iOS 17 Includes 'Grid Forecast' Feature to Let You Know When 'Cleaner' Energy is Available

[MrCrowbar]

Apple caring about clean energy.
Also Apple: pushing wireless charging which is at best 70% as efficient.

On the other end their hardware is crazy power-efficient, even the Intel stuff.

 

[Zeddi92]

It’s quite baffling to see so many hostile reactions towards any step a company makes on reducing their footprint, or when they support customers on doing the same. Totally on board to watch out for greenwashing, but this here is legit.


“I’m not doing anything because an African river is polluted” Any idea how ignorant this sounds? Most likely coming from an inhabitant of the world’s second biggest greenhouse gases emitter.


I know everything needs to be a culture war these days in the US, but there is something called science that can explain to you what the anthropogenic greenhouse effect is. Not accepting this as fact is as delusional as being a flat earther. You might not agree with how society tries to address these issues, but it doesn’t make the scientific underpinnings less true.

I‘ve just registered to thank you for that great comment. It’s unbelievable how people scream „propaganda“ or „political agenda“ as soon as there is just an optional feature to observe energy production.

 

[2ilent8cho]

Will it show how much carbon I'm breathing out too whilst using the iPhone ? If I don't breath I could save the planet.

 

[akb]

Excellent feature. I have a plug-in hybrid car and a 7KW charger which charges it from empty to full in about 100 minutes or so. I don't have a tariff that's cheaper at night, but if I knew I'd be using more green electricity at a particular time, that's when I'd schedule it for.

I mean, why not? It doesn't hurt me and it helps the planet.

 

[claude31]

really? gonna disable from day one, makes no sense to me

It is not only for iPhone charging, but possibly the 60 kWh you have to recharge in your car… That's a lot different.

 

[claude31]

With the iOS 17 release candidate that came out yesterday, Apple added a new "Grid Forecast" section to the Home app. The feature is designed to use your location to tell you when "clean" energy is available to use, so you can be mindful of when you're using energy.

According to Apple, the energy sources that are used to power a home can change throughout the day. When the forecast reads "Cleaner," it means that the available energy sources may have lower carbon emissions. When it reads "Less Clean," available energy sources that are powering the grid may emit more carbon into the atmosphere.

Apple suggests that users can take advantage of this forecast to decide when to use electricity in situations where energy usage can be timed. Choosing to run the washing machine, the dryer, or the dishwasher during the "Cleaner" time will cut down on carbon emissions.

The Grid Forecast is based on each person's location, and Apple says that it is relative to the energy sources available on the grid in a particular place. According to Apple, even in areas with limited renewable generation, relatively cleaner energy may still be available. Apple does not provide information on where its energy information is sourced.

You can get to the Grid Forecast in iOS 17 by opening up the Home app and tapping on the "Energy" option at the end of the top navigation bar. You will see the current energy status and a time when it will shift. A Grid Forecast icon is also available at the top right of the Home app.

Grid Forecast is not a metric that is available in Automations, so it cannot be used to activate smart home devices at select times. The Grid Forecast is available on all Apple devices in the Home app, including iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.

Article Link: iOS 17 Includes 'Grid Forecast' Feature to Let You Know When 'Cleaner' Energy is Available

Is there an API available to access this information from an app ?

 

[mr_matalino]

Will this be used in Asia and Africa, the two biggest polluters on the planet and have the nine most polluted rivers on the planet?

Yes it will work in those regions. But you’d never see it turn on 😂

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Will this be used in Asia and Africa, the two biggest polluters on the planet and have the nine most polluted rivers on the planet?

Outsource all the manufacturing and natural resource collection to low income countries and then blame them for being polluters. Makes sense.

 

[Shouldibuy]

they keep virtue signaling like that, one day they will enable a feature to shutdown phones for a certain time period to save carbon credits, or you won't be allowed to charge during peak hours

 

[nt5672]

Nice to know what to turn off right off the bat….useless setting in the scheme of things

Until iOS 21, then Apple will be such a good citizen that it will remove that option.

 

[nt5672]

Goes without saying these days. Anything new is feared or killed.

Or some people just remember history and the fact that companies lie routinely about the long term effects.

 

[MacTiki]

There is no need to zoom in to individual houses. There is only one power grid and it’s the collective supply/demand, greenhouse emission and weather data for the entire region that is aggregated here.

May areas of the United States allow a person the ability to select an alternative PRODUCER if available even though it is PROVIDED by the same UTILITY.

Furthermore a utility can switch producers on the fly.

 

[MacTiki]

I didn’t say you were not allowed to be against it, I just think it says a lot about you

I guess the poster is one of the few who has chosen not to be a lemming.

 

[BuffaloTF]

May areas of the United States allow a person the ability to select an alternative PRODUCER if available even though it is PROVIDED by the same UTILITY.

Furthermore a utility can switch producers on the fly.

No, that's not at all how it works. You're allowed to buy electricity through different agencies, who purchase power in bulk chunks, like a reverse auction. The electricity is all produced by the same plants in an area, who feed the grid. There's only 1 grid, ie, 1 set of power lines that go around your town and then to your home. Ultimately, the incumbent provider is the one getting paid after all of this, as they own the grid... even if they themselves have to buy from, say, any one of the number of little privately owned natural gas plants that are sprinkled all over the place.

 

[matt_and_187_like_this]

great new hobby, thanks apple

 

[hagar]

May areas of the United States allow a person the ability to select an alternative PRODUCER if available even though it is PROVIDED by the same UTILITY.

Furthermore a utility can switch producers on the fly.

Sure. In Europe as well. But it’s still the same power flowing out of your sockets. So this feature is a COLLECTIVE one and will show when energy is the “cleanest” in your region.

 

[hagar]

they keep virtue signaling like that, one day they will enable a feature to shutdown phones for a certain time period to save carbon credits, or you won't be allowed to charge during peak hours

It’s not virtue signaling if they actually take action. Which is exactly what they’re doing.

Also, they’re not doing anything to reduce quality or service. Stop being stuck in the past thinking it’s either economy or ecology. Both go hand in hand.

 

[MacTiki]

Likely true. However, it could still be used for good things in the future, Like

…like rationing based on a persons environmental / social credit score.

The only way those who are pushing the “green agenda” will be happy is when the lights are turn out for good for the 99% of us.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

It’s not virtue signaling if they actually take action. Which is exactly what they’re doing.

Also, they’re not doing anything to reduce quality or service. Stop being stuck in the past thinking it’s either economy or ecology. Both go hand in hand.

Eh Apple is kinda guilty of virtue signaling though in other ways. They went on a long tangent about eliminating leather options. All while they continue to partner with Hermes who is offering leather options. Apple gets a cut of each sale. If they really were anti-leather, they'd end the partnership.

 

[MacTiki]

they keep virtue signaling like that, one day they will enable a feature to shutdown phones for a certain time period to save carbon credits, or you won't be allowed to charge during peak hours

Phones. How about individual homes or whole neighborhoods.

If you want to know where things are likely headed then then take a look at what is going on in South Africa.

 

[fwmireault]

I guess the poster is one of the few who has chosen not to be a lemming.

Right? Being aware of our carbon footprint? What a stupid idea in a time where everybody on this planet is impacted by climate change.

/s

 

[Hyde244]

Is there an API available to access this information from an app ?

https://www.gridstatus.io/

It turns out there’s a good deal of open-access data on grid use and generation mix. Very cool Apple is putting this type of info even more at users finger tips, given we’re already using this type of forecasting in the automated clean charging feature.

 

[jonnysods]

I have to say that mother nature skit was on the same level of 'keynote cringe' as the keynote when they launched ATV+ and brought out those actors to talk about the different shows coming up, it was so painful and awful that I didn't think anything could top it, then they did the enviro skit.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I have to say that mother nature skit was on the same level of 'keynote cringe' as the keynote when they launched ATV+ and brought out those actors to talk about the different shows coming up, it was so painful and awful that I didn't think anything could top it, then they did the enviro skit.

I took that personally.

 

[Osxguy]

This picture here.