How does it work?
CURB uses a combination of hardware and software to help make your home safer, smarter and more energy efficient. The hardware is installed inside (or sometimes next to) the circuit breaker box for the home and then it monitors how much power is flowing to each of the different appliances or areas of a home with small sensors that monitor each breaker. We designed CURB so that it could measure the total energy consumption of the home as well as up to 16 additional circuits.
How does CURB send data out?
The CURB hardware communicates back to the cloud services using the home's broadband internet connection, your homes router. This means that there are no monthly fees!
CURB can communicate to the home’s router two different ways:
1) Ethernet Over Power (EOP)
2) Directly through an Ethernet cable
Ethernet over power line requires a small receiver plugged into an outlet near the home router, which is included in the standard CURB package.
How should CURB be installed?
We designed CURB to be easy and straightforward to install, but we still recommend professional installation if you aren’t comfortable with the process. Any certified electrician can get CURB up and running for you – usually in less than an hour. CURB also has a partnership with a nation wide (USA) group of electricians that service almost all jurisdictions. If you want one of CURB's partnered electrician to schedule your installation, select the "Installation add-on" during check out.
How does CURB know which devices and areas in my house are using power?
In most homes, many of the major appliances (Air conditioner, furnace, range, heater, washer, dryer, hot water heater, fridge, etc…) are powered through a dedicated circuit breaker and CURB is able to monitor the power consumption directly through a specific sensor. Other circuits typically power areas or zones (kitchen, living room, bedroom 1, bathroom, garage, etc...) within a home that provide energy to multiple devices.
How do CURB's sensors work?
The CURB sensors are called Current Transformers (CT) clamps, which measure the amount of current that is running through a wire through a process called induction. These sensors are very easy to install by clipping them around any wire that you want to measure. No wire removal necessary. See installation Gif above.
How much money does CURB save?
CURB customers have reported saving more than 50% on their electrical bills, although specific customer results will vary. Independent studies have shown that having real time access to energy information about your home typical leads to over 12% of annual energy reduction.
Typically, customers have achieved the greatest savings by using CURB to identify areas of waste and inefficiency in both their appliances and usage habits. We believe the first step in reducing your energy bill and increasing the energy efficiency of your home is through measuring your existing consumption, which helps users understand where they can make the biggest impact. Similarly to the way counting calories is effective in achieving a healthy diet, knowledge about energy consumption empowers our users to make smarter decisions.
Which are the different options for getting CURB?
We offer 2 options of CURB: Pro & Pro Duo.
CURB Pro: For Typical Homes
This is the CURB flagship product and it comes with 18 sensors to provide detailed information about where a homes energy consumption is going. The first two sensors are used to monitor the total consumption of the home and the remaining 16 are used to measure other major loads or areas.
CURB Pro Duo: For Large Homes
The CURB Pro Duo is designed for larger homes that have two electrical panels or a solar system. The CURB Pro Duo system comes with two CURB Pro main units as well as a total of 36 sensors. The first two sensors are used to the monitor the total consumption of the home and the remaining 34 are used to measure other major loads and solar generation. The CURB software system seamlessly integrates the data from both of the CURB units for a display of unprecedented granularity.
Which CURB unit is right for my house?
We designed the CURB system to be extremely flexible so that it can work in any home.
The CURB Pro is designed for the typical home that has a single electrical panel (Circuit breaker box).
The CURB Pro Duo is designed for larger homes that have two electrical panels or a solar system. The first panel is typically outside and powers the air conditioners and pool pumps (all the big stuff). The second one is linked to by the first one and powers everything else in the house.
What specifically comes with the CURB system?)
Hardware:
1) CURB monitoring unit
2) 18-36 sensors (CT clamps)
3) The homeplug receiver
4) 6’ cat-5 cable
5) 3 wires for powering CURB (and wire nuts)
Software:
1) CURB App
2) CURB Dashboard
3) CURB Weekly Summary emails
4) CURB Alerting System
Will CURB work in my house?
Yes, the CURB hardware has been successfully installed in hundreds of homes across the United States. Here are a few things to think about to ensure a smooth installation:
1.Have a one (1) open port on your homes router.
2.Ensure there is an available electrical outlet near your router (powerstrips will not work)
Can I link two (or more) CURB units together?
Yes! In fact, you can add as many CURB units as you want to a single account.
Does CURB work in apartments?
Yes, CURB works in apartments. In some cases, the CURB device will need to be mounted outside of the circuit breaker box due to the insufficient space within the breaker box.
Does CURB work with solar?
Yes, CURB lets you answer the question: How much of my homes power is coming from my solar system vs grid and what things can I do inside my home to maximize the value of my solar system. CURB lets you see on the mobile app or web how much power is being generated from your solar system and how much power is pulling from the grid. This is an extremely powerful tool because you can adjust the power that your home is consuming so that it aligns best with your solar production, thus minimizing the energy purchased from the grid and maximizing the value of your solar system. CURB also lets you see how much your solar system has been generated over various time frames so that you can get a holistic understanding of what percent of your power is coming from the grid vs solar. This dashboard view lets you identify trends, potential anomalies and degradation of your solar system.
CURB measures solar production when it is connected in either of the two typical configurations:
1. Line Side Tap
2. Breaker Side Tap
How accurate is CURB data?
We have been testing CURB in homes the past year and our sensors were coming in at 99.5% accuracy on 18 individual circuits – that means we are monitoring all of your major appliances (AC, washer, dryer, stove, fridge, furnace fan, hot water heater, etc) as well as the specific zones or areas powered by specific breakers. Our sensors capture data at a rate of 8,000 times per second and report that data back to you via CURB’s dashboard every second of every day, so data is truly realtime.
What is the Warranty?
We provide a one (1) year limited warranty. We guarantee you receive your CURB unit free of manufacturing defects.
Can I change or cancel my perk?
Indiegogo policy dictates that campaign owners have no ability to adjust perk selections. That means we cannot upgrade your perk, we cannot change your perk and we cannot cancel your perk. Please note that contributions made on Indiegogo are also non-refundable.
How is shipping handled?
We will be shipping via the United States Postal Service.
How much is shipping and handling?
All shipping and handling in the US will have a flat fee of $19. There is an additional cost for international shipping (estimated at $40 total). Shipment does not include extra fees from customs, or additional costs associated with your country. If it turns out that shipment to your country is more than the expected "international shipping add-on" we will request additional payment or we will reimburse your order. If it turns out that shipment to your country proves impossible, we will reimburse your order.
