An initiative to provide utility customers access to their energy consumption data is inaccessible for most, hindering the ability to make greener choices at home and in businesses according to David Arkell, CEO of Hamilton-based consultancy 360 Energy Inc.

Named the Green Button initiative, it was formed in the U.S. to promote a consumer-friendly way to offer access to energy and water usage data. It is led by the North Carolina-based Green Button Alliance.

Green Button enables residential and commercial consumers to view and share their energy data in a standardized format with third-party service providers in order to encourage efforts to reduce energy use. An example is a home retrofit to improve energy efficiency.

In Ontario, it is offered by the likes of Hydro One Networks Inc. and Enbridge Gas Inc. Nova Scotia Power is also a member of the Green Button Alliance. The Ontario government required most regulated Ontario electricity and natural gas utilities to provide customers with access to energy use data in Green Button no later than Nov. 1, 2023.

Though the intent behind Green Button is good, the “execution has been terrible,” Arkell told Sustainable Biz Canada in an interview. In a white paper, he listed a series of critiques such as data discrepancies and supplying data at a pace that is not helpful to some large businesses.

As a result, few end up using Green Button, which hampers decarbonization and energy efficiency efforts, he concluded.

Arkell is a well-known consultant in the field, a frequent speaker and contributor in the media, and also a columnist for Sustainable Biz Canada.

Where Green Button falls short

Green Button begins with smart meters that report energy consumption data to a utility company. The company converts it to the Green Button format, where it can be downloaded by the customer for their own use. Alternatively, the customer can connect the data to a Green Button-compatible third-party app that can lay out steps to reduce energy use or choose the best electricity price plan.

One of Arkell’s gripes with Green Button is the highly technical nature of the data, challenging the average homeowner or business owner who prioritizes price over technical information.

Another criticism is the disconnect between the flow of data Green Button generates and the information businesses need to make decisions. The initiative reports data in hourly intervals, which is designed so customers can identify trends and the best pricing plan for their needs. But Green Button misses both the small and big picture, Arkell said.

The hourly interval does not work for large facilities such as such as factories or data centres that demand real-time energy information. Green Button also cannot report appliance-level or circuit data, so users that operate large equipment cannot identify specific inefficiencies or optimizations.

The Ontario Ministry of Energy and Electrification contends that utilities are able to offer data at shorter intervals if they are capable.

Arkell noted each utility can make its own tweaks to how Green Button measures certain metrics, so the way data is presented can be different with every organization.

He also cites a study by Francis Palma, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of New Brunswick, that found introducing Green Button data raises risks about the accuracy of the information.

“Inconsistencies impair decision-making and erode trust in data reliability, particularly for organizations relying on precise models for carbon reporting or energy procurement strategies,” Arkell wrote in the white paper.

Where Green Button can improve

These barriers are preventing widespread use of Green Button, he argues. Arkell said few utility customers access the initiative; 360 Energy has yet to meet someone who has. This holds back steps to decarbonize buildings and businesses.

“If you don’t manage energy, you don’t manage carbon.”

Arkell has not gone directly to the Green Button Alliance with the proposed reforms. His experience in the sector has shown outside recommendations are rarely heard.

“People are pretty protective, and they’re going to follow their course because they want to follow the course.”

However, he does not advocate for doing away with Green Button, but rather improving the program. As he put it, “We wrote up that white paper not to put a knife; we wanted to stir the marketplace and Green Button to make it better.”

He suggests Green Button should offer pricing information, more granular data on a real-time basis, standardized measurement practices and regular audits, and a wider range of information that covers variables like weather and occupancy, to list a few.

Another recommendation is expanding Green Button to other energy sources (diesel, gasoline) and utilities such as water so further efficiencies can be realized.

The energy ministry contends Ontario water utilities can voluntarily provide access through Green Button, but are not required to do so.