Utility Smart

Utility Smart lets you report on your choices in using natural resources. Choices for staying warm—layers of clothing, turning the heat up or down, and opening or closing windows as well as choices for reuse, recycling and trash are shown with colored sliders and footprints to let you see how they affect the environment.

Use sliders to set choices with the Current choices tab. See how eco-friendly your choices are as you use the sliders. Also see how you're doing compared to your previous choices. Even less-than-eco-friendly choices can be a step forward for you.

Help increase awareness and promote eco-friendly actions with your favorite communication and social media tools — all from Utility Smart. Send your choices and scores in JSON format via email to accumulate your own database of choices over time.

On the EcoDiary tab, a chart shows the eco-friendliness of your choices as you adjust your windows, heat, and clothing layers and as you report on your reuse, recycling and trash actions.

Keep in touch...
Please contact Curt and Jesse to let us know how you use the app! (Curt Gervich cgerv001@plattsburgh.edu and Jesse Feiler jfeiler@champlainarts.com).

For teachers...
Utility Smart is a great tool for helping students at any level think about their choices for using utilities such as power responsibly. The data students students report on their own behavior can be shared with the Share button on the EcoDiary tab via email or Twitter: It is exported with the Share Button in JSON format suitable for importing into spreadsheets, databases, or other apps.

Eco-friendly Challenges for Teachers and Students...
Challenge students to track their energy-related behaviors. Utility Smart is a great tool for helping students at any level think about their choices for using the environmental services utilities provide.

Students can record their behaviors and share via email or Twitter. Data are exported from the EcoDiary tab with the Share Button in JSON format suitable for importing into spreadsheets or other apps. The Share Button on the Current Conditions view lets you export your current observation to Twitter or email.

Building Apps and Projects for Teachers and Students...
Students can also use the data they collect as the basis for their own apps ranging from simple web-based apps to more complex apps using various frameworks, Apple Playgrounds, or languages such as Swift/Objective-C, Java, or others.

About the project...
Utility Smart is a collaboration between Curt Gervich and Jesse Feiler. Logo design from Boire Benner Group (boirebenner.com). The project was created and implemented in Plattsburgh, NY. Support has been provided by the City of Plattsburgh, Lake Champlain Basin Program (lcbp.org), and Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership.

Curt Gervich is an Associate Professor at SUNY Plattsburgh. He holds degrees in Natural Resource Planning from the University of Vermont and Environmental Design and Planning from Virginia Tech. Dr. Gervich studies and teaches courses related to environmental decision making and leadership, including topics such as conservation behavior change and systems thinking. This project represents represents the marriage of these two topics. Dr. Gervich also serves on the LCBP TAC Committee. cgerv001@plattsburgh.edu

Jesse Feiler helps people and organizations get to know and use new technologies. Current projects involve identifying and managing risk in nonprofit organizations ("The Nonprofit Risk App" and "The Nonprofit Risk Book" both with Gail B. Nayowith) as well as helping communities build location-based apps to promote tourism, downtown economic development, and the wise use of natural resources.

 Find his apps on champlainarts.com. He is founder and president of Friends of Saranac River Trail (saranacrivertrail.org) whose flagship events include the annual Talks, Treks & Tasks which include treks to the Plattsburgh Water Pollution Control Plant. jfeiler@champlainarts.com.