Frog Design announced that it has become a member of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC). The SGCC is a nonprofit collaborative that brings together utilities, suppliers, and vendors as well as associations and consumer advocacy groups to better understand consumer needs as the smart grid is being designed and developed. frog brings to the SGCC a unique approach to innovation to help engage consumers with the smart grid, identify ways to make the technology behind it more accessible, and enable positive behavior change related to clean energy.
"We must modernize our electric power system for the sake of our economy and our environment. But we must do it in a way that is consumer safe and consumer friendly -- and that's where the bright minds of frog design can make such a difference. They are uniquely skilled at listening to consumers and translating their needs and priorities into truly relevant products and services. They are an invaluable addition to our growing membership," said Jesse Berst, acting executive director of the SGCC.
"frog is committed to driving transformation by changing the way people interact with energy," said David Merkoski, Executive Creative Director for frog design. "We are thrilled to join the SGCC and work with other leaders in the industry to tackle the challenge of making the smart grid a reality and creating a clean energy future."
Members of the SGCC include consumer electronics and technology companies, retailers, consumer advocacy groups, and utilities dedicated to maximizing the value of the grid for consumers. Founding member companies include Control4, Ember, General Electric, the GridWise Alliance, IBM, Magnolia/Best Buy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Ohio Consumers' Counsel, and Silver Spring Networks, among others.
The SGCC will host its first annual summit in September in Washington, D.C. to coincide with the inaugural GridWise Global Forum. As part of the meeting, frog will facilitate a half-day ideation session that will engage SGCC members in identifying new ways of thinking about consumer behavior in energy usage and awareness. This initial private event with SGCC members will be followed up by a second, more public full-day session to be held in San Francisco in October during which the concepts and solutions generated in the first session will be further developed and shared with the broader community.