hello Android" program. I highly recommend doing the examples on the website. I have found that reading is important, however, nothing can beat learning by example. The Android API can also be found there under the reference tab. The Android Developers website can be found here.
We have decided that our next application will be a mobile energy application. The application will query the Wattdepot server, which holds Oahu energy data, and display requested information on an Android smart phone. This allows consumers with Android smart phones to get Oahu energy data whenever they want. Like our earlier applications, we hope that this application will help educate Oahu residents to make them smart consumers.
Monday, March 29, 2010
New Applications
Finding an effective way to present data, so it is useful to consumers, can be a tricky problem. There are many different ways to present data and each has its pros and cons. We need to find effective ways to incorporate Oahu's electrical usage data and geographical locations. This information can be very useful if presented correctly.
One idea is to present the usage information and group it by areas. An image of the island would be displayed and segmented into different areas. Users would be able to access an area's information by clicking the appropriate section of the island. This will allow consumers to get a general idea of electrical usage by others in the same area and allow them to compare their own usage with the average. Then, they will be able to adjust their usage as they feel necessary.
Another idea is to group the usage information by zip code. This will give a more detailed view of the usage information pertaining to a consumer. They will be able to see the usage of others in their neighborhood. This will give them a better idea of where they stand compared to their neighbors. As for the user interface, it may be better to have text input boxes or drop down menus for the zip codes because it may be difficult to produce an image of the island that is segmented by zip code.
The popularity of smart phones has introduced a new technology that can be used to reach users. Creating an application for smart phones seems like it would be an interesting and beneficial experience. Smart phones are basically a mini computer with phone capability. Also, users usually have their phones with them where ever they go which would allow them to use an application just about whenever they want. Currently, we are considering creating applications for the Apple iPhone and Google Android Phone.
Apple iPhone:
Google myTouch:
One idea is to present the usage information and group it by areas. An image of the island would be displayed and segmented into different areas. Users would be able to access an area's information by clicking the appropriate section of the island. This will allow consumers to get a general idea of electrical usage by others in the same area and allow them to compare their own usage with the average. Then, they will be able to adjust their usage as they feel necessary.
Another idea is to group the usage information by zip code. This will give a more detailed view of the usage information pertaining to a consumer. They will be able to see the usage of others in their neighborhood. This will give them a better idea of where they stand compared to their neighbors. As for the user interface, it may be better to have text input boxes or drop down menus for the zip codes because it may be difficult to produce an image of the island that is segmented by zip code.
The popularity of smart phones has introduced a new technology that can be used to reach users. Creating an application for smart phones seems like it would be an interesting and beneficial experience. Smart phones are basically a mini computer with phone capability. Also, users usually have their phones with them where ever they go which would allow them to use an application just about whenever they want. Currently, we are considering creating applications for the Apple iPhone and Google Android Phone.
Apple iPhone:
Google myTouch:
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
HEEP Visualization Data
Our prototypes are finally functional and display data that is stored in Google Spreadsheets. This was a huge step which allowed us to schedule a meeting with the Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program to show them our prototypes. The next step was to find actual data to populate the spreadsheet.
In order to have realistic looking visualizations, we needed to find actual numbers that correspond to the electricity used by appliances in each of the categories we cover. This turned out to be more difficult than I thought it would be. After getting into the research of the electrical characteristics of the various appliances, I began to notice that not all appliance specifications are standard. Some had the information that I required and some were very scarce. This led me to make assumptions to try to determine the data that we required. There were also a lot of unit conversions involved that made things more difficult. The data we have now is based on actual data from appliance specifications sheets, but I am hopeful that HEEP might already have the data we need to make our visualizations useful.
Here is a link to our spreadsheet.
Working on these visualizations has been an experience. It has allowed us to use our imaginations to design different visualizations. We have taken ideas and turned them into real prototypes. For the next milestone, I hope that HEEP becomes more involved in the design and requirements process, so we are not guessing about the data and what they want. This would make our job easier and increase the chances that they get the applications that they want.
In order to have realistic looking visualizations, we needed to find actual numbers that correspond to the electricity used by appliances in each of the categories we cover. This turned out to be more difficult than I thought it would be. After getting into the research of the electrical characteristics of the various appliances, I began to notice that not all appliance specifications are standard. Some had the information that I required and some were very scarce. This led me to make assumptions to try to determine the data that we required. There were also a lot of unit conversions involved that made things more difficult. The data we have now is based on actual data from appliance specifications sheets, but I am hopeful that HEEP might already have the data we need to make our visualizations useful.
Here is a link to our spreadsheet.
Working on these visualizations has been an experience. It has allowed us to use our imaginations to design different visualizations. We have taken ideas and turned them into real prototypes. For the next milestone, I hope that HEEP becomes more involved in the design and requirements process, so we are not guessing about the data and what they want. This would make our job easier and increase the chances that they get the applications that they want.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
HEEP: Milestone 2
We have finally reached Milestone 2. For this Milestone, we wanted to have working prototypes that were packaged as Google Gadgets. We were able to create gadgets for the appliance savings comparator, negawatts, and HCEI goals prototypes.
Learning Javascript has been a major portion of the learning curve for this project. In order to get the prototypes working, we had to use Javascript functions to pull data from our Google Spreadsheets. While initially it seemed like a simple task, it took a lot of research in order to actually implement it. However, the effort was definitely worth while because we increased our Javascript knowledge in the process and we are now able to pull data from Google spreadsheets with relative ease. This has broadened the types of applications that we can create.
We also learned how to package our prototypes as Google Gadgets which has increased our applications' portability. Our applications can be used stand-alone or added to iGoogle as a gadget on a user's homepage. This allows users to easily incorporate our applications with minimal effort.
The display of Negawatts generated by HEEP has been updated so values are read from a spreadsheet on load and placed into the application. Changes have been made to the spreadsheet to simplify its use. Originally, different models were used to calculate the amount of negawatts generated. While this was a more accurate model of the negawatts generated, it was more time consuming when new models were entered. Originally, every time a rebate was given for a model that did not exist in the spreadsheet, its information had to be added to the spreadsheet. Instead, we opted to use an average savings for each appliance. This greatly simplified the spreadsheet and hopefully makes it more user-friendly. The simplified spreadsheet is shown below the gadget screenshot.
The appliance savings comparator was also updated to allow values to be read from a Google spreadsheet on load. This application contains drop-down menus which allow a user to select a specific model to see its savings. Based on the user's selection, the appropriate data is loaded from the spreadsheet. This application was also put into a Google gadget.
The prototype that displays HCEI goals displays the progress of achieving its goals by comparing actual progress with the original projections. The goals that are visualized are that 40% of the total energy generated are from renewable sources and that the total energy generation is reduced by 30%.
We are getting closer to scheduling a meeting with HEEP to show them our prototypes. A few modifications and improvements still need to be made, but the core functionality has been accomplished. After becoming a little more familiar with Javascript, progress has increased and we are now able to produce the prototypes much faster. I look forward to showing HEEP our prototypes. I also hope that they have more suggestions for other applications that we could potentially create.
Learning Javascript has been a major portion of the learning curve for this project. In order to get the prototypes working, we had to use Javascript functions to pull data from our Google Spreadsheets. While initially it seemed like a simple task, it took a lot of research in order to actually implement it. However, the effort was definitely worth while because we increased our Javascript knowledge in the process and we are now able to pull data from Google spreadsheets with relative ease. This has broadened the types of applications that we can create.
We also learned how to package our prototypes as Google Gadgets which has increased our applications' portability. Our applications can be used stand-alone or added to iGoogle as a gadget on a user's homepage. This allows users to easily incorporate our applications with minimal effort.
The display of Negawatts generated by HEEP has been updated so values are read from a spreadsheet on load and placed into the application. Changes have been made to the spreadsheet to simplify its use. Originally, different models were used to calculate the amount of negawatts generated. While this was a more accurate model of the negawatts generated, it was more time consuming when new models were entered. Originally, every time a rebate was given for a model that did not exist in the spreadsheet, its information had to be added to the spreadsheet. Instead, we opted to use an average savings for each appliance. This greatly simplified the spreadsheet and hopefully makes it more user-friendly. The simplified spreadsheet is shown below the gadget screenshot.
The appliance savings comparator was also updated to allow values to be read from a Google spreadsheet on load. This application contains drop-down menus which allow a user to select a specific model to see its savings. Based on the user's selection, the appropriate data is loaded from the spreadsheet. This application was also put into a Google gadget.
The prototype that displays HCEI goals displays the progress of achieving its goals by comparing actual progress with the original projections. The goals that are visualized are that 40% of the total energy generated are from renewable sources and that the total energy generation is reduced by 30%.
We are getting closer to scheduling a meeting with HEEP to show them our prototypes. A few modifications and improvements still need to be made, but the core functionality has been accomplished. After becoming a little more familiar with Javascript, progress has increased and we are now able to produce the prototypes much faster. I look forward to showing HEEP our prototypes. I also hope that they have more suggestions for other applications that we could potentially create.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
HEEP Week 7: Ideas to Reality
We were finally able to smooth out the details for some of our mock-ups which allowed us to begin implementing prototypes. We have started to create prototypes for the energy star appliance savings, negawatts generated by HEEP, and progress towards HCEI goals.
The appliance savings prototype shows a list of different types of appliances that qualify for a HEEP rebate. The application reads in values from Google spreadsheets based on the model of appliance that is selected from the drop down menu for that appliance category. Then, the amount of savings for that model is displayed as the amount of savings from the rebate and the yearly savings from reduced electricity consumption. This gadget shows consumers the financial benefits of being energy efficient and hopefully encourages them to purchase an energy star appliance.
The negawatts generated by HEEP rebates prototype provides consumers a way to see the impact that HEEP rebates are having. The prototype also includes a pie chart that shows a breakdown of negawatt generation by the different appliances that rebates are available for. On the bottom of the application, a comparison of the amount of money saved based on negawatt generation per dollar will be displayed. The tool-tip will include more information than the tool-tip in the mock-up. The information that the tool-tip contains will include a negawatt definition, information about the calculations that were performed, and assumptions that we made. Shown below is a screen shot of the prototype we have created. We still need to add more functionality, but it is a good start.
The application that shows the progress towards HCEI goals has been modified, so energy generated by non-renewable resources is shown using dark colors. The energy generated by renewable resources is shown with light colors. The use of contrasting colors highlights the different sources that were used to generate the energy. This chart shows users that the total amount of energy consumed will be decreasing and a large portion of the energy consumed will be generated by renewable resources. Shown below is a screen shot of the application.
It is pretty neat to see our ideas turning into real applications. After breaking away from the mindset of needing specifications for the project, we have been able to become creative with our ideas. It took some getting used to because this is not the normal way class assignments are accomplished.
We will continue to implement the rest of our mock-ups and schedule a meeting with HEEP to present our prototypes. I am anxious to see HEEP's reaction to the applications that we have created. I am hopeful that they will like our applications and provide us useful feedback that can be used to further improve our designs.
The appliance savings prototype shows a list of different types of appliances that qualify for a HEEP rebate. The application reads in values from Google spreadsheets based on the model of appliance that is selected from the drop down menu for that appliance category. Then, the amount of savings for that model is displayed as the amount of savings from the rebate and the yearly savings from reduced electricity consumption. This gadget shows consumers the financial benefits of being energy efficient and hopefully encourages them to purchase an energy star appliance.
The negawatts generated by HEEP rebates prototype provides consumers a way to see the impact that HEEP rebates are having. The prototype also includes a pie chart that shows a breakdown of negawatt generation by the different appliances that rebates are available for. On the bottom of the application, a comparison of the amount of money saved based on negawatt generation per dollar will be displayed. The tool-tip will include more information than the tool-tip in the mock-up. The information that the tool-tip contains will include a negawatt definition, information about the calculations that were performed, and assumptions that we made. Shown below is a screen shot of the prototype we have created. We still need to add more functionality, but it is a good start.
The application that shows the progress towards HCEI goals has been modified, so energy generated by non-renewable resources is shown using dark colors. The energy generated by renewable resources is shown with light colors. The use of contrasting colors highlights the different sources that were used to generate the energy. This chart shows users that the total amount of energy consumed will be decreasing and a large portion of the energy consumed will be generated by renewable resources. Shown below is a screen shot of the application.
It is pretty neat to see our ideas turning into real applications. After breaking away from the mindset of needing specifications for the project, we have been able to become creative with our ideas. It took some getting used to because this is not the normal way class assignments are accomplished.
We will continue to implement the rest of our mock-ups and schedule a meeting with HEEP to present our prototypes. I am anxious to see HEEP's reaction to the applications that we have created. I am hopeful that they will like our applications and provide us useful feedback that can be used to further improve our designs.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
HEEP Week 6: More Changes
We have started to select our best applications and refine them. The applications we have selected are the negawatts generated by HEEP rebates, top appliance comparator, power generation by source, and oil consumption. During our weekly meeting, it was mentioned that some of our applications were not user-friendly enough. Some of our applications did not include enough explanation for a consumer to understand how to interpret the data presented. This presents a problem because while the information is useful, if someone cannot understand how to interpret the data it is not useful to them.
The mock-up for the negawatt application shows the amount of negawatts generated by HEEP rebates. When creating the mock-up for the application, not enough detail was used, which made it difficult for others to understand what the purpose of the application was. Originally, the mock-up showed a pie chart without any explanation of what it represented. While this was not intended to be the final version of application, it made it difficult to understand how the application worked and what information was displayed. We refined the application by using a more descriptive pie chart and including a negawatt definition. Also, we added the amount of negawatts generated per dollar at the bottom of the application, so consumers can see what kind of return HEEP is generating for money spent. Shown below are both the original and revised mock-ups for the negawatt generation display.
Original mock-up:
Revised mock-up:
The top appliance comparator shows a comparison of the top 5 energy star models for an appliance and how they compare with respect to electricity consumption of an average non-energy star appliance. It displays how much per year a consumer would save if they bought an energy star model vs. a non-energy star model. Originally, we displayed the cost as a savings, but we found out that people are more likely to act if we put the savings in terms of money lost. So, instead of phrasing the savings as "you would save", we changed it to "you will spend an extra". This is a marketing trick that has been found to encourage people to act. The revised mock-up is shown below.
The power generation by sources application was revised to show how the projection of energy consumption will decrease due to the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. The application shows what percentage of the energy being consumed will be produced by each source. The scaling has been adjusted to be linear, so a more detailed graph is shown. Also, the barrels of oil consumed has been adjusted, so it shows the total number of barrels consumed in a year rather than a comparison to a base year. This has made both graphs more readable.
Overall, I feel that with each iteration our applications are improving. In the beginning, we were making assumptions that people would have some previous knowledge about energy concepts. Through our revisions, our applications have become more user-friendly. The information needed by a consumer for the applications to be useful is presented with the application. We hope this will allow users to see the value of our applications and use them as intended.
The mock-up for the negawatt application shows the amount of negawatts generated by HEEP rebates. When creating the mock-up for the application, not enough detail was used, which made it difficult for others to understand what the purpose of the application was. Originally, the mock-up showed a pie chart without any explanation of what it represented. While this was not intended to be the final version of application, it made it difficult to understand how the application worked and what information was displayed. We refined the application by using a more descriptive pie chart and including a negawatt definition. Also, we added the amount of negawatts generated per dollar at the bottom of the application, so consumers can see what kind of return HEEP is generating for money spent. Shown below are both the original and revised mock-ups for the negawatt generation display.
Original mock-up:
Revised mock-up:
The top appliance comparator shows a comparison of the top 5 energy star models for an appliance and how they compare with respect to electricity consumption of an average non-energy star appliance. It displays how much per year a consumer would save if they bought an energy star model vs. a non-energy star model. Originally, we displayed the cost as a savings, but we found out that people are more likely to act if we put the savings in terms of money lost. So, instead of phrasing the savings as "you would save", we changed it to "you will spend an extra". This is a marketing trick that has been found to encourage people to act. The revised mock-up is shown below.
The power generation by sources application was revised to show how the projection of energy consumption will decrease due to the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. The application shows what percentage of the energy being consumed will be produced by each source. The scaling has been adjusted to be linear, so a more detailed graph is shown. Also, the barrels of oil consumed has been adjusted, so it shows the total number of barrels consumed in a year rather than a comparison to a base year. This has made both graphs more readable.
Overall, I feel that with each iteration our applications are improving. In the beginning, we were making assumptions that people would have some previous knowledge about energy concepts. Through our revisions, our applications have become more user-friendly. The information needed by a consumer for the applications to be useful is presented with the application. We hope this will allow users to see the value of our applications and use them as intended.
Monday, February 15, 2010
HEEP Week 5: Further Improvements
This week we prototyped a new application as well as made refinements to our existing applications. We now have several solid ideas for applications that we feel HEEP will like. Our initial designs were good for providing basic ideas, however, we still have many improvements to make before they are ready for distribution.
Our new application will display the amount of negawatt hours per year that are generated by HEEP rebates. A negawatt is a measure of energy that did not need to be generated due to increased energy efficiency. This is a good metric to provide to users, so they are able to see what kind of impact HEEP is having on Hawaii's power generation and energy efficiency. The information will be displayed as a numerical value as well as a pie chart showing the breakdown of each appliance's contribution. Consumers are able to use the numerical value to determine the performance of HEEP. Shown below is a mock-up of the negawatt display.
We have been working on improving the report card application. Initially, we were unsure how to evaluate HEEP's performance. We wanted to use some aspect of HEEP to assign a grade, but could not think of a meaningful metric to use. We have edited the design of the report card, so HEEP's grade is based on the amount of negawatt hours they generate through rebates. We will assign thresholds for each grade and assign HEEP a grade based on them. We feel that this is a meaningful way to grade HEEP because rebates seems to be their main connection to the public.
The calculators we designed will be revised to be more user-friendly. Initially, we assumed that users could enter a lot of data into fields of the application without many issues. However, we received suggestions that we should hide some of the fields by setting default values to them and read information from spreadsheets where possible. The less information that users need to enter the better.
I feel our weekly meetings have been very useful. During the meetings, we are able to get different point of views about our applications. This provides a good sanity check to make sure that our applications will work as intended. Everyone has their own opinions about what the best way to do things. By incorporating the best of everyone's ideas into a product, we are able to improve and refine it. Everyone has different opinions about what is the best way to accomplish a task. Hearing alternatives is a good way to improve an application because others come up with ideas that you may not think of on your own. I hope that we will continue to improve our applications in the coming weeks and have them ready for HEEP to perform an initial review.
Our new application will display the amount of negawatt hours per year that are generated by HEEP rebates. A negawatt is a measure of energy that did not need to be generated due to increased energy efficiency. This is a good metric to provide to users, so they are able to see what kind of impact HEEP is having on Hawaii's power generation and energy efficiency. The information will be displayed as a numerical value as well as a pie chart showing the breakdown of each appliance's contribution. Consumers are able to use the numerical value to determine the performance of HEEP. Shown below is a mock-up of the negawatt display.
We have been working on improving the report card application. Initially, we were unsure how to evaluate HEEP's performance. We wanted to use some aspect of HEEP to assign a grade, but could not think of a meaningful metric to use. We have edited the design of the report card, so HEEP's grade is based on the amount of negawatt hours they generate through rebates. We will assign thresholds for each grade and assign HEEP a grade based on them. We feel that this is a meaningful way to grade HEEP because rebates seems to be their main connection to the public.
The calculators we designed will be revised to be more user-friendly. Initially, we assumed that users could enter a lot of data into fields of the application without many issues. However, we received suggestions that we should hide some of the fields by setting default values to them and read information from spreadsheets where possible. The less information that users need to enter the better.
I feel our weekly meetings have been very useful. During the meetings, we are able to get different point of views about our applications. This provides a good sanity check to make sure that our applications will work as intended. Everyone has their own opinions about what the best way to do things. By incorporating the best of everyone's ideas into a product, we are able to improve and refine it. Everyone has different opinions about what is the best way to accomplish a task. Hearing alternatives is a good way to improve an application because others come up with ideas that you may not think of on your own. I hope that we will continue to improve our applications in the coming weeks and have them ready for HEEP to perform an initial review.
Monday, February 8, 2010
HEEP Week 4: Back to the Drawing Board
It was back to the drawing board for our team this week. We found out that some of the applications that we created last week weren't feasible because the required data may not be available. I have to admit that I was a little frustrated because we weren't getting as much progress as I hoped. Although we had to scrap some of the applications, I think it may have been a blessing in disguise because we came up with new applications that I feel will be more useful to consumers. I am also hopeful that HEEP will be happy with the new applications we have come up with.
There has been a lack of communication between our team and HEEP for the past couple of weeks which initially made progress slow. After our meeting last week, Professor Johnson re-emphasized that we shouldn't let that stand in our way. We decided we are going to brainstorm new ideas for applications that we think HEEP will like. This has made development easier because we are less restricted. The boundaries for our project have been greatly expanded since we have taken this new approach. So far, it has been a new experience for me because we don't have many set specifications like we do for most other school projects. We have more freedom to make our own decisions and do what we feel is best.
We are still going to produce the oil price/consumption application because this still seems like it would be very useful to consumers. People can get a better idea of how oil price affects consumption and ultimately cost. Initially, the chart that we created was too cluttered and difficult to read. We have revised the chart so that it is more user-friendly.
In addition to our old applications, we have thought up three new applications. The first is a cooling degree day calculator. This calculator helps users correlate outside temperature to power usage. It takes as input the power usages for two years and a base temperature. The application then fetches the degree days for the corresponding years and calculates the amount of power used per degree day. It displays as a result the percent change in the power usage for the two years.
The second application is similar to the first cooling degree day calculator, but it uses the total amount of power generated for Oahu in a year. The total power generated is read in from user input (not sure if we might change this to a spreadsheet) for two different years. The application then queries for the cooling degree days for the corresponding years and returns similar information as the first application. This information can be interesting because users are able to see if there is a correlation between the amount of power generated and the temperature for given years. They will also be able to see the percent of change between the specified years.
The third application is an appliance calculator. I think that this is the most useful of the new applications that we created. It takes two appliances as input, possibly one energy star rated and one non-energy star rated. In general, the energy star appliances cost more than the non-energy star appliances. It then calculates the amount of time that it will take the user to break even by saving on electricity cost. This is the first version of the application and I'm pretty sure that more features will be added as the project progresses.
Overall, I am much happier with the progress we have made. I feel that we have more solid applications that are more practical and useful for consumers. I hope that HEEP will enjoy the applications that we create when we present them in our next meeting with them.
Shown below are screenshots of the prototypes for the new applications.
Cooling Degree Days Calculator (Usage):
Cooling Degree Days Calculator (Power Generation):
Appliance Calculator:
There has been a lack of communication between our team and HEEP for the past couple of weeks which initially made progress slow. After our meeting last week, Professor Johnson re-emphasized that we shouldn't let that stand in our way. We decided we are going to brainstorm new ideas for applications that we think HEEP will like. This has made development easier because we are less restricted. The boundaries for our project have been greatly expanded since we have taken this new approach. So far, it has been a new experience for me because we don't have many set specifications like we do for most other school projects. We have more freedom to make our own decisions and do what we feel is best.
We are still going to produce the oil price/consumption application because this still seems like it would be very useful to consumers. People can get a better idea of how oil price affects consumption and ultimately cost. Initially, the chart that we created was too cluttered and difficult to read. We have revised the chart so that it is more user-friendly.
In addition to our old applications, we have thought up three new applications. The first is a cooling degree day calculator. This calculator helps users correlate outside temperature to power usage. It takes as input the power usages for two years and a base temperature. The application then fetches the degree days for the corresponding years and calculates the amount of power used per degree day. It displays as a result the percent change in the power usage for the two years.
The second application is similar to the first cooling degree day calculator, but it uses the total amount of power generated for Oahu in a year. The total power generated is read in from user input (not sure if we might change this to a spreadsheet) for two different years. The application then queries for the cooling degree days for the corresponding years and returns similar information as the first application. This information can be interesting because users are able to see if there is a correlation between the amount of power generated and the temperature for given years. They will also be able to see the percent of change between the specified years.
The third application is an appliance calculator. I think that this is the most useful of the new applications that we created. It takes two appliances as input, possibly one energy star rated and one non-energy star rated. In general, the energy star appliances cost more than the non-energy star appliances. It then calculates the amount of time that it will take the user to break even by saving on electricity cost. This is the first version of the application and I'm pretty sure that more features will be added as the project progresses.
Overall, I am much happier with the progress we have made. I feel that we have more solid applications that are more practical and useful for consumers. I hope that HEEP will enjoy the applications that we create when we present them in our next meeting with them.
Shown below are screenshots of the prototypes for the new applications.
Cooling Degree Days Calculator (Usage):
Cooling Degree Days Calculator (Power Generation):
Appliance Calculator:
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
HEEP Week 3
We have started to prototype the different applications requested by HEEP. These applications include graphs representing changes in oil price, cooling degree days, and a report card for the organization's performance. Consumer's will be able to use these applications to educate themselves about different energy factors. Also, HEEP will be able to provide the public a simple, visual way to see their performance.
Our initial design of the system was more complicated than required. We weren't thinking about long-term maintainability. After discussing our design with Professor Johnson, he suggested to simplify the design as much as possible and increase the complexity only as necessary. This was a great suggestion. It actually made everyone's life easier. We changed our design so it uses Google spreadsheets to hold the data and creates the visualizations based on queries to the spreadsheets. HEEP will be able to update data by just editing a Google spreadsheet which means that training to use the system will be minimal. Also, after we are gone, the applications can be maintained without many complications.
We had some difficulty creating the applications at first because we didn't receive the required data from HEEP. We decided to procede with the construction of the applications based on best guesses of what the data will look like. It is important that the project keep moving forward even though we may need to redo much of the work. It will be a repetitive process of reviews and revisions to the applications before we are able to get it right.
Our first challenge in getting these applications working was learning the Google Visualizations API. Fortunately, Google provides a lot of documentation and code examples which made learning how to use the visualizations fairly simple. We were able to construct prototypes for the applications without many problems. Previews of our prototype applications can be found here.
Our initial design of the system was more complicated than required. We weren't thinking about long-term maintainability. After discussing our design with Professor Johnson, he suggested to simplify the design as much as possible and increase the complexity only as necessary. This was a great suggestion. It actually made everyone's life easier. We changed our design so it uses Google spreadsheets to hold the data and creates the visualizations based on queries to the spreadsheets. HEEP will be able to update data by just editing a Google spreadsheet which means that training to use the system will be minimal. Also, after we are gone, the applications can be maintained without many complications.
We had some difficulty creating the applications at first because we didn't receive the required data from HEEP. We decided to procede with the construction of the applications based on best guesses of what the data will look like. It is important that the project keep moving forward even though we may need to redo much of the work. It will be a repetitive process of reviews and revisions to the applications before we are able to get it right.
Our first challenge in getting these applications working was learning the Google Visualizations API. Fortunately, Google provides a lot of documentation and code examples which made learning how to use the visualizations fairly simple. We were able to construct prototypes for the applications without many problems. Previews of our prototype applications can be found here.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program
Our first meeting with the Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program was very productive. They were able to provide us with a much clearer picture regarding the types of applications they desire. The applications that were discussed dealt with variations in oil prices over time, HEEP's performance report card, how cooling degree days impact power consumption, and a stop light to represent the current power status. HEEP hopes the public will be able to use the information provided in these applications to adjust their energy usage and become more educated about energy issues.
The first application would show how oil prices vary over time. Oahu is very dependent on oil for power generation. Over half of the power generated on Oahu comes from petroleum. This is one reason that HEEP would like the information to be readily accessible from their website. The possibility of using a custom Google Visualization to diplay the information was discussed. The visualization desired would represent the price of oil as stacks of oil barrels.
The next application would display HEEP's performance. HEEP would like the public to have access to a "report card" that would represent HEEP's performance based on cost verses power savings. This would compare how much money was spent to produce a certain amount of power savings. HEEP would like this information updated weekly.
HEEP would also like an application that consumers can use to see how cooling degree days affect power usage as well as power consumption. Each degree over 65 degrees corresponds to one cooling degree day. Consumers could use this information to get a more accurate idea of reasons that their power consumption may have changed from one year to another. Power consumption generally increases as the number of cooling degree days rises due to additional use of air conditioners and other appliances.
Finally, HEEP would like a stop light style application created for their website. This application would be similar to the Ecotricity stop light application that represents the current power status as either red, yellow, or green. These colors correspond to high, moderate, and low demand times respectively. Consumers would then be able to modify their power usage to correspond to lower demand times.
All of these applications seem very useful and I am looking forward to beginning development. The learning curve will be steep at first, but hopefully things will become easier after becoming more familiar with Javascript and Google Visualizations. I hope that we are able to live up to HEEP's expectations and produce the applications that they desire.
The first application would show how oil prices vary over time. Oahu is very dependent on oil for power generation. Over half of the power generated on Oahu comes from petroleum. This is one reason that HEEP would like the information to be readily accessible from their website. The possibility of using a custom Google Visualization to diplay the information was discussed. The visualization desired would represent the price of oil as stacks of oil barrels.
The next application would display HEEP's performance. HEEP would like the public to have access to a "report card" that would represent HEEP's performance based on cost verses power savings. This would compare how much money was spent to produce a certain amount of power savings. HEEP would like this information updated weekly.
HEEP would also like an application that consumers can use to see how cooling degree days affect power usage as well as power consumption. Each degree over 65 degrees corresponds to one cooling degree day. Consumers could use this information to get a more accurate idea of reasons that their power consumption may have changed from one year to another. Power consumption generally increases as the number of cooling degree days rises due to additional use of air conditioners and other appliances.
Finally, HEEP would like a stop light style application created for their website. This application would be similar to the Ecotricity stop light application that represents the current power status as either red, yellow, or green. These colors correspond to high, moderate, and low demand times respectively. Consumers would then be able to modify their power usage to correspond to lower demand times.
All of these applications seem very useful and I am looking forward to beginning development. The learning curve will be steep at first, but hopefully things will become easier after becoming more familiar with Javascript and Google Visualizations. I hope that we are able to live up to HEEP's expectations and produce the applications that they desire.
Monday, January 18, 2010
A New Partnership
The Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program (HEEP) is an organization that provides Oahu residents with information that can be used to conserve energy. They provide information on their website about various things such as solar energy, energy efficient appliances, and Hawaii's energy news. We will be working with HEEP to create some new applications for their website.
The applications for the HEEP website will be energy related. They are considering incorporating something similar to the stop light feature of the Ecotricity website that allows consumers to know what times during the day to conserve electricity. Consumers would be able to predict when peak hours are and avoid usage until lower demand times. They also mentioned possibly creating an application that dealt with oil prices.
So far, we have not been provided a clear description of what this project will consist of. Our team has scheduled a meeting with HEEP to discuss what they had in mind for their website. We hope this meeting will clear up some questions we have. During this meeting, we hope to find out more about their requirements, who we will be working with, and how the relationship between UH, HEEP, and the web development company that is building the HEEP website will work. We want to create applications that can be incorporated into the website without much dependency on other aspects of the website. This is to prevent our application from ending up on a critical path of the website's development.
During the next week, we hope to learn what kinds of applications HEEP would like built and how development will be handled. Once we know what is wanted, we can start assigning tasks to members and get our project going.
The Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program's website can be found here.
Shown below is a screenshot of the Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program's website.
The applications for the HEEP website will be energy related. They are considering incorporating something similar to the stop light feature of the Ecotricity website that allows consumers to know what times during the day to conserve electricity. Consumers would be able to predict when peak hours are and avoid usage until lower demand times. They also mentioned possibly creating an application that dealt with oil prices.
So far, we have not been provided a clear description of what this project will consist of. Our team has scheduled a meeting with HEEP to discuss what they had in mind for their website. We hope this meeting will clear up some questions we have. During this meeting, we hope to find out more about their requirements, who we will be working with, and how the relationship between UH, HEEP, and the web development company that is building the HEEP website will work. We want to create applications that can be incorporated into the website without much dependency on other aspects of the website. This is to prevent our application from ending up on a critical path of the website's development.
During the next week, we hope to learn what kinds of applications HEEP would like built and how development will be handled. Once we know what is wanted, we can start assigning tasks to members and get our project going.
The Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program's website can be found here.
Shown below is a screenshot of the Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program's website.
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